Golden Gate BridgeThe rust-coloured towers, graceful suspension and
supportive cables of the Golden Gate Bridge make this famous symbol
of San Francisco the most photographed bridge in the world, and
visible from almost any high point in the city, although it is
often shrouded in rolling fog. Spanning the two-mile (3km) mouth of
the bay, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the
time of its completion in 1937 and was built to withstand winds of
more than 100 mph (161km per hour). During high winds it can sway
up to 27ft (8m) in each direction. One of the great engineering
accomplishments of the 20th century, the bridge claims to have used
enough wire in its construction to stretch around the earth several
times. Walking across the bridge, under the towers that loom 65
storeys above the water, is one of the best ways to experience the
immensity of the structure and affords beautiful views of the San
Francisco skyline, the bay and its islands. Golden Gate Bridge is
also a favourite with the suicidal and the sidewalks are dotted
with crisis-counselling phones.AlcatrazOut in the middle of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz
Island, or 'The Rock', is one of Golden Gate National Recreation
Area's most popular destinations. The notorious escape-proof island
with its dreaded maximum-security prison once held the likes of Al
'Scarface' Capone, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly and the 'birdman of
Alcatraz', Robert Stroud. With sheer cliffs surrounded by the icy
waters of San Francisco Bay, known for its treacherous tides and
currents, it was regarded as the perfect place to detain the
country's most-wanted and dangerous criminals who were isolated in
dark solitary confinement cells. There have never been any
successful escapes from The Rock. Visitors can explore the prison
as well as learn about its history: from its discovery as a pelican
nesting ground, its location as a military outpost, and the years
between 1933 and 1963 as an off-limit federal penitentiary. It was
also inhabited by Native Americans before being declared a
Recreational Area and protected bird sanctuary. Thousands of
tourists flock here each year and take the excellent self-guided
audio tours that contain commentary from former guards and
prisoners about life on the island. There is also a slide show and
a tour of the island's ecology and bird life led by a park ranger.
The view from the island looking across to San Francisco is
awesome.Fisherman's WharfSome people love the bustle of Fisherman's Wharf,
while others make a conscious effort to steer well clear of it. But
for better or worse it is massively popular, attracting more
visitors than any other city sight, with Pier 39 the commercial
tourist epicentre. The Wharf was once a fishing port with dozens of
boats anchored here. Pier 45 is still used by fishermen in the
early morning hours, and fish and seafood can be bought from the
Fish Alley Market. There are shops galore, fast food stands and
overpriced bay-view restaurants as well as bars, markets, street
performers, and an endless variety of activities for the whole
family. It is also the gateway for several top attractions: trips
to Alcatraz and other bay cruises leave from here; numerous museums
include the Historic Ships Pier; and the USS Pampanito submarine
that can be boarded from Pier 45. The entertaining colony of sea
lions that reside on the floating docks at Pier 39 are one of the
best attractions on the quay.North BeachBetween Russian and Telegraph Hills, North Beach is
San Francisco's 'Little Italy', that has long been the central hub
for anyone with alternative inclinations. During the 1950s the
pleasure-seeking, non-conformist lifestyle of the Beat Generation
and their rebellious literature contributed to the neighbourhood's
unconventional character and tourists poured into the district for
'Beatnik Tours'. Two of the Beat-era landmarks are the Vesuvio bar,
and the first paperback bookstore in the US and hangout of Beat-era
writers, the City Lights Bookstore. The steep stairways on
Telegraph Hill lead to one of the city's most distinctive
landmarks, Coit Tower, a monument to the volunteer fire fighters of
the city providing superb 360-degree views of the city and San
Francisco Bay. Inside the round, stone-tower murals of the Great
Depression depict different aspects of life in California during
the 1930s. The 'Crookedest Street in the World' winds down the
steep eastern side of Russian Hill, the angle so steep that Lombard
Street has to zigzag down with eight sharp turns to make any
descent possible. The affluent residents inside their mansions with
well-tended flowerbeds that flank the street bemoan the frequent
traffic jams as thousands of visitors queue at the top and wait
their turn to drive slowly down the tight curves, gathering at the
bottom for photographic opportunities.Golden Gate ParkOf the many open green spaces in San Francisco, Golden
Gate Park is the biggest and the loveliest stretching from The
Haight to the Pacific Ocean, featuring gardens, lakes, numerous
sporting facilities, and museums. On Sundays the main drive is
closed to traffic and becomes the playground for joggers, cyclists,
roller-bladers and strollers. The California Academy of Sciences
includes the Natural History Museum, aquarium and planetarium
(temporarily relocated to 875 Howard Street until September 2008
due to renovations). The serenity of the Japanese Tea Garden with
its bridges, bonsai and fortune cookies is a favourite with tour
groups. Although filled with people, the park never seems crowded
and there is always a secluded space somewhere on the lawns or in
the gardens.Cable CarsOne of San Francisco's most endearing attractions is
its network of 130-year-old cable cars, the only mobile National
Historic Landmark in the country, and the world's only surviving
system of cable cars. Many cities adopted the system, but all have
since been replaced by more practical means of transport. The
perpetuation of these clanking museum pieces was due to
determination by the city's residents and today they remain at the
heart of the city's character. It is an experience to ride up and
down the steep gradients of the hills, hanging on while the brass
bell clangs, the conductor jingles his coins and the familiar
clanking of the cables pulls the car at a constant 9.5 miles (15km)
per hour. Many people have difficulty believing that these
six-tonne cars can work without engines and the San Francisco Cable
Car Museum affords visitors a closer look at the cable-winding
machinery, and the 'home base' where cars are reeled in and out on
11 miles (17km) of steel cable. The museum also houses some
interesting sights, including the first cable car (1873) and scale
models of different types of cable cars that were once in use in
the city. The idea of the cable car system was conceived by
engineer Andrew Hallidie. After watching the uphill struggle of
laden horse-drawn carts, he was determined to find a kinder and
more efficient means of transportation, which he produced four
years later.Wine CountryThe Napa and Sonoma Valleys are at the heart of the
Californian wine country, producing wines that are praised by
connoisseurs worldwide, from a perfect climate of sunny days and
cool nights. The area is a forerunner in the latest grape-growing
techniques and wine making, and many individual growers, instead of
selling their grapes to the larger wineries, are producing their
own excellent boutique wines. The Napa Valley is the more
commercial of the two, with more wineries, spas and tourist
traffic, and a better selection of restaurants and hotels. The
valley also caters for classic wine country activities such as hot
air ballooning or biking through the vineyards; the world-renowned
wineries also offer informative tours, which provide the ultimate
wine-country experience. Sonoma Valley is less pretentious and more
beautiful in a rustic way, with smaller family-run cellars and
fewer visitors. Although the Napa Valley is the USA's best-known
wine region, Sonoma boasts more awards than their snobbish
neighbour, producing intensely complex reds. The Napa Valley is a
relatively compact region with more than 200 wineries offering
tours and tasting. Most of the large wineries with their orderly
rows of vineyards are situated along the main thoroughfare that
stretches from San Francisco Bay to Calistoga in the north. But
there is more to the valley than wine tasting. The small resort
town of Calistoga is famous for its mineral springs and mud baths,
as well as the Old Faithful Geyser that shoots boiling water and
steam 60ft (18m) into the air every 40 minutes. Nearby is a
Petrified Forest with redwoods, seashells and marine life that were
turned to stone after volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount St
Helena covered the area.SausalitoLocated at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge,
Sausalito is a half hour ferry ride from Fisherman's Wharf. The
panoramic view of San Francisco Bay is spectacular, and Sausalito's
sunny, inviting outdoor cafés and small shops overlooking the city
are simply charming.ExploratoriumLocated inside the Palace of Fine Arts, the
Exploratorium is known as the museum of science, art and human
perception, and is a leader in the movement to promote museums as
educational centres. Named San Francisco's best museum, the
Exploratorium is a fun, quirky museum of science, art, and human
perception that features some 650 'please touch' exhibits. Many of
its exhibits are created by visual and performing artists as well
as scientists and educators. Exhibits such as the off-site Wave
Organ, a unique sonic exhibit which is located on a nearby piece of
land jutting out in the San Francisco Bay, can be found nowhere
else in the world. It is one of San Francisco's most popular
museums, drawing over 500,000 people each year and its
three-dimensional pitch-black Tactile Dome inspire many visitors to
approach challenges in a very different way.Aquarium of the BayThe Aquarium of the Bay features 300 feet (91m) of
crystal clear acrylic tunnels through which over 20,000 aquatic
animals can be viewed. The aquarium offers visitors the opportunity
to come face-to-face with the Bay's largest predator, the sevengill
shark, as well as touch leopard sharks, skates, rays, and sea
stars. The Aquarium hosts nearly 600,00 visitors every year and
provides free classes and tours to more than 13,000 Bay Area school
children annually making it a wonderful attraction to the
city.Alamo SquareAnyone who has ever seen an episode of the 90s sitcom
'Full House' will know what Alamo Square looks like. It is a
residential neighbourhood and park in San Francisco, frequented by
tourists, neighbours and dog-owners. The park features a playground
as well as a tennis court. A row of Victorian houses overlooks the
park, known as the 'painted ladies' and this view is often shown in
the foreground of panoramic pictures of the city. On a clear day,
the Transamerica Pyramid building and the tops of the Golden Gate
Bridge and Bay Bridge can be seen from the park's
centre.ChinatownA dragon-draped archway at the intersection of Bush
and Grant streets marks the entrance to Chinatown in San Francisco,
the oldest Chinatown in the United States and the largest Chinatown
outside of Asia. Chinatown draws more tourists than the Golden Gate
Bridge with its streets teeming with fish and vegetable stalls,
herbal shops, temples, and eateries. There are some fantastic
restaurants such as Lichee Garden, Hunan Home's, and R&G.
Museums include the Chinese Historical Society of America and
Chinese Culture Center, making Chinatown an absolute
must-see.Lombard StreetKnown as the 'Crookedest Street in the world', Lombard
Street features eight sharp hairpin turns. The road was designed in
1922 in order to reduce the 72 degree slope of the hill and make it
more usable for cars as well as pedestrians. The speed limit is a
mere 5mph (8 km/h) on the crooked section, which is about a quarter
of a mile (400m) long. The crooked section of the street is
reserved for one-way traffic travelling downhill and is paved with
red bricks. Tourists are known to literally queue to drive down
this famous road, making it a definite must-see when visiting San
Francisco.Ripley's Believe it or Not! MuseumVisitors at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum can
be mystified and thrilled at the rare, the bizarre and the totally
unexplained in the many interactive and state-of-the-art
exhibitions throughout the museum. Children will be gob-smacked and
this is a must for families travelling with kids in San
Francisco.Boardwalk Casino ArcadeLocated in the Santa Cruz district, the Boardwalk
Casino Arcade is a fantastic amusement park full of
state-of-the-art video games and other great arcade games to
entertain just about every child of every age.Oakland ZooBoasting a plethora of over 300 wonderful animals, the
Oakland Zoo is a must for animal lovers and children. Highlights
include a children's park, picnic area, wildlife theatre, carousel
and a miniature railway. The children's zoo allows kids the
opportunity to get close to the animals and even pet
them.Randall MuseumThe Randall Museum, also known as the Science and
Nature Museum, provides plenty of enjoyable and exciting learning
opportunities and experiences for children of all ages. The museum
also features animals, such as birds, mice and snakes and children
can even get to handle these animals as part of the educational
experience. Workshops and programs are also available to children
and adults.Children's FairylandThis ten-acre entertainment park on the shores of Lake
Merritt features carousel rides, puppet shows and displays of other
fairy-tale characters from well-loved stories where stories come to
life. Children of all ages will love a trip to Children's Fairyland
where they can let their imaginations run wild.
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