By Sophie Black (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada).
The ease of accessing the west coast of the USA from Vancouver is ideal: in a few hours you can reach Seattle by car, and in under two hours you can touch down in San Francisco. Two cities too good to miss out on!
(hover over each photo for more info/click on the first one to go though the gallery!)
Seattle
Scary US border officials not liking me and my British passport…
Quickly let into America once I had paid the $6 fee!
Obligatory photo outside of the first ever Starbucks…
Pike Place Market’s mascot – Rachel the piggy bank!
Pike Place Market (must-visit attraction in Seattle)
Fish, jewellery, leather products, tea leaves, magic shops … and so much more!
Hillary and I with Rachel the Pig again…
Go though Pike Place Market down onto the waterfront – really beautiful area away from the city centre, especially on a sunny day!
We had a lovely walk on the beach just ten minutes or so out of downtown Seattle.
Save your pennies (dollars/cents!) from the Space Needle if you have a friend with a car. Drive up the hills surrounding Seattle and get an amazing view of downtown
Especially fantastic if you go at night!
San Francisco
The Civic Centre (town hall!)
Mayor of San Francisco for the day…
It almost feels like you’re somewhere in Europe when standing inside…
Most popular place in San Fran to get married, and where Indiana Jones was filmed!
Haight Ashbury – the home of the ‘Summer of Love’ and many, many hippies.
The Painted Ladies
Walking around the Golden Gate Park
I was told San Fran was built on hills. I wasn’t aware of how steep such hills were!
Emphasis on the incline…
Lombard st
Pier 39 and all its touristy-goodness.
The loud and smelly sea lions at Pier 39!
As a sailer myself, watching the Clipper on the round the world boat race in the Bay of San Fran was beautiful.
Alcatraz Island – it looks a stones throw away. Such a tease!
Cell blocks
Doing my ambassadorial duties in California…
After seeing the Golden Gate in so many photos, films etc, it’s quite bizzare to see it in real life!
Ethan and I at the Golden Gate đŸ™‚ (definitely cross it on an open-top bus – the wind makes it quite an experience!)
The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival was on while we were in San Fran – Japantown is definitely somewhere you should visit!
Go to the rooftop bar at the Marriott Hotel in downtown (its called ‘The View’). Free to enter, drinks weren’t that expensive and the view is incredible!
Really hope my holiday (‘vacation’?) photo albums have tempted you to take a trip down into the USA!
Sophie