One of my favorite things I did in San Fran was go on the ferry ride. It was the Blue & Gold Fleet at Fisherman’s Wharf and I did the Bay Area Cruise. This tour in an hour long and takes you under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz, the tour was $23 when I paid at the gate, but you could save $3 and book online.

So, I bought my ticket and had to find where to board the ferry and when I got there, there was already a super long line. Apparently people line up for these tours hours before because I think I was in line 45 minutes before they let you board. Anyways, as we’re moving in line there’s a dude with a camera trying to take your picture in front of a green screen so they can make it look like you took a picture by the Golden Gate bridge….I just said no thanks to the picture and he left me alone. So we get on the boat (we is me and my sister) and go to the second level outside. You have the option of staying indoors or outdoors and there are two stories indoor (levels 1 & 2) and two outside (levels 2 & 3). The third level was full so we went on level two and second guessing myself we went on the wrong side. There is one side of the boat where you’ll get such better pictures, including a shot of the Sea Lions at Pier 39….so to sit on the right side you have to sit on the left side when facing the boat….or on the right side when you’re on the boat and looking out at the front of the boat.

Once our wonderful sea adventure begins I’m a little nervous (I’ve never been on a boat before) and excited at the same time. I decide to stand by the railing to snap some photos (by some I mean about 100….I’m obsessed with making sure I get the perfect shot) and enjoy the spectacular view. As we get further out to sea I realize it’s a little chilly, I was only wearing a t-shirt at this point and decided to put on my sweater, the further we go the colder it gets and by the time we got close to the Golden Gate Bridge it was FREEZING!!! I ignored everyone that told me it was cold thinking they were exaggerating….they weren’t! The wind was blowing super strong my sweater was flapping behind me probably smacking some lady in the face (my sweater was one of those cable knit long sweaters that don’t have a closure), I was getting strong gusts of wind up my nose, all the while snapping photos, leaning over the side to get a good shot, afraid of falling in the water because the boat was shaky, yelling to my sister (it was loud) that it was freezing. I stopped at one point because my fingers were aching and had my fingers practically frozen to the camera, I couldn’t stretch them out at that point because they hurt so bad.

So after we rounded the Golden Gate Bridge we were on the non windy side of the boat and I had a chance to thaw out a little bit and take some more photos without freezing. We went past Alcatraz Island (again, we were on the wrong side of the boat and I didn’t get the awesome pictures that the people on the other side of the boat got) and then went back to the port/gate/dock….whatever you call that. The little voice recording says you get to see the sea lions on the way back if you were on the wrong side, but they lied.

If you’re on the right side of the boat you will get fantastic pictures and it’s super worth the tour. If you’re on the wrong side of the boat you will still get fantastic pictures (just not as many) and it’s still worth the tour. I loved the ferry ride so much I would have gone again, however, I would have known to wear a winter coat, gloves, hat, and scarf….seriously….it’s that cold!