Finding Union Square, San Francisco Hotels, And More

On a long enough time line, everyone comes to San Francisco. From the hardest Yankee to the most demure southerner — it’s one of those cities that demands its pound of cultural and kitschy flesh. The Colosseum in Rome, Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris — some places are must-see destinations for a reason. San Francisco, as many of the locals will tell you, is no different. Well, actually it’s very different — it thrives of being different, contrary even. But, that gives it its character.

The American Ritual: The Road Trip

I recently had the honor of embarking on that very American of rituals: the road trip — specifically, a cross-country trip. While a journey from my native London to Glasgow takes approximately a day, to travel from one end of the United States (my adopted home) to the other requires at least a week to accomplish in style. While my first inclination, when approached about enduring a road trip, was to reserve a train ticket. After all, what better way to drink in the rough-hewn beauty of these great states than from the window of a train?

Posh Mill Valley

Marin County enjoys the distinction of being a rather aloof region. Situated to the north of the cosmopolitan epicenter of the Bay Area, San Francisco, the county of Marin is home to a number of moderately sized and quaint towns. Though none of these towns can compare with their larger Bay Area rivals in terms of panache, they far exceed their rivals when it comes to access to scenic beauty and any number of outdoor activities.

The Bay Area Throngs

The tale of how a simple bloke from London came to reside in Northern California is sure to disappoint those among you who are interested in a bawdy old tale of jolly ribaldry. No, I’m afraid I’m far too repressed an Englishman to have embarked on too dynamic an adventure. To be sure, the plane ride from Heathrow to SFO was the closest I came to a proper adventure and that only required me withstanding four hours of excruciating turbulence.