Old Town, San Diego

 

We've been going to Old Town a couple of times and it's a really marvelous place, bursting with colors. The Historic Old Town is the birthplace of California where the first Europeans settled. It paints a vivid picture of how it was to be a citizen here during the middle of the 18th century. The park is filled with restaurants, museums and small shops where you can buy many different types of hand crafted goods.

It has a Mexican section which is so festive! The music and the colors are amazing - be sure to check this part out! Some other time, I will try make a post about food in Old Town as there are really delicious places to dine here.

The trolley station is just behind Old Town, making it very easy to come along. Many parking spaces are also available.

I recommend visiting the park on weekdays as there probably will be less crowded. It's much more enjoyable to be able to walk around calmly and find an eating spot without having to compete. I find it most delightful to get there in the late afternoon where the weather is much more comfortable and all the Mexican paper banners illuminate the streets in their different colors in the Mexican part of the park. Some shops are closed at this time though, so be sure to check if there's something you won't miss out on.

Balboa Park #1

Making a wish :)

Yesterday I went to beautiful Balboa Park in San Diego. The park is huge so I only had time to visit a few of the gardens/parts. The good thing about San Diego is that it is not crowded the same way as L.A. and San Francisco, which I recently visited, so it is actually possible to take your time to walk around freely and enjoy the city. 

I went to the parts that were inspired by Europe. The Spanish Village was amazing and colorful. Of course there was a fountain so I just had to throw a coin and make a wish - something I have done in many European cities before. 

The Botanical Garden is FREE to enter and is stunning. There is also a FREE tram from the parking lot which will take you to the center of the garden; faster than walking. 

5 days in San Francisco

       

 

First of all, San Francisco is a really expensive city. It means that it would be a good idea to make up your mind if you want to travel on a budget or go all in for the tourist attractions. So we decided on the former. 

Where to stay: We stayed at the Super 8 hotel on Union Square which was cheap taking into consideration the high prices of San Francisco. It was located really well and we could easily walk to Chinatown, Downtown, Fisherman's Wharf and the Painted Ladies. 

How to get around: We walked a lot since San Francisco is a quite small town. But we also used Uber to get around for places that were too far away for walking such as the Golden Gate Park. Uber is much cheaper than taking a taxi! 

(Characteristic houses of San Francisco)

(Painted Ladies)

(Pier 39)

(Pier 39)

Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 are definitely worth a visit when in San Francisco. The ambience was cheerful. Be aware of pickpockets, though. 

How to keep the costs low: 

Avoid touristy spots. It might seems obvious, but you can easily get tempted to spend money on tourist attractions that are not really worth it. I.e. the cable car is a must see in San Francisco, but the companies also know that they can charge quite a lot for their tourist attractions. We decided to walk instead and save the money. 

Avoid eating out in touristy areas: These places are often overpriced. My advice would be to ask locals for eating spots. Usually they are more than willing to give you some tips. 

Free things to do in San Francisco: 

Places like Chinatown, Painted Ladies, walking on the Golden Gate Bridge, Fine Palace of Art and visiting Pier 39 are all free. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the Japanese Tea Garden is free to visit until 10.00 am. It was a beautiful garden, but I don't know if I think it would have been worth the money if I had to pay for it. Many of the gardens have free entry on specific days - make sure to check it out in advance. 

(Chinatown)

(Chinatown)

(Rose Garden)

(Golden Gate Park)

 (The Japanese Tea Garden)

(Downtown)

(Looking over at Alcatraz - make sure to book a ticket to Alcatraz as they sell out well in advance)

(Palace of Fine Arts)

You may have seen the sign on Pinterest or Instagram before, but I need to highly recommend this bakery when visiting San Francisco. Their cookies are so delicious! Mr. Holmes Bakery is located on 1042 Larkin Street.  

 Other places to visit: 

The Castro: It is mostly known for being the largest and first gay community. The area should be full of rainbows and really colorful.

The mission district and Haight-Ashbury should also be worth a visit.