A date with the Golden Gate

©2014 Lydia Hinshaw

Our fast ferry at the dock in Vallejo

Small sailboats in the shadow of the big bridge

 SAN FRANCISCO -- For more than three weeks we have been just a couple of hours from here, yet we didn't make it into the city until Tuesday.

 Visiting San Francisco is quite an undertaking, even if you're close by.  I've driven here several times, going back to 1985, and what I've taken from that experience is a desire not to do it again.

 Just finding a parking space is a big, expensive problem.

 Off and on since we've been in Sacramento, I've been researching ways to get to San Francisco without taking the Magic Bus, at least not all the way.  I was also looking for a fairly quick trip, as Prince Charming and I are responsible for a dog and two cats.  The dog needs to be walked morning and evening, and the cats demand to be fed on time, but earlier if they can guilt-trip us into it.

 I also didn't want to spend a bunch of time and a bundle of cash on parking, which seemed to be a difficulty with several options.  And I wanted simplicity.  A trip that involves driving, parking, catching a bus and then connecting to a train is asking for time-consuming trouble.

 The fastest, cheapest, simplest plan I could find was this:  We would drive about 65 miles down I-80 to Vallejo, park in a parking garage (all day for $5), and take a fast ferry to Pier 41 for about $37 round trip, with the Prince's senior discount (I'm too young!)  And there we would be right in the middle of tourist hell, with no car to stow.

 Of course there are some disadvantages to being car-free. We had to leave our best cameras in Sacramento, and go with the tiny point-and-shoots.  We had to carefully decide what clothes to wear and carry, as San Francisco's weather is unpredictable, and often 20 degrees cooler than Sacramento.

 It worked out well.  We wore jackets we hadn't unpacked since we got here, and still shivered through the hour-long boat trip on a beautiful day.

 We spent most of our time on the ground walking, all the way from Pier 41 almost to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, and then back to the Ferry Building, to catch the boat back to Vallejo, retrieve the Magic Bus and get ourselves back to Sac-to. 

 We were on time for the dog's walk, and just three hours late with dinner for the crew.  Possibly, they will forgive us.