Union Square
GOLDEN GR-EIGHT THINGS NOT TO MISS
The GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE: A pedestrian walkway crosses its 1.7-mile span while bikes, too, are allowed.
Alcatraz
CABLE CARS: Three routes run on tracks and are moved by an underground cable. Tickets ($5 for a one-way ride) may be purchased at the turnarounds at the end of each route (
www.sfcablecar.com).
ALCATRAZ: The notorious prison in the middle of the Bay is reached by ferry from Pier 43. Reservations are recommended. Don’t miss the self- guided audio tour
(
www.alcatrazcruises.com). Vintage tugboat on display at Hyde Street Pier
Powell Hyde cable car descends a steep hill overlooking Alcatraz prison
CITY GUIDE TOURS: Up to 12 free walking tours are offered daily, led by volunteers who know and love their assigned areas (
www.sfcityguides.org).
UNION SQUARE: Major department stores and designer boutiques line the surrounding streets. Buy discounted tickets for the theatre (the city boasts 150) and musical performances at the box office on the east side.
colourful F Line is perfect for sightseeing. The line consists of vintage trolleys
rescued by a dedicated group of streetcar lovers. Lovingly spruced into mint condi- tion, 40 trolleys rotate in service. Begin at the Fisherman’s Wharf terminal. Before hopping on the trolley, I took advantage of a City Guide tour, Fisherman’s Wharf’s Hidden History. In its 35th
year, the City
Guides offer 93 free walking tours of the city, with as many as 12 on any given day. My tour ignored the gimmicky kitsch of Pier 39 – heavily visited by tourists, largely ignored by locals – to visit the Hyde Street Pier’s collection of historic ships; the Buena Vista Café where Irish coffee was introduced to America; the Museé Mecanique, a collection of some 160 antique coin-operated machines; the
Dolphin Club, whose members regularly swim the Bay’s frigid water; Alioto-Lazio Fish Company, on the Wharf for more than 70 years, its operation today overseen by an all “girl” team, the founder’s daughters and granddaughters, and more. Leaving the Fisherman’s Wharf termi- nal, the F Line’s Powell Street stop a few minutes later is where you catch the ferry to Alcatraz, the rock in the Bay where some of the country’s most notorious criminals were incarcerated. At the Greenwich stop, next, walk through park-like Levi’s Plaza to the base of a cliff with garden-edged staircases clinging to its face. At the top is 1933-built Coit Tower with its splendid views and interior murals funded by the government to pro- vide work for artists during the Depression.
NORTH BEACH: The city’s Italian quarter is a neighbourhood of European-style sidewalk cafes, restaurants and shops centred near Washington Square.
CHINATOWN: Twenty-four blocks and uncounted alleys of hustle- bustle are centered on Grant Avenue, the city’s oldest street, with exotic shops, markets, temples and restaurants, best explored on foot with a local guide such as Wok Wiz (
www.wokwiz.com).
DINING: Local chefs excel at combining local fresh ingredients, international flavours and a touch of creative genius. For a complete list, visit
www.sanfrancisco.travel/dine.
Autumn 2013 I WORLD OF CRUISING 29
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