Top five hidden gems of San Francisco you should visit
Given its beautiful green spaces and farmed hills, San Francisco is undoubtedly one of America's most unique and sought-after travel destinations. We have all seen and heard plenty of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, or Pier 39, or the Alcatraz - but we have to tell you that there's a lot more to this amazing place. Here are five hidden gems of "The City."
The Cayuga Park has 1) serene looks, and 2) an amazing backstory. Located near the Mission, the Park was the transformed by Demetrio Braceros (then a gardener at the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department), from a high-crime spot to the whimsical little place that it is now. Today, the park boasts of landscape gardens and over 300 hand-carved wooden sculptures.
Not to make you jealous - but these adorable green and red birds have a movie and innumerable legends attached to them. To be honest, it is still a mystery how so many of these birds ended up making this place their home. Just that a couple of them were spotted a few decades ago, and now the odd lot comprises some 300 parrots.
Initially planned as part of a theme park, this big Camera Obscura, located right on the cliffs in San Francisco, offers some of the most breathtaking views of the ocean, the Seal Rock, and the cliffs. One of just 20 globally, Camera Obscura was built in 1946 and was enlisted in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 for its engineering marvel.
Do see the mesmerizing Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District, if you'd like to get a taste of history of this lovely city. As it happened, San Fran hosted the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition, following the 1906 earthquake and subsequent rebuilding of the city- and this palace still remains from that event. Today, it serves as a top-spot for weddings and special-events.
If you are fascinated by the cheap and thrilling cable car rides of San Fran, then you will fall in love with this museum, which is dedicated to them. The Cable Car museum, located on Mason Street, was set up back in 1974. You will get to see the mechanism of the cars, review maps, or even take a ride or two, as well.
