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Explore San Francisco’s architectural marvels, from the Beaux-Arts Palace of Fine Arts to Gothic Revival landmarks. Visit Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, and Berkeley. Examine earthquake-resistant building practices and the intersection of architecture with social and environmental factors. Walking tours, museum visits, and hands-on explorations enhance understanding of the city’s cultural and architectural evolution.
Days 1 & 2
Days 1 & 2
We have been very busy these past two days. There were strong winds in San Francisco, so we were happy to let them subside. After this weather delay out of Denver, we landed in SF in the early afternoon. We started our journey at the Presidio with a great, late lunch at some trucks and a fabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. From there we went to the Palace of Beaux Art, a beautiful Greco-Roman architectural masterpiece to walk around after a sedentary day. After settling into our Airbnb, students cooked a great meal and we all turned in early.
Monday was also busy with many, many sites and stops. We began the day at the Japanese Tea Garden and AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. From there we went to lunch and a stroll down the Haight-Ashbury district. After lunch we caught a ferry to Alcatraz for a sobering self-guided tour of one of the most infamous prisons in the world. Once the rain cleared, we ended our day at Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf for dinner.
Cold, wet, and tired, we made our way back to our airbnb for an early night. Tomorrow we are off to Berkeley with the SF College Tours group for a walk on campus, dining hall lunch, and famous pizza for dinner.
Day 3
Day 3
After a cold, rainy, and wet Monday, we woke up this morning to gorgeous blue skies. In the morning, we drove over the Bay Bridge to Berkeley where we got a tour from Ms. Morissette's highschool friend and Berkeley graduate. We then had lunch in the dining commons and explored campus a bit on our own. We enjoyed seeing iconic buildings up and down Telegraph Avenue: famous for the Free Speech protests in the 1960s.
In the evening, we exchanged the crowded sidewalks of Berkeley for the open vistas of Mussel Rock Park where we ate delicious Mexican food and watched the sun set over the Pacific. Tomorrow, we head back into the city to explore Grace Cathedral and Chinatown.
Day 4
Day 4
Wednesday began with an insider’s tour of Grace Cathedral. Our guide took us behind the scenes. We were able to see the original chapel which is rarely open to the public. We were able to experience walking the labyrinth to organ music and the noon angelus - very special timing.
We then drove to Little Italy and had excellent Italian sandwiches before walking through Little Italy and Chinatown. From there we visited the “Painted Ladies,” beautifully preserved 19th century Victorian homes in the heart of San Francisco.
We ended the day with a home cooked meal at our Airbnb and a card game with hilariously funny and memorable antics.
Day 5
Day 5
Our final day in San Francisco took us to the Marin Headlands. We got to view the city from another angle. We had intended to go to the famous Bonita Lighthouse, but an earlier landslide closed it to viewing. Instead, we took our picnic lunches to surf-famous Rodeo Beach where we ate our sandwiches and relaxed on the sand. Our last stop was Sausalito for a wharf-side stroll, shopping, and an early dinner. We headed back to our Airbnb for one final night of games and reverie.
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