But I'll start from the beginning (which for us was when we awoke at 7am to begin our excursion to Marin County):
We caught the historic San Francisco cable car down to where we needed to collect our bicycles for the trip. The ride down was a novelty in itself for us, and the view one gets really illustrates just how hilly San Francisco actually is!
There are a number of companies offering hourly or day-long bicycle rental, but we decided to go with Bay City Bike, as they offered hostel guests whole day hire for $15 (rather than the usual $28). Turns out we picked the coldest day to make the trip over the Golden Gate Bridge (according to numerous locals we encountered along the way), but we continued trooping nonetheless. We began down near Fisherman's Wharf, then made our way past the Exploratorium, the Warming Hut (where we stepped on to the jetty and saw our first San Francisco sea lion), huffing our way over many steep inclines. The ride across the bridge itself was possibly one of the most exhilerating moments of my life (and one of the most terrifying moments of Nik's life). We had the traffic whooshing past us on one side, and spectacular views of the bay on the other. I'm not sure that Nik looked down at all, but I certainly enjoyed the ride across.
Once over the bridge it was downhill all the way into "Sunny Sausalito". I can tell you now there was nothing remotely sunny about the town on the day we arrived; and to compound the cold, grey feeling was an old man on the jetty playing Greensleeves mournfully on a violin. But we had just cycled 13km and were incredibly hungry, so we wandered into a fish and chips cafe for lunch.
After some battered Icelandic cod, crab and calamari, we meandered back to our bikes and caught the ferry back to San Francisco.
Despite Nik's earlier protestations as we had crossed the bridge (he refused to actually ride his bike until I threatened him with a death worse than falling off the bridge), he agreed that the experience was definitely worth it; and it is one we would both love to do again. Next time my goal is to bike up to Muir Woods (27km from San Francisco). We'll see how that works out!
Dinner that night was at Sakana, a great little Japanese place near our hostel. After that we stopped by The Owl Tree for a happy hour drink; then it was on to the Orpheum Theatre to see Wicked.
The show was brilliant - easily one of the best musicals I have seen - and from overhearing other audience members after the performance I know I am not alone in my praise. It was a memorable and magical experience, and we found ourselves humming the songs for a good few hours after the show ended. If you get a chance to see it, you must!
After the show we walked back into the Tenderloin district to finish our night at Bourbon and Branch.
To understand the concept behind Bourbon and Branch it is probably best to look over their house rules. This cozy little watering hole boasts an extensive Scotch menu and a host of other spirits and old-school cocktails. In true speakeasy style, the premises are not marked; instead, one must look for the sign reading "The Anti-Saloon League San Francisco Est. 1920", ring the buzzer next to the door and whisper the password to the hostess. We were very impressed with the entire set-up - from the candle-lit bar area to the complimentary drinks on arrival. Our bartender, Ryan, was incredibly helpful in his suggestions; Nik wound up ordering a 107-proof bourbon (on Ryan's recommendation) and wasn't the same after knocking it back. I had a fantastic Negroni and my trusty sidekick, the gin & tonic. Because we were there quite late we ended up staying til close, at which point Nik decided it would be a good idea to accept free bourbon from Ryan (who was fast becoming Nik's friend). This was something Nik regretted when I woke him up at 6am (that same morning) so we could pack and head to the airport.
San Francisco is a beautiful, cosmopolitan and culturally-rich city. Nik and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there, and I am already thinking about going back. But we move on: and we will update you all soon on our Las Vegas leg of the trip.
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