Like I had mentioned earlier, most places that I am getting a chance to visit nowadays were just picture postcard memories for me. As far as San Francisco was concerned, I have seen enough and more movies which have delivered high-octane visuals set against this beautiful city’s most recognizable landmarks - from The Rock (1996), a classic Alcatraz-based action thriller with explosive stunts starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage to Shang‑Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings shot in 2021 showcasing Chinatown and the Embarcadero.
I could feel a quiet charm in the city as I drove from the airport and was thrilled as we drove down the famously steep streets of San Francisco. I was welcomed into a quaint 1BHK apartment already alive with laughter, memories, and two cousins, Anu and Meera. The air mattress on the floor in the drawing room wasn’t just a place to sleep — it was my home for the next couple of days. A patch of borrowed comfort (yes, my cousin had borrowed the air mattress from her friend) to rest my tired body, not to forget three adults zigzagging around a compact space, taking turns in the bathroom, and laughing over the absurdity of it all.
The view from the window, while I was having a delicious meal prepared by my cousin, was mesmerizing and when I saw it later at night with all the lights on I wondered what wonders were in store for me when you have a city like this waiting outside?
The start of the next day was kind of early. A quick breakfast and off we were. And here comes the fun part. My cousin who was hosting us had kept this complete plan a surprise. Though she had asked me the sights that I would like to see, she had something else planned. As we sat in her spacious SUV, she handed over a colourfully printed page which said ‘Welcome to San Francisco”. She then told me and the other older cousin not to ask too many questions and enjoy the surprises.
Coit Tower, Chinatown & the Clatter of Cable Cars
A short ride later we curved up some roads in an area called Telegraph Hill and lo and behold, we parked in front of the Coit Tower, a fluted column rising over Telegraph Hill like a lighthouse watching over the city’s heart. Built in 1933, it’s not just a viewpoint—it’s a time capsule. The Art Deco tower features a series of murals inside which still whisper stories of a post-Depression San Francisco, painted in bold, working-class strokes by over twenty local artists most trained by Diego Rivera.
The lift was not working but my cousin did not want me to miss the sights from the top. So I dragged my jet-lagged body up some 270 steps which spiralled to the top. And then I realised what I would have missed had I not walked up here. From the observation deck, I could enjoy sweeping panoramic 360 degree views of the San Francisco Skyline, The Golden Gate and Bay bridges and Alcatraz island. It was truly a wonderful sight.
I tried to run down the stairs on my return journey only to find myself totally out of breath. As we stepped out of the Coit Tower, I was treated to a delicious Italian dessert called Affogato (it means drowned in Italian I am told) - A scoop of vanilla gelato “drowned” in a shot of hot espresso. Kachow!!! All my tiredness vanished. The magical pour of hot coffee over melting cold ice cream was indeed a treat!! I remembered the first time when I had an Affogato - it was in Rome where I enjoyed it with my wife, daughter and son in law. Yes, these memories remind you that you are not alone.
From there, we meandered into Chinatown, and saw the famous green-tiled Dragon Gate, flanked by stone lions and red lanterns. It was a portal to another world entirely—herbal shops, lucky cats, and the scent of steamed dumplings wafting through the streets. Then came that iconic clang of the cable car—San Francisco’s time-travel machine. It was invented in late 1870’s to solve travelling issues on the city’s steep hills. This had been part of my short list of things to do - Ride the Cable Car. And that we did.
We caught the Powell–Hyde Line which starts near Union Square since this was the most touris-ty line. The sight which caught me staring at awe was where the cable car is physically turned around at the turntable by the two driver operators. Everyone waiting in the line to catch the cable cars could be seen capturing this real old-world moment in the mobile cameras.
We clung to the iconic cable car like wide-eyed tourists (which we absolutely were), rattled and trundled down the steep gradient toward Fisherman’s Wharf, past classic boutique windows and cute cafes. After every few metres we crossed intersections where honking cars zipped by brazenly, oblivious to the timeless elegance riding above the rails. The brakes screeched. The bell clanged. The driver worked the manual levers like a DJ on a vintage turntable. We grinned and captured quick videos and breathless snapshots we couldn’t resist taking, waved at passersby, and tried not to drop our phones as the wooden frame of the cable car swayed and the city tilted and twirled around us. We jumped off a couple of stops before the terminus at Beach & Hyde Streets since we had to check out the next surprise.
The Crooked Street and the Invisible Driver
Our route took us next to the serpentine, photogenic drama of Lombard Street—“the crookedest street in the world.” Eight tight turns in just one block, and not a single bored tourist in sight. From the top of the hill, we soaked in sweeping views — Coit Tower, the Bay, and of course, the vibrant Hydrangeas in full bloom along the curves.
We decided to continue to walk down to Fisherman’s Wharf, with salty winds tousling our hair and postcard views peeking around each corner. The stretch along the Fisherman’s Wharf is a tourists delight which shops filled with memorabilia waiting for people like us to enter and impulsively buy a Fridge Magnet or a Cap.
At the Wharf, hunger found its heaven at Boudin Bakery, where a bowl made of sourdough bread with piping hot tomato soup filled in it proved to be a moment of pure, edible joy.
Crusty on the outside, tangy-sweet in the middle - the Bread Bowl That Bowled Me Over.
Just when I thought I had found the future of comfort food, the future of transportation drove up. Or rather… didn’t.
I mean Who drove it up? I got a chance to ride in WAYMO — the driverless car. It moved with eerie precision, like a ghost with an updated Google Maps. There was no driver. Only the steering wheel with a Jaguar logo in the centre, my cousins and me with our hearts in our respective mouths, the faceless voice over the car speakers welcoming us and requesting us to wear our seatbelts and an unsettling awareness that no one was steering our fate. I added this ride to my bucket list - after the ride - and immediately ticked it off. The 25 minute ride actually deserves a separate blog in itself!!!
Painted Ladies and Scintillating Views
We breathed a sigh of relief after one of the safest rides we have had and happily walked back to our driver-ed car. Then came a quieter charm—the pastel grace of the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square, standing like a lineup of old movie stars posing in front of the city’s skyline. They’re not just pretty houses — they just showcase some more of San Francisco’s old world charm. These Victorian houses were built between 1892 and 1896. We sat in the sloping lawns opposite the houses and soaked in. Life seemed to slow down then. We were happy just sitting there but there was still a lot to see.
Golden Gate Park unfolded next. At over 1000 acres, it stretches from the centre of the city to the Pacific Ocean. We stopped at the beach which stretched endlessly, and the strong and cold California breeze stung just enough to make us feel fully alive. We then drove past the Dutch Windmill, oddly placed and oddly fitting, before reaching the Twin Peaks which gave us our final view for the day — an almost surreal haze-draped panorama of the city.
Though officially Day One of our SFO trip was over, there was just another surprise around the corner. My cousin took us to meet some friends of hers and what do I see sitting low slung in the garage, an unexpected thrill - a red Corvette C8. If Waymo was the future, this was pure, unfiltered muscle. And when her friend’s husband asked “Want to go for a ride?” I unashamedly called out a loud “YES”. The ride in this kind of car makes you feel like you’ve made it—even if it was just for ten minutes. Yes, I know. This experience too needs a separate blog for itself.
Sunrise, Sausalito and San Jose
Day Two began in very early and in silence. The city was dark and quiet as we left for Battery Spencer at dawn, to view the Golden Gate Bridge bathed in soft gold and with sun rising in the horizon. It’s the kind of place that turns even the most casual observer into a poet, or at least a sentimental Instagrammer. I could not take my eyes of this extraordinarily beautiful sight. Suddenly I remembered a scene from the movie Bumblebee (2018), a spin-off from the Transformers franchise which featured a scene with a specific view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I googled and found an image of the scene and asked my cousin to take a pic of mine in the same spot. I feel so childish thinking about it but another item from my bucket list got ticked off. A view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
From there, it was a short, scenic drive to Equator Coffee in Sausalito, where the coffee warmed my hands and the view warmed everything else. It was the kind of morning you want to bottle up and carry in your coat pocket for rainy days. With a heavy breakfast settling comfortably in our tummies we headed southwards.
The road stretched out along the Pacific Ocean clinging to the coast and showing us views of the might Pacific Ocean all the way to Half Moon Bay, where land meets sea as if in an embrace. We enjoyed some time walking on the sand and then headed onto San Jose, where the trip turned familial. Cousins, nephews, old friends—people I hadn’t seen in years. Their welcome warmed the cockles of my heart. The hours flew just catching up. There were meals, jokes, photos, promises to meet again and soon it was time to head back to SFO. Just like that.
And Off Again
The next morning, we were back at the airport— another security check, another boarding gate. And the flight back to Los Angeles. But something had shifted. San Francisco was no more just a city I had visited. It became a part of the story which I truly wanted to write about - one beautiful experience at a time. Now every time I see a movie shot in San Francisco my mind is bound to say - I have been there.
‘Next stop: Vegas glitz, Hoover wind, and a canyon that silenced us all…’
Note – before I forget. My cousin Anu had a coloured printed page for each of the locations she drove us to, which she handed over once we reached the place. She would even ask us to look away while she typed the locations in the Google Map in the car entertainment screen to maintain surprise. And that made this trip so much more memorable. Some of the images find a place in the blog.
From there, it was a short, scenic drive to Equator Coffee in Sausalito, where the coffee warmed my hands and the view warmed everything else. It was the kind of morning you want to bottle up and carry in your coat pocket for rainy days. With a heavy breakfast settling comfortably in our tummies we headed southwards. 
No comments:
Post a Comment