USA road trip final part!

Well if anyone has read all of it this far, well done and thank you. 27 June - day two in San Francisco. Took the open top bus tour to see the city and go out to Golden Gate bridge. the hire car was returned yesterday so we are now on foot or by bus or shuttle etc. The whole bus tour takes over 2.5 hours, some interesting places and sights, but it was very windy on the top - yet we got sunburned too because you don't feel the sun when the wind is so strong. We got off the tour bus at the Bridge and took photos, it was a bit hazy and misty despite the wind. After about an hour, we got back on the bus and got off in Chinatown which Mark wanted to walk round and take photos. TBH I didn't like it much, the shops were tacky and everywhere they were trying to push leaflets in your hand or approaching you to go into various cafes. Was also hot and my back & leg were aching. The bed in the hotel room is meant to have an adjustable firmness in the mattress but it is awful, much too soft, leans and sags on the edges and M says he gets a metal bit stick in him when I turn over. I almost fall out when he turns over so we are not sleeping well at all. He won't go and ask to move rooms though. So we had a bit of a row because he wanted to keep walking and taking photos of Chinatown shops and buildings and I didn't want to go any further, I wanted a sit down and a drink and some food. Ended up with snack lunch in a bagel shop. Back on bus to Haight Ashbury the hippie district, which K wanted to see as she had spotted some vintage clothes shops - very expensive though. M went off on his own & we walked up and down the shopping street then met him back at the bus stop. Lots of hippie types, people lying on the pavement, and a market of some kind near the bus stop with clouds of suspicious smoke. The bus then took us back past the bridge so we got off again as the mist had cleared & Mark wanted to take more photos. he walked down and part way onto the bridge itself as well. Dinner at Wipreout Grill on Pier 39 and listened to street performers. ....................................... June 28th Last day in San Francisco. Took a Bay Cruise out for an hour - it takes you under the Golden Gate Bridge and round the island of Alcatraz which looked a bit derelict, although its apparently a national monument now. We didn't do a trip out to Alcatraz as they were about $90 each. Had sandwich at Boudin on Pier 39 and then went to the Bay Aquarium which was included in the Bay Cruise ticket. Very disappointing and not that pleasant, crowded and hot and rather claustrophobic in the lifts. Kirsty and I walked round the shops and along the piers while Mark walked up to Lombard street which is a long way from the piers but is full of hairpin bends and is famous for being very steep & having 8 tight bends which cars have to negotiate. He wanted to take photos of it. We met up at the Musee Mechanique, a museum of automata and old penny machine games. Interesting but odd. Had a rest at hotel for a little while then went for dinner at an Irish pub which Mark had found, reasonable food but a rather odd little place in the middle of San Francisco. back to hotel to pack everything up and get ready to depart. ..................... June 29th Having finally managed to pack everything as safely as we could, we waited quite a while for the shuttle taxi bus to take us to airport. Check in was smooth but they could only give us 2 seats together and 1 solo. Had a long wait before we could go to the gate and managed to get a drink etc, then on to flight which was full and packed. KB & I sat together, M was 2 rows behind. Flight was long, noisy, tedious and the food was not good. Glad to land and then had another wait for baggage, nother shuttle to the car parking which took ages, and then a long drive home. Arrived home about 5pm UK time, had fish & chips. M & K went to bed about 6pm I waited until Dad had rung back around 7.30 and then I went to bed too. Long travels, lovely places, exciting wildlife, amazing memories - but it's so nice to get home and into your own bed. Thank you for reading!