After Yosemite it was time to get back on the road and head over to San Francisco. The journey was pretty straightforward, we just had to stop for gas (which costs the equivalent of about 40p a litre here, nice) and some cherries - all around this area are stalls selling local fruit at crazily low prices (by English standards) and it tastes pretty good too.
We got into San Francisco around 1pm, coming in over the Bay Bridge which gives a great view of the downtown skyline. Getting to the hotel was easier than expected and the car park is just next to the hotel.
The Hotel Carlton itself is superb. The lobby has a marbled floor and lots of old books, globes and other memorabilia lying around giving it a colonial feel. The rooms continue that theme, eschewing the usual noisy aircon for a proper ceiling fan, and with tasteful decor, a a far cry from the glitz of Las Vegas.
Once we'd checked in we wandered over to China town (via Lori's - a typical American diner, complete with a Cadillac and some old pinball machines in the corner). China town is the home of cheap junk but there are also some genuine bargains tucked away. The best bit of the afternoon was a free tea tasting involving at least 10 different cups of teas, although inevitably we didn't escape without buying some tea.
5.30pm is free wine tasting in the hotel so we popped back for that, then headed up to Japantown for a sashimi and udon noodle dinner. We also walked past the hotel I stayed in last time I visited San Francisco which has been renamed from Miyako Inn to Hoteltomo! (the exclamation mark is their addition, not mine).
Oh, and we get free wireless internet here. Result.
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