I traveled to San Francisco over Independence Day weekend to enjoy the beautiful city and take in much cooler weather. Temperatures were in the 60s and 70s which is a nice break from the 100+ temperatures in Texas.
I stayed at Le Meridien hotel for the first part of my trip, and then the Omni hotel for the second part. Both are very nice hotels in the financial district, though the Omni goes a step further in the room decor, and more personal service.
Monterey
I joined a tour group for a day trip to Monterey. Took the scenic route to Monterey, with many ocean views. Upon arrival in Monterey, I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Very nice, I now understand why it's one of the most popular attractions in Monterey. I got to see the feeding of an albatross and penguins. I also loved the octopus though the room was too dark to take pictures. Other highlights of Monterey include the Pacific Grove, 17 mile drive, Carmel, and seeing one of the oldest Spanish Mission in the country.
San Francisco
I did my favorite San Francisco activities: walk the Golden Gate bridge, took several rides on the cable cars and street cars, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf. I also visited the Wells Fargo Museum which has a history about the Wells Fargo bank and includes gold nuggets and a stagecoach.
Fireworks
I love spending Independence Day in San Francisco - it's one of few places I can watch the fireworks without breaking a sweat. I joined a fireworks cruise. The boat sailed around the San Francisco Bay, with views of the city skyline, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island. The boat docked near the fireworks site for a close-up view of the show. It was a clear night (which is rare on July 4 in San Francisco) which made for a spectacular fireworks show.
Fireworks videos:
Part 1
Part 2 - Smiley Faces
Previous San Francisco fireworks:
2009
2010
