Tag: skyline

San Francisco

If you’re going to San Francisco…
It was our second visit to San Francisco after 2011. As we had done a lot of sightseeing that time already, we didn’t have much pressure to complete any bucket list. We skipped Alcatraz, for example. That means more time for other things, e.g. to go to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Tip: don’t stay at the busy Vista Point (where the hop-on, hop-off buses stop) but walk 15 minutes uphill to Battery Spencer for a much better view.

Of course we could still do the famous things like Fisherman’s Wharf, China Town, Telegraph Hill or the Cable Car Turnaround.

  • Pier 39 Seals
  • Fisherman’s Wharf
  • Alcatraz
  • Transamerica Pyramid
  • Teddy Car
  • Golden Gate Bridge
  • Piedmont Boutique
  • Cablecar Turnaround
  • Papparazzi Dogs
  • Cheesecake Factory
  • China Town
  • Coit Tower
  • Stinking Rose
  • Tram

Diamond Head

It wasn’t the best start into the day. Even mediocre cafés in Waikiki are very busy in the morning, and checking other cafés for shorter queues didn’t make it better.

Also, we recommend to inform yourself well about the buses in Oahu, or even better, ask the locals. There are around 20 bus stops containing “Diamond Head”, but just one is the correct for doing the famous hike. Being lost, we did our very first Uber drive and didn’t regret it.

Diamond Head is a volcanic tuff cone (dormant), a national natural monument and a very touristy place. Doing a relatively easy hike (for Swiss standards) from the inside of the crater up to the cone rewards you with great views over Honolulu.

Tunnel up to the rim (nowadays with lights)
The “behind the scenes”-picture

Around Oahu

Time to use the cabrio and to explore the island Oahu.

Chevrolet Camaro – a surprise for us, too!

There is more on Oahu than Honolulu. At least nature-wise. The Halona blowhole spits water like a geyser, but it’s sea water pushed through the hole by strong waves.

Halona Blowhole

From there we did the circle around the Ko’alau range along the coast. Unfortunately, the weather got worse and we couldn’t spot any turtles, neither at Turtle Bay nor at Laniakea Beach. Before returning to Waikiki we drove up and into the Punchbowl Crater which contains the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific – and also offers a nice vista over the city.

National Memorial of the Pacific
Honolulu from Punchbowl Crater

Auckland

Auckland’s Sky Tower is 328 meters high, observatory deck is at 220 meters above ground level and offers a great view over the city.

City view from Sky Tower

Auckland was built upon volcanoes: the Auckland Volcanic Field counts 48 (dormant) volcanoes. Why not climb on some of them?

We took the ferry to Devonport and walked on Mount Victoria which is fortunately only 87 meters high, but providing a good view on Auckland’s skyline.

Next one was Mount Eden with its very obvious crater.

Mount Eden crater

After a Mexican dinner we enjoyed the sunset and a light show from Sky Tower (again).

Light show