Philippines
Dec242010
Attraction
San Francisco
My Rating
I give the rating short one star because I wasn't able to view El Capitan, Half Dome and the Giant Sequoias because it was snowing and there was very limited visibility. Inspite of that, it was amazing to experience snow falling fresh from the sky. The views were very pristine with all the blanket of snow. We were able to see deers but I guess the bears were hibernating. We were able to see Bridalveil falls and it's beautiful. I would like to visit again maybe in the spring or fall so that I'll get to see what I wasn't able to due to the low visibility.
My Photos
Dec202010
Tour/Activity
San Francisco, California
My Rating
The 4-5 hour drive each way was well worth it. I got to experience snowfall for the first time as it greeted us as we arrived. I now know how it is to walk on snow. Yosemite was beautiful in the snow - serene and pristine. It was a very good first visit for me and my dad. There was low visibility due to the snow fall so we didn't get to see half dome or El Capitan or the other falls clearly. We also didn't see the Giant Sequoias. We got to see a glimpse of Bridalveil Fall. I would definitely go back but during a different season to appreciate a different kind of beauty. Next time, I would take the 2 or 3 day tour perhaps. Our driver Rick was very lively and I appreciate his efforts. He drove the tour bus very well. He was also entertaining and educational. The stop durations were just right. The bus was comfortable but the seats were a little small. Do take this trip.
Dec172010
Tour/Activity
San Francisco, California
My Rating
The mansion tour was awesome and intriguing. However, I'd suggest the tour company to include the behind the scenes tour which would have made the Winchester Mansion experience memorable and complete. The 1 hour drive from San Francisco was okay. I appreciate our driver making an effort to explain things/places we were passing on the road. When we arrived, we had time to visit the rifle museum before going on the mansion tour. After that, there was only very little time, so you have to choose whether to take souvenir pictures in front of the mansion or peruse the souvenir shop. We only had time to explore the shop so we had no good souvenir pictures taken. Making the tour depart in the morning and including the behind the scenes tour would have made a much better experience. The San Francisco City Tour was a basic tour. I would have expected more hop off moments to take pictures. But it was okay overall. It got us familiarized with the different areas of the city which helped us navigate. One disadvantage of taking this combined tour is the uncertainty of the mansion tour. We were supposed to have the city tour in the morning and the mansion tour in the afternoon. When we checked in at the tour office, it was explained to us that my dad and I were only the two people who took the tour and if no other people would sign up for it then we would have to be refunded if no one signs up. We waited in our hotel room for confirmation until the next day. The waiting robbed us half a day of exploring the city. At least there were additional people signed up for the mansion tour.
Dec162010
Tour/Activity
San Francisco, California
My Rating
Worth every penny since we rode the cable cars, MUNI buses and F line streetcars numerous times. Skipping the lines at the California Academy of Sciences and the SFMOMA saved us some time to enjoy the exhibits more. We were also able to see Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond Exhibit at the De Young Museum with special ticket prices (would have been much better if it was free with city pass, but considering that we saw priceless works of art from musee d'orsay, paying 15 dollars each was quite a discount...) I would recommend buying the city pass. The only downside is that you have to figure out on your own what mode of transportation or bus/cable car/streetcar you should ride because the MUNI rides have their own routes. City Pass lists all rides that will pass each attraction but you should have a MUNI map with you with all the routes at all times. For example, from Market St/Union Square area, you cannot ride the 44 bus which stops directly in front of the academy. Instead, we had to ride the 5 bus and walk about 2 blocks more to get there. Study the MUNI routes first before your trip so you could manage your time easily with regards to travel time to each attraction.
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