San Francisco California
Information and Photos
Tony Bennett left his heart in what many believe is the most
romantic city on earth. Consistently voted as best U.S. city for
vistas, readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have named San
Francisco the World's Best City and the Best City in the United States, with
San Francisco taking awards every year since the magazine started the
readers' poll in 1996. In addition, Condé Nast Traveler consistently ranks
San Francisco among the favorite world destinations...> Read
more
The City has a population close to 800,000 but looms larger
in the imagination as the hub of the greater Bay Area. The nation's fifth
largest metropolitan region registers a population of 6 million and hosts
over 16 million visitors, conventioneers and business travelers each year.
Cable cars climb up and down the steep streets
sporting panoramic views of beautiful San Francisco bay. There's so much to do
see in the city by the bay with Fisherman's Wharf, colorful Pier 39 where
street artists perform daily, Ghiradelli Square, Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park,
Coit Tower, China Town, the crookedest street in the world, Union Square and
around 50 fabulous museums packed into one fantastic place.
San Francisco was founded in 1776 when father Junipero Serra
constructed the mission San Dolores and Spanish troops built a Presidio,
or fort, to protect this colony for the Queen of Spain. By the mid- nineteenth
century, the village of Yerba Buena, consisting of whalers, traders,
adventurers and pirates, occupied the present site of San Francisco.
In 1848, gold was discovered in the foothills of the Sierra
Nevada Mountains about 100 miles to the east. San Francisco was inundated with
"forty-niners" as gold seekers were called, causing the population of the
city to explode in 1849. It remains the center of commerce, entertainment,
culture and tourism for Northern California today.
Located on the California coast, about 400 miles north of
Los Angeles along the shore of a large bay sheltered behind the California
Coastal Mountains, mention of its name evokes images and responses from
those who have passed through the city's Golden Gates. With its unusual
shade of orange, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed
bridges in the world.
Over 1,634,141,491 vehicles have crossed the bridge since
it was opened in 1937 as the longest suspension bridge in the world.
You can walk over the bridge free, drive over the bridge for under $5 and
look out at Vista Point, or ride under the bridge in the San Francisco bay
by taking one of the boat tours offered with the Blue & Gold Fleet. The
length of the bridge is 1.7 miles.
Attractions of interest include Golden Gate Park, San Francisco's 1,000-acre backyard. The
park's trove of attractions are Strybing Arboretum and
Botanical Gardens, a "living library" where 6,000 plant species, including
a stunning display of California redwoods, flourish. Each spring endows
the park with a new cast of floral favorites: flowering cherry blossoms
in the Japanese Tea Garden, a five-acre legacy from the 1894 Midwinter
International Exposition; lush magenta colored rhododendrons; and more
than 14,000 tulips and daffodils near the Dutch Windmill. The Japanese Tea
Garden is a stroll-style garden, in which visitors can
enjoy from the paths and bridges, many different views of the
ponds, flowering cherry trees, azaleas, oriental magnolias,
camellias, Japanese maples, dwarf pines, cedars and cypress.
Visitors can enjoy a cup of traditional green or jasmine tea
and cookies in the teahouse, served by a waitress in a
beautiful silk kimono. The fortune cookies that are served
were originally introduced in 1914 at the Tea Garden by Makato
Hagiwara through his baker.
Fisherman's Wharf : Eighty-seven percent of San Francisco's visitors include Fisherman's
Wharf on their itinerary. Waterfront marketplaces include
The Anchorage, The Cannery, Ghirardelli Square and PIER 39. The Wharf's
working hub, "Fish Alley," sells thousands of tons of sole, shrimp, salmon,
sea bass, squid and other deep sea delicacies annually. During the crab
season (mid-November through June) devotees line up for the best of the
catch. For an impromptu picnic, order some cracked crab and pick up a loaf
of sourdough French bread from a nearby bakery.
Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill features spectacular views of
the City and Bay. Murals
on its ground floor walls were painted in 1933 by some 30 local artists;
each piece depicting a different aspect of the Great Depression. Farther
east are the Greenwich Street Steps at the base of Coit Tower, a climb
of more than three separate flights of stairs. Despite its length, this
stairway is worth every inch of the climb - it winds its way through tall
trees, hillside gardens and past some of the best local-area views of San
Francisco bay in The City. Benches and wide stone railings are available
at different parts on the hill for those who need to rest or just want
to enjoy the view. Coit Tower, Columbus, Filbert and Stockton Streets.
California Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park, is full of wonders:
Steinhart Aquarium, a 1,350 pound quartz crystal, and some scenes right out
of Jurassic Park. Schedule time to watch the dolphins and seals being fed.
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum offers access to over 70,000
prints and drawings. Exploratorium, a playful museum where kids make the discoveries for
themselves, activating over 700 exhibits. Combine your visit here with
some kite flying on Marina Green or a visit to the Wave Organ at the end
of the St. Francis Yacht Club jetty. For lunch or dinner, Union and Chestnut
streets offer a number of restaurants.
At the San Francisco Zoo, children can feed, pet and play with barnyard animals in the Children's
Zoo.
Historic Streetcars (Trams): You can travel back in time on our distinctive worldwide collection
of historic streetcars which have been gracing The City with regular service
since 1995. Each car is painted in its original livery, be it from Boston,
Chicago or Milan. You can find these beautiful streetcars running along
the center of Market Street from the Transbay Terminal in downtown to the
Castro District. They are collectively known as line F-Market.
Interesting facts about San Francisco, California:
Top attractions visited are 1) Fisherman's Wharf,
2) Chinatown, 3) Golden Gate Bridge, 4) Union Square and 5) Cable Car
Ride.
Miles of shoreline = 29.5, Miles of waterfront = 7.5
Number of Cable Cars = 39, Number of cable car riders
yearly = 10 million (approx.), Miles of cable car track 8.8 miles, Speed
cars travel = 9 mph
Hills in San Francisco = 43, Major hills include Twin
Peaks at 910' and 903', Nob at 376', Russian at 294' and Telegraph at
248'
Islands in San Francisco Bay = 14, Included are
Alcatraz, the Farallones--a group of seven islands, Treasure Island,
Yerba Buena, Angel Island and Red Rock
Founded on Sept. 17, 1776, San Francisco has a Mayor
who serves a 4-year term and 11 Board of Supervisors members
Quotes: "(San Francisco) is a golden handcuff with the
key thrown away." -John Steinbeck; "San Francisco has only one
drawback--'tis hard to leave." -Rudyard Kipling; "I prefer a wet San
Francisco to a dry Manhattan." -Larry Geraldi
Hotel Reviews:
Doubletree Hotel- SF Airport
Four Points by Sheraton Airport
Holiday Inn Express Fisherman's Wharf
Hotel Nikko San Francisco
Hyatt Regency -SF Airport
Sheraton Gateway
Sir Francis Drake
Westin St. Francis Hotel
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