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Many travellers would be surprised to hear that Spring is one of the best times of the year to visit San Francisco. In summer the fog blows in and visibility is not always the best whilst in Spring , with the cooler days the famous fog is not as frequent, although there is something magical about crossing a bridge that you can only just spy the top

Whether, you are on your way to a further destination in the States or Europe using San Fran as a gateway it is worth while to stay and experience a city rich with history and influenced by a multitude of cultures For travellers with only a short time to spare then a deluxe city tour and boat trip to Alcatraz is a must. But beware - the boat trip is most popular and if not booked from here you may have to queue for stand by tickets and even then be disappointed. In fact most of the city's attractions can and should be booked and paid for before you leave guaranteeing you seats in what is also a very popular domestic American tourist city. Hotels are very varied with good 3,4 star hotels with often very good children rates if using existing bedding configurations in room. It is very common to have two queen size beds in rooms which allow smaller children to share and reduces the cost of hotel accommodation.

A deluxe city tour enables you to see the main attractions such as the Famous Golden Gate Bridge , the view from Twin Peaks and the Japanese Teas Gardens and inside the Golden Gate Park. Then in your own time you can use a pre-paid city pass which allows you to travel on the Cable Cars and Muni bus system down to Fishermans wharf , the Embarcadero with the newly renovated Ferry Building using an excellent public transport system The Pre paid city pass also includes a Blue and Gold Bay Cruise , entry tickets to the Museum of Modern Art ,the Palaces of the Legion of Honour and The Maritime Museum at Fishermans Wharf. .

Spring with the blossoms and spring flowers however, show San Francisco at her best. The middle of March is the San Francisco flower show - this year it was 17th March to 21st March and in April there is the Cherry Blossom festival April 17th to 25th - weekends only and in May as well as the great Bay to Breakers race , the Yerba Buena Garden Festival

No matter what time of day it is a real thrill to see the famous bridge from a cable car coming down the hill towards Fishermans Wharf , however at sunset with the sun setting over the Bridge it is magical , but equally in the evening after dinner the view is still as good. The drivers stop the cable cars across the intersection of Lombard St , so that you can see the cars switchbacking or zigzaging down this steep and crooked street and you can see how grand the houses must have been at Nobs Hill before the earthquake of 1908. And talking of earthquakes the San Franciscans all have a story to tell you of where they were in 1989 and how proud they are of the engineering works under the public buildings to ensure that most of the rebuilt buildings stay upright.

San Francisco is more than just a city, North there is the Napa Valley renowned as one of the worlds great wine regions with 270 wineries set in approximately 15000 hectares of wineries. There are many to visit and there are plenty of Tours offering to drive you around the wineries. South there is Monterey with the famous Monterey Aquarium , Cannery Row ,Carmel and some of the best coastline in the world. If you do not want to drive yourself there are tours but otherwise hire a car and leave San Francisco on well sign posted freeways and explore the South coast.

If you want to be really adventurous then drive the way down to Los Angeles and take in the whole coastal road . As I said " I left my heart in San Francisco