GREAT PORTS OF THE WORLD
ThisGolden Gateway
Yvonne Horn investigates what makes San Francisco such a compelling cruise destination I
t is one of cruising’s great moments: ahead, the Golden Gate Bridge, its swags of graceful cables framing the sea, an icon as recognisable as the Eiffel
Tower and Taj Mahal. Then, the heady mo- ment as your ship passes under the bridge to enter San Francisco Bay. Angel Island starboard, the ominous profile of Alcatraz straight ahead and, port side, the city itself, in a series of high-rises making their way up from the waterfront into the famous hills. Unlike most of the world’s large port cities, ships dock smack in the middle of San Francisco. Disembark at the Cruise Terminal, Pier 35, and you’re within strik- ing distance of all the city has to offer. But, oh dear, the cruise terminal! Pier 35 on the otherwise glorious Embarcadero offers an uninviting, cavernous labyrinth, a dismal gateway to the city. Thankfully, a glorious steel-and-glass building with views in every direction is taking shape on Pier 27 for this September’s America’s Cup event. Next year, it will become San Francisco’s cruise greeting point. Given your ship’s right-in-San Francisco location, it would be a shame not to linger. Disembarking from a recent cruise, I did just that. A day could easily be spent exploring
all the Embarcadero’s palm-lined prom- enade has to offer. Dotted with attractions, the waterfront promenade is a ‘gift’ of
the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that, in 15 seconds, pitched buildings from their foundations, sent flames spilling into the sky and buckled freeways. One of the freeways that buckled was
an elevated monstrosity that had separated the city from its waterfront. Quickly, San Franciscans had their say: don’t repair it, tear it down. Freed from its concrete burden, the shoreline blossomed. The promenade now stretches 2½-miles
from Fisherman’s Wharf to the home of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park. The 1898 Ferry Building, with its landmark clock tower modelled after the bell tower in Spain’s Seville Cathedral, is the Embar- cadero’s centrepiece.
Today, it services some 15,000 ferry- riding commuters a day but, more than that, the Ferry Building has become a culinary treasure house, housing dozens of produce purveyors along with restaurants offering fine cuisine. Beginning with the Ferry Building, the
Embarcadero offers plentiful opportuni- ties to sample San Francisco’s acclaimed dining creativity. Stroll the promenade and choose from Vietnamese at the Slanted Door; regional flavours with a French style at Boulevard; Peruvian at La Mar; vegetar- ian at Greens; and celebrity Napa Valley chef Michael Chiarello’s first foray into Spanish-fusion food, Coqueta.
years, the building languished under the freeway. Today it is one of the city’s most stylish boutique hotels. With a Bay-view room, I had to tear myself away from its windows at night when the Bay Bridge, the world’s largest self-anchored suspension bridge, became a dazzling, monumental piece of art thanks to 25,000 individually programmed white LED lights. The hotel’s location made getting around easy, as the F Line’s trolley tracks are steps away from its front door. Every- day transportation for San Franciscans, the
I Autumn 2013 I WORLD OF CRUISING
stayed at another earthquake survivor, Hotel Griffon, across from the Ferry Building. A hotel for more than 100
27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84