Re: Summer issue | Page 66

Our next stop was Fisherman’s Wharf where the plan was to pick up some hire bikes – a big thing in San Francisco and a great way to see the city - as well as being amazingly cheap. There are lots of cycle paths around the city with multiple pick-up and drop-offs so it’s “ Alcatraz Island is surprisingly pretty with some gorgeous gardens “ idea for all ages and fitness levels– it was around $32 pp (£20pp) for 24-hour hire. There is the opportunity to hire a tandem bike for slightly more where you can pick up some serious speed and cover more ground, however due to our lack of coordination we decided against this! All kitted out we made away along the beautiful river with the sun beaming down and made our way slowly to the Golden Gate Bridge – there 66 are separate cycle lanes for cyclists and walkers on the bridge itself and at weekends they divide the two lanes for bikers only. The bridge is 1.4 miles in distance and the views of the river are just breath-taking so you should take a minute to take it all in. Once you reach the other side you are met with a hill that will definitely bring out the kid in you – the key is to relax and let the bike take you. At this point you can either turn around and head back across the bridge or as most people do, you can carry on to a little seaside town called Sacramento and take the ferry back across to the mainland, it takes around 30 minutes and is lovely way to the city from another perspective – you can take the bikes on with you and it is around $8 pp. Sacramento itself is very pretty and quaint and there are plenty of bike racks if you want to explore a little. That evening we took a walk down to Union Square itself, where you will find some of the big name shops such as Saks, Macey’s and Tiffany’s – if you are anything like us you won’t have the money to buy anything but its still nice to have a bit of a nose - we decided to have a dinner at a restaurant called the Burger Bar – they have a great selection of food from Burgers and Steaks to Salads and the setting is very 67