| San Francisco is one of the most | | | | years. The summers are usually dry and |
| recognized cities in America, and | | | | cool and the winters mild and wet. |
| holiday accommodation here is always at | | | | The city has frequent earthquakes, as it |
| a premium. Holiday villas have recently | | | | sits on top of where the Pacific and |
| started to become a favorite for | | | | North American plates meet, in other |
| tourists, but hotels also remain the | | | | words on the plate boundary. As these |
| number one choice. I personally prefer | | | | plates slide together deep underground |
| renting out a holiday villa in the | | | | at the earth's crust in a series of |
| suburbs, when I vacation there. | | | | tectonic faults, they lead to earth |
| San Fran is surrounded on three sides by | | | | quakes. |
| water, and no visitor to the City will | | | | It is comprised of over eight hundred |
| ever forget there first view of the | | | | thousand people and they are made up of |
| magnificent Golden Gate Bridge. Many | | | | many ethnic backgrounds. One third of |
| tourists like to take a ride on the | | | | them are foreign born and half of the |
| cable car up to the top of the steep | | | | rest are non native Californians. As a |
| Russian Hill and those athletic enough, | | | | result the city reflects this multi |
| walk back down on foot to Lombard | | | | cultural society and is more the richer |
| Street. | | | | place for it. |
| The Coastal Range mountains stretch from | | | | The city is the main Pacific port in |
| Santa Barbara County to Oregon. They run | | | | America and many immigrants have made |
| through San Francisco and the Bay Area | | | | their home in the city helping it to |
| and the city now spreads across these | | | | create a flamboyant and eccentric |
| hills and valleys. | | | | flavour. It has experienced many major |
| It is here that the famous steep streets | | | | earth quakes over the years, but each |
| of the city run up the hills and are | | | | time the locals have rallied round and |
| always a favourite place for tourists to | | | | helped build it back up into a stronger |
| visit. The Sierra Nevada range lies to | | | | and more united city. |
| the east and helps prevent the cold | | | | It is also famous for its Victorian |
| continental air masses from reaching the | | | | architecture. Many are crowded together |
| coast. As a result the ocean breezes | | | | on narrow hillside lots and have been |
| help moderate temperature extremes. | | | | made famous by the numerous films that |
| Locals say that in San Francisco you can | | | | have been made in the area. Some say |
| experience all four seasons in a single | | | | that it is an act of God that has |
| day. This is possible because of its | | | | prevented these magnificent buildings |
| unusual geographical position. The city | | | | being destroyed by the earthquakes over |
| occupies a seven mile long peninsula and | | | | the previous years. |
| to its west lies the Pacific Ocean, to | | | | Some of these beautiful houses are now |
| the east is the world famous harbour | | | | rented out as holiday homes and tourists |
| more commonly known as San Francisco | | | | truly get a great feel of the local |
| Bay. | | | | culture and cuisine when they stay in |
| Linking the two together is the 1.2 mile | | | | these holiday homes. They act as great |
| wide Golden Gate passage. | | | | bases for the tourists to fully explore |
| San Francisco has the lowest average | | | | this wonderful city and many tourists |
| summer temperature of any American city | | | | now come back year after year to |
| outside of Alaska, yet due to its | | | | experience this unique cultural |
| geographical make up, the city has seen | | | | experience. |
| no large snowfalls in over one hundred | | | | |