The Golden Gate...Day 25

"California is all about the Gold Rush."

~Al, our tour guide

We made it to San Francisco. Surprisingly, it was a pretty easy drive to our hotel through the city traffic. We have a terrific view of the Golden Gate Bridge from our hotel window...too bad we cannot take a pic through the rather untidy 6th floor window. Oh well.

We arrived pretty early in the day since it was only 4-ish hours from Oakhurst. So, we got checked in and settled at our hotel, then set out to explore Fisherman's Wharf. What a throng of humanity! We enjoyed walking along the streets and taking in all the sounds, people, shops, tourist paraphernalia, sea lions and seagulls, bakeries and Alcatraz (in the distance). We marveled at the street entertainers and hobos. We ate sourdough bread and Ghirardelli chocolate. We took a "motorized street car" tour and I enjoyed having someone else drive for a bit! It really was too much fun.

Tomorrow we are planning on spending time in the Golden Gate Park and the Presidio; from our small look at those places today, it should be wonderful.

Men rush to California and Australia as if the true gold were to be found in that direction; but that is to go to the very opposite extreme to where it lies. They go prospecting farther and farther away from the true lead, and are most unfortunate when they think themselves most successful.

~Henry David Thoreau