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| Things to See and Do |
| There are a million things to see and do while you are in the Bay Area. We have listed a few of our favorites to start you off. Marin County Sausalito Sausalito is a quaint tourist town right on the bay in Marin County. There are shops, restaurants, places to stay and plenty of fantastic views. Click here for the information website for Sausalito. Some of the highlights include: - Stroll down Bridgeway to check out the local shops and the views of Angel Island, San Francisco and the bay. - Take the ferry directly into San Francisco to Pier 41 - Fisherman's wharf. - Take a short walk up Bulkley Avenue to Alta Mira hotel - you can walk out to their deck which has an incredible view. Golden Gate Bridge This is a must see. You can drive and park at visitor parking lots located at either end of the bridge or take a bus. The walk across provides great views of the city and Bay and Pacific Ocean as well as the bridge itself. Another option is to drive up into the Marin Headlands to take in some of the outstanding views above the northern end of the bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge website has more information. San Francisco This is just a taste of all there is to explore in San Francisco. Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square If you walk along Embarcadero (street that runs right along the Bay) you can hit all three of these spots. The Ferry Building was recently renovated and has small shops and a few places to eat with views of the water. Further north along Embarcadero is Fisherman's Wharf. This tourist spot has places to eat and shop, views of the water and sea lions! Be sure to check out the California seal lions who have made their home at the wharf. Further along the Embarcadero is Ghirardelli Square. Again, more shops and restaurants including San Francisco's Ghirardelli store at which you can buy chocolate, coca and some delicious ice cream sundaes. Coit Tower You can either take a bus or walk up to Coit Tower. Even if you do not go up to the top of the tower, you can view a large part of San Francisco from the top of the hill. Part of the fun is the walk up the hill along stairways that border backyards of homes that terrace the hill. Cable Car Ride a cable car! There are several lines with turn-around points at Powell near Union Square and down near the water near Ghiradelli Square. The fare is now $5 (the website is wrong). Keep in mind that you do not have to wait at one of the end points to catch the cable car. You can get on at any signed stop along the route and pay once you get on. Alcatraz Alcatraz Island is located in the center of the bay. Part of the fun of visiting the infamous jail is the views of the city, the bridges and the hills from the center of the bay. We recommend getting the audio tour once you reach the island. It is definitely worth the trip. If you know it is a definite stop on your trip you can get tickets ahead of time online. See the Alcatraz Island website for more information. Baseball If you are a baseball fan there are two teams to watch in the area. The San Francisco Giants play at AT&T park right on the water in San Francisco. This is a fairly new ballpark with great views. The Giants are in town the weekend of September 22. The Oakland A's are the second team in the area. They won't be in town the weekend of the 22nd but if you are around earlier or later they will be playing. Top of the Mark This is a bar at the top of San Francisco's Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel. You can go for a meal but you can also drop by for a drink and take in the 360 degree views of San Francisco including Golden Gate Bridge on a night when the fog is out. Go before 9PM on a weekend and there is no cover. Etc, etc... Drive up to Napa or Sonoma valleys and go wine tasting, take a vineyard tour or just enjoy the landscape. Drive north along Coastal Route 1 and drive out to Point Reyes for some hiking to see a lighthouse in the winidiest spot we have ever seen. Drive south along Coastal Route 1 to see some beautiful coastline and stop in Pacifica to check out the beach (less than 20 minutes south of San Francisco - and where the photo on this page was taken) or keep going and go all the way to Monterey to enjoy the town and the aquarium. Come out to our side of the Bay and check out the UC Berkeley campus, Tilden Park, the Scharffenberger chocolate factory tour (yum) and some fabulous restuarants along College Avenue. There is plenty to do while you are here so feel free to get in touch if you are looking for suggestions! |