My number one city (for me) to visit in North America is that metropolis on the bay in Northern California....yes San Francisco (Spanish for Saint Francis) From its humble beginnings of a small settlement and sea port it all changed with the gold rush of 1849 ( hence the name 49ers...the year of all the those wide eyed fortune seekers that descended to this area) Because of all the new wealth coming in, many entrepreneurs grabbed the opportunity to satisfy all the needs and wants of these prospectors and dreamers. Folks like Levi Strauss in dry goods (bedding, combs, handkerchiefs) but most famously for his sturdy blue jeans with the copper rivets to strengthen the pockets. Domingo Ghirardelli for his
chocolate, as actually it was at his factory here that they accidentally discovered by hanging a bag of ground cacao beans in a warm room the cocoa butter could be coverted into ground chocolate. The banking sector, Wells Fargo and the Bank of California also got its start during these times. Then the 1906 earthquake/fire changed the city forever and it was opportunity to upgrade or build new infrastructure. Plus areas that survived the fires had a chance to restart and develop those neighborhoods which saved a lot of those magnificent Victorian Homes...from Union Square, Fisherman's Market, Nob Hill, Chinatown , Haight-Ashbury Districts, its got it all. Now don't be going here for the weather, as Mark Twain once famously said "the coldest winter i ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" (its because the city is surrounded on three sides by the cooler currents of
the Pacific Ocean). That being said, anytime i get a chance to visit the city by the bay...i am all in!
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| A view of the bay from afar |
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| Inside the famous Chinatown |
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| Sea Lions at Fisherman's Wharf |
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| Sausalito view of the Golden Gate Bridge |
Was in SF last month, took the big bus tour and got to know a lot about San Francisco and its history, it was really a great experience !
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