San Francisco - Part 4

The next day we took the bus from Sausalito to the nearest stop to the Vista Point on the Sausalito side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

View from the Golden Gate Bridge, with Angel Island in the background.

It was a picture perfect day, cloudless blue skies, sunny and warm, not a breeze or trace of mist anywhere.   Walking across the bridge was amazing and we had fantastic views.   The bridge isn’t red as we thought, but is in fact a colour called International Orange; apparently this colour was chosen because of its visibility to shipping.

Once over the bridge we walked around, enjoying some fantastic views of the bridge, the bay and Fort Point underneath before having coffee in The Round House.   In the visitor centre, (would you believe the guy I spoke to was from Frome in Somerset?) I found out that it was a very steep walk down to Fort Point; DB decided he’d stay at the top.

Fort Point is an interesting place, built in 1853 on the site of the first fortification, Castillo de San Joaquin which was built in December 1794,   it was re-named Fort Winfield Scott in 1882; I have no idea when it reverted to being called Fort Point.     

The Fort is a partial replica of Fort Sumter and is the only brick Fort west of the Mississippi.   The sea wall around the Fort has stood for over 100 years.   The Fort reminded me of Fort Jefferson, 60 miles off the coast of Florida in the Dry Tortugas. 

Fort Point & the Golden Gate Bridge.

Afterwards we hopped on the bus to visit the Japanese Tea Gardens, they are lovely, but it was very crowded as we were there on a weekend, and as we walked around the mist came in.

After walking across the bridge and around the Japanese Tea Gardens our feet were killing us so we abandoned our plans to visit the Victorian Houses on Alamo Square, known as ‘The Painted Ladies’.   Tour buses used to be able to stop in Alamo Square, but after the residents complained they are now banned, I can’t say I blame the residents to be honest. 

When we took the ferry back to Sausalito fog was rolling around the bay, it was really quite thick and when we got to the middle of the bay we could hear the fog horn sounding across the water, very spooky. 

Despite our inauspicious welcome, we enjoyed our stay in Sausalito, and our daily ferry trips as we explored San Fran.

Have fun, we are!