Today, Jack’s Corner is coming to you from our wine tasting tour out at the Napa Valley.

Last time on Jack’s Corner I told of our struggle to see the famous Golden Gate Bridge amongst the fog of San Francisco. This time I’m happy to report that we have seen it. And it’s not even gold. It’s red.

But the revelations didn’t end there. We realised that – unlike LA – San Fran isn’t as much about its famed landmarks as its vibrant culture and picturesque streets and architecture. We have all said at one point or another that we could live here. But don’t worry Mum, I won’t be moving any time soon.

There are many ways to explore the city, so one day Aidan and I decided we would cycle from the city, out to Mission (hipster-ville), to the top of Twin Peaks, and over the Golden Gate. Having completed some 32kms of steep SF hills I can now understand why Lance Armstrong turned to drugs. It’s exhausting.

But despite this, I still had one of the best days of the trip yet. Plus, such big hills meant there were some pretty sweet views from the top, like this one.

But to say that SF had been a classy mix of wine tasting, exploring and cycling would be a lie. There was still the typical mix of burgers and beers.

This is perfectly summed up by a night that saw us begin at an Ale House, grab three In-n-Out burgers for dinner (each) and ended with me struggling to assist Wardo up to the third floor of the hostel after one too many games of beer pong.

But for now, we’re escaping the hostel life for some lodging in the mountains of California.