I can’t believe it’s already coming to the end of my Summer adventures for 2023. I’m halfway through my trip and still have so much I want to see and do!

Golden Gate Bridge day had finally arrived! I waited for a clear day to embark on this adventure because it’s something I’ve been dreaming of for so long. I walked so far on this day (28,214 steps to be exact) but it was so incredibly worth it, it really was one of my favourite adventure days. I decided to head off the beaten track to see the Golden Gate Bridge from a different perspective, the viewing platforms were all really busy and weren’t quite my style, so I googled some of the best places to see the bridge from and a few beaches came up so I grabbed some snacks and water, put my headphones in and headed off to Marshall Beach. I was following some signs along the side of the road for a little bit and then they ended at which looked like the edge of a cliff, I was a bit confused but was some people walking back up so thought it must be the right way so began heading down.

I got to the bottom and my jaw dropped! I genuinely could not believe the views that were infront of me, it was literal golden sand and blue sea, with the Golden Gate Bridge in front of me in all of its glory. No people blocking the way, no cramped spaces, just open air and stunning views. I must admit, it was quite the task getting down, and I wasn’t looking forward to getting back up but once i found my groove. I had the best day and walked for miles. I stayed down at the beach for a little while just admiring the view, taking some pictures and hanging out before heading back up and back towards the cafe area. From here I wanted to head in the opposite direction so I could see if from a different point of view (genuinely have wanted to see this bridge for my whole life so I wanted to make the most of every minute). I ended up on another adventure and before I knew it, ended up walking all the way back to Fisherman’s Wharf before jumping on a tram to get back to Union Square. If I could recommend to anyone to go off the beaten track to see the Golden Gate Bridge from a different point of view, do it, you will not regret it!

The following few days were still busy, I had so much I still wanted to see, but in a way, they were far more chilled. I took some time to explore some of the neighbourhoods, catch some sunrays and chill out and not be at such pace as I had been for the first few days. One of the areas I headed to was Castro, the LGBT+ neighboured of San Fran. Whilst I was here, I visited the GLBT Historical Society Museum which was interesting. It was really small, but had a lot packed into a little space! I enjoyed spending some time here before wandering around the rest of the neighbourhood whilst was really colourful, and really cool. I took a lot of inpso from Pinterest for this trip of cool places to visit and I’m so glad that I did, I found some real hidden gems which I don’t think I would have naturally bumped into.

Lombard Street was also on my list of things to see! You can’t really tell from the picture below, but Lombard Street is a steep road with eigh hair-pin turns going down. I walked down it and it felt like a bit of a minor bucket list moment, you hear a fair amount about it in San Fran, especially when the cable car goes past it, so I knew that one day I wanted to jump off and explore it myself.

From Lombard Street I wanted to walk back into the main area of Union Square, passing through some of the other smaller, quirky neighbourhoods which surrounded. One of which was China Town, which was super cool! Some of the colours and street art here were insane, and the vibe was really on point. Little quirky shops, Asian supermarkets and little restaurants where verything smelt incredible. As well as some higher end shops with art and sculptures inside which I was definitely eyeing up if it wasn’t for the price tag ($$$), it was mega, and there was no way I would have got it home! I think sometimes when poeple are travelling they forget about the smaller neighbourhoods and just focus on the really touristy areas but actually sometimes, the little cool spots are what really make a trip, definitely recommend.

Final stop was back the the tram. I was dying to get a pic of me on the tram for the gram. And just as a little sidenote, my friends always ask me how I get cool pics of myself when I solo travel… the obvious answer would be that I ask someone that looks relatively lovely and ask them to take some snaps, but me being me, am a complete extrovert when around people I know and like but will not even look at someone in the street, ha. So I literaly find ways of propping my phone up and self-timing it to get some pics, however, on this occassion, Union Square is a bit dodgy particularly around the area where the trams start from, so I was reluctant to put my phone down OR give it to a stranger! Luckily, when I was wandering up and down looking pretty sheepish, one of the conductors came over to me and was like ‘jump on!’ initially was scared but he was SO lovely and was like don’t be shy give me your phone, so I did, and he was telling me all these cool ways to stand to get the best angles (insta legend) and then let me ring the bell!! Oh my actual goodness what a way to end a trip. Princess Diaries era complete, when can I go to Genovia to get my crown?

I cannot believe this trip has come to an end already! I’ve crammed so much into six days it’s unreal. It really has been a whole week of bucket list moments coming here and I’m so glad that I’ve enjoyed it as much as I hoped I would. Now to tackle to 11 hour journey home on a full flight and battle with the jet lag upon return. Thankyou San Fran, catch you later for my next trip. Mads x