We enjoyed a leisurely drive up along the coastal highway 1 from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. The most dramatic change for us, aside from the majestic coastline, was the drop in temperatures. As beautiful as highway 1 is, to a car full of three kids who are NOT used to driving, the numerous curves and ups and downs did not make for many happy passengers. We have no cars in Zermatt and driving in cars has never been one of my children's favourite pastimes. However, these kind of trips are always a delicate balance of what the kids want AND what the parents want. There was no way that I was going to drive to San Francisco via the interstate and not enjoy one of the most scenic coasts in all of North America!

We arrived in San Francisco to a “chilly” 57 degrees Fahrenheit which was a 50 degree drop from the temperatures we endured in Las Vegas! San Francisco is one of my favourite big cities in the U.S. The Fisherman's wharf area reminds me a great deal of our hometown of Zermatt, Switzerland - full of tourists from all over the world and chocker block full of restaurants, bars, shops, street vendors, etc.

Our first day in town was spent in and around Fisherman's wharf with a boat cruise out to the famous Alcatraz Island, known as the Rock, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Of course part of the day had to be spent shopping among the various shops and boutiques of Fisherman's Wharf Pier # 39.

After a great dinner in a jazz restaurant in the middle of town we made our way back to the hotel, looking forward to an additional day tomorrow in the great town of San Francisco. Of course, my true and untiring companion throughout the trip was keeping perfect time. As I write this report its already 8.45 a.m. back in Switzerland (July 4th), whereas its 11.45 p.m. on July 3rd here in San Francisco. At our next stop, it's still only 9.45 p.m. in Hawaii.