My Trip to San Francisco

This city is widely known throughout the world for its unfathomable versatility. On one side of town you will find a calm and serene bay and on the other side, a bustling city. There are many unique sights to see such as the curviest street in the world, one of the most famous suspension bridges, and also an island with a former federal prison. What city can this be? You guessed it, San Francisco.

I visited San Francisco for the first time this past April for a school trip for National Junior Honor Society Students. The experience I had learning about the city’s culture and history was one of the most informative and exciting experiences I have ever had. The first day we had the opportunity to take an entire tour of the city and pass through some of the most notable streets in all of the United States and gaze at the painted ladies, or colored painted homes, which line the streets of San Francisco. We dropped off are luggage in our hotel at the Fisherman’s Wharf and headed off to one of the most diverse places in all of San Francisco, China Town. We spent a few hours shopping through the streets of China Town and to end our first day in the city, we met up at a restaurant called King Tin. Here, I was able to enjoy authentic Chinese Cuisine in a very appropriate environment. My first day of sight-seeing was only the beginning to what I was going to see in the days to come.

The next morning started very early because we had to beat the traffic and make our way to the University of California Berkley for a campus tour. Berkley was one of the most historically inspired campuses that I have ever visited. Each building was constructed using different elements from world architecture. The best part of visiting Berkley was reaching a point on our tour where we all stopped in our tracks and took in the view of the Golden Gate Bridge that was in the distance. After making our last stop at the campus gift shop we began on our way to Stanford University. Stanford was totally the opposite of Berkley because Berkley was more clustered and Stanford had this openness to the campus that made it very welcoming. In my opinion Stanford had more of a college atmosphere than Berkley and by visiting both of these noble universities, it really got me thinking about my future and where I want my future to lead me.

Before we left this wonderful city we were able to go see several other historical parts of San Francisco such as Coit Tower, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Island of Alcatraz, and my personal favorite, going to Ghirardelli Square in a cable car. My trip to San Francisco truly did not have a dull moment and if there is someone out there looking for a place to go to explore and have fun, then San Francisco is the place for you. I would give San Francisco two thumbs up because it is a great tourist hotspot, but it still has a lot to offer to its residents. San Francisco to me especially, is like your favorite pair of blue jeans because you can put them on a million times, but you will always be satisfied.