A trip to San Francisco...

San Francisco is undoubetly one of the most beautiful cities of the US. The place has a exquisite charm none other than any other city in this country. In an instant you will feel as if you are in Italy (NorthBeach), the next instant in China(ChinaTown) and then just pass a tunnel and there you will be in the middle of numerous tall buildings characteristic of US (Union Square)...that's the kind of experience and diversity you can get in SFO. Apart from the ups and downs which you see on the roads there are many places in SFO to hang out. Golden Gate bridge is perhaps the most pouplar of all. Just stroll pas this brige to experience why it is so popular. Sit in the surrounding parks and you will get a re-juventating feeling. That's the charisma of this place. Once in SFO, one just can not miss Fisherman's Wharf and the Piers. Pier-39 where you can get seafood so delicious that you can just not stop getting amazed, Pier-41 from where you get the Ferry to "THE ROCK" or Alcataraz. This historical building of SFO is now a national monument. The audio tour picturesquely decribes the condition of the prisoners just a few years ago. Just a few miles away from SFO is Muir Woods where a small trek can take you right in the middle of a jungle, surrounded by 250 years old tall redwood trees. It is a sure treat for all the nature lovers. But yes, parking can be a problem so plan well and reach in time. On the way back from Muir Woods one should never miss the oppurtunity to stop by the town of Sausalito. This quaint town is so pretty that you just can't stop falling in love with it. In the background you get to see all the wonders of SFO - Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Alcataraz and SFO downtown - all together at the same time!!
In case you have a couple of days in the bay area, I would recommend a visit to the Wine Country - Napa Valley. This is a heaven for Wine lovers and for non wine drinkers a place to taste some quality wines (a nice place to start ;-). There is a wine train which passes through the valley and is one of the good ways to see the complete valley. The other surrounding cities like San Jose also boast of some good hangout places. Santana Row in San Jose is one such place. Well, there are just so many things to explore in the bay area...I would say that I was able to mention not even half the places to see and things to do in bay area...the others - Monterey bay, Mystery Point, Presidio, Trams, Musuems, Geysers, Theme Parks etc. etc. (the list can go on!!) are few others places of interest...After visiting this beautiful place I can only say - if you get a chance to experience Bay Area...DO NOT MISS IT!!