After a short flight from LA we landed in San Francisco and caught the shuttle to the Sheraton hotel where we were meeting my mum and dad. They were sitting outside the hotel when we arrived it was great to see them again. We checked into our room which was very plush compared to what we had been staying in we actually had a bathroom in the room we have been very used to sharing with a whole floor of people. We caught up on the last 7 months and then went out for a meal. We were staying in Fishermans Wharf about a 5 minute walk to the pier its a very beautiful place. Down on pier 39 there are hundreds of seals that have set up home there after an earthquake years ago you can sit and watch them for hours they are really comical and they are barking and fighting with each other. Had a great night slept like a log in the huge bed. Met up for breakfast the next day then headed off to do the open top bus tour which takes you round all the famous sites in and the streets of San Francisco, we were really lucky with the weather sun was shinning which was great. The bus took us to Golden Gate bridge where we stopped to take photos, had a great laugh the tour guide Ramone had us in stiches. San Francisco is a really picturesque place and the streets are as steep as you see in all the films.

Next day we met up to go over to Alcatraz. Alcatrz is a island that is located about 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco we caught the boat over to the island. Alcatraz is often referred to as "the rock" and the famous film with Shaun Connery in was based on true events that happened. It was used as a military prison and a federal prison today it is a national recreation area and is part of the Golden Gate Recreation Area. When you arrive at the island you can walk around the whole site, we watched a video which told us a bit more about the island and the days when it was a prison. We then headed over to the actual prison you get given headsets and then take a audio tour which allows you to enter the prison cells and the areas that the prisioners used to live. Alcatrz was home to some of the most famous criminals like Robert Stroud and Al Capone. The tour was fantastic we all had a great day. That evening we took the tram which takes you over the steep streets and headed to China town, this brought back memories from the beginning of the trip. Found a great chinese restaurant to eat in.

Next day me and Joe decided to hire some bikes while my mum and dad went shopping we were going to do the cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge. The Golden gate bridge is a suppension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. The Golden gate bridge was the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed during the year 1937 and is a huge tourist attraction. Again, we were really lucky with the weather a lovely day the bike ride across the bridge was amazing. Apparently there is a suicide attempt every two weeks off the bridge so as you cycle along there are phones set up with a direct link to the samaratins! Went to a fantastic Italin restaurant that night then stopped for wine on the way home!

We had decided that we were going to fly to Las Vegas with my parents, as we could not get a flight on the same day we booked to fly out the day after.

We loved San Francisco definately somewhere we could go back to. We all caught a taxi together to the airport then we headed off to stay in a hotel for the night.