| Located on the USA's Pacific Coast, the city of San | | | | the 1850s, it continues to be a massive tourist draw |
| Francisco is one great big melting pot full of people | | | | and has also featured in many popular TV series and |
| from all walks of life. As a result, the city has | | | | films. |
| developed and nurtured its own unique and highly | | | | As well as unique culture, the city also boasts equally |
| colourful cultural identity. This hugely influential city has | | | | unique landmarks. The iconic Golden Gate Bridge that |
| been largely responsible for changing attitudes and | | | | joins the city to the rest of Northern California is a true |
| cultures throughout the world; and where San | | | | engineering marvel that overlooks the infamous island |
| Francisco leads, the rest of the world follows - | | | | of Alcatraz, once considered the USA's most secure |
| eventually! | | | | prison. The Coit Tower sits proudly atop Telegraph Hill |
| Being sited on the San Andreas Fault, one of Earth's | | | | and is one of the city's more noticeable landmarks, |
| most active tectonic plates, means that the residents | | | | alongside the Tranamerica Pyramid - the tallest |
| of San Francisco continually live with the threat of | | | | skyscraper in the city. |
| earthquakes and this has certainly affected their | | | | Other San Francisco tourist hot-spots include |
| attitude to risk. Almost entirely destroyed by a massive | | | | Fisherman's Wharf, looking out to the Island of |
| earthquake in 1906, a large tremor devastated the city | | | | Alcatraz. Fisherman's Wharf features a fantastic |
| most recently in 1989, although with minimal fatalities. | | | | selection of restaurants and shops and is the |
| As a result the residents of San Francisco have | | | | departure point for the tour of Alcatraz prison, which |
| developed a uniquely different approach to life, living | | | | now serves as a tourist attraction devoid of any |
| under the daily threat of obliteration by earthquake but | | | | dangerous criminals! And one hot-spot is totally unique: |
| ensuring that, in the meantime, their days are lived to | | | | Lombard Street is a street like no other in the world, |
| the full. | | | | bedecked in flowers and winding its way up the side |
| Each year the people of San Francisco enjoy hosting | | | | of a hill in a series of hairpins that slows the traffic to a |
| many street carnivals and festivals, the most famous | | | | complete crawl. |
| being the world's largest Gay Pride parade, which | | | | To make sure you get the best out of a trip to San |
| takes place each September. Others include the | | | | Francisco aim to book into a hotel in the Union Square |
| Chinese New Year parade in February and the | | | | district, as it is very central for all the city attractions |
| LoveFest held in late summer. The former has | | | | and a hub for the legendary Street Cars. And |
| developed as a result of San Francisco's Chinese | | | | remember to book your hotel in San Francisco early if |
| community, and the city is home to one of North | | | | you're going during any of the major festivals or |
| America's largest and oldest Chinatowns. Established in | | | | parades, as they soon fill up! |