I was interested in multiple City Guides tours and the one that best fit our schedule and interests was the Golden Gate Park: Mid Park Ramble Hidden Gems. This worked out well because the tour met in front of the Japanese Tea Garden at 10:30 am and we were doing the tour on a Wednesday when the Japanese Tea Garden had free entry from 9-10 am. Perfect! On our way into the park we stopped for breakfast at Alzimedi Bakery then entered the Japanese Tea Garden when they opened. This was a lovely garden with beautiful landscaping, features, and flora and we spent an hour enjoying the garden. We had time for a quick stop at the Music Concourse and to read the signs about the park before meeting our tour.

The City Guides tour was about two hours long with several miles of walking. We visited several spots in the park while learning about the history (aided by old pictures to compare to the present) and the nature of the park. One story I found particularly interesting was about the Spanish monastery William Randolph Hearst had purchased, dismantled, and shipped to California with the intention of building another castle. That did not happen and the stones were stored at the park and eventually were dispersed to different ends - such as the construction of a chapter house at the New Clairvaux monastery or used in landscaping around Golden Gate Park. I also thought the history of the park was interesting - how the windswept sand dunes were transformed into the park we see today. On the tour we walked around Stow Lake, crossed a bridge and climbed up Strawberry Hill, and stopped at Prayerbook Cross. Overall the tour was very informative and we had a good time.

The tour ended at lunch time so it was a good point for us to find a lunch spot. We walked to Cinderella Cafe and Bakery and had a tasty lunch of pelmeni and blinchiki. The bakery items also looked good, but we decided to hold out for a chocolate croissant at Arsicault Bakery (good decision - it was delicious!). Now fully stuffed, it was a good time to do some walking. But first, a bus. We got off at the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center and walked around the exhibits to learn about the construction of the bridge before taking a stroll on the bridge itself. After returning to the plaza we did a short walk on the California Coastal and Batteries to Bluffs trails for more views of the bridge and to spend time at Marshall Beach. This was definitely another favorite of the trip and we lingered here for quite awhile. The views were beautiful and it was a gorgeous day. Although we liked all the different views we had of the bridge, this was our favorite. We eventually tore ourselves away, retraced our steps, and took two buses to get to North Beach. This time our attempt to eat at Tony’s was successful and indeed, the pizza was terrific. It was definitely a full day by the time we got back to Union Square in the evening - but well worth it. Our final full day in San Francisco was a success!