|
San Francisco Attractions
Sightseeing
Sightseeing tours are available by land, sea and air; if your time is limited, the bus tours that touch briefly on city highlights are recommended. A list of events and sightseeing tips is recorded daily by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau; phone (415) 391-2000.
Tours of the harbor operate from Fisherman's Wharf. The Red and White Fleet, (415) 673-2900 for information or (415) 901-5254 for reservations, schedules 1-hour daytime cruises that depart from Pier 431/2. Tours to Sonoma and the Napa wine country as well as tours of the city and Yosemite National Park also depart from Pier 431/2 or from area hotels with advance notice.
If you're interested in seeing what life on Alcatraz Island was like, be sure and buy your tickets ahead of time, as the tours frequently sell out. Ferries operated by Alcatraz Cruises depart for "The Rock" from Pier 33 on The Embarcadero. Reservations 2 weeks or more in advance are recommended during the summer and holiday periods; phone (415) 981-7625 or (415) 983-8200.
Cruises to Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo are scheduled by Baylink Ferry and depart from the Ferry Building; phone (707) 643-3779.
The Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry, (415) 435-2131, runs daily; times vary with the season. Angel Island State Park offers picnic facilities, beaches and hiking trails. The park includes the Angel Island Immigration Station, which received thousands of Chinese emigrants 1910-40.
Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruises and Motor Coach Tours, (415) 705-5555, has 60-minute bay cruises leaving Pier 39 at frequent intervals daily. The company also offers San Francisco, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Tiburon and Angel Island tours by boat; phone (415) 773-1188.
Hornblower Cruises and Events, (415) 788-8866, Pier 33 on the Embarcadero, offers daily dinner and lunch cruises and weekend brunch cruises aboard the motor yacht California Hornblower. Live music is provided with dinner and brunch, and there are dance floors on two decks. Reservations are required.
City Guides Walking Tours, sponsored by the San Francisco Library, provides free 1.5- to 2-hour tours of historic Market Street, the Civic Center, North Beach, Chinatown, Golden Gate Bridge, the mission murals, the Palace of Fine Arts, Victorian San Francisco, Pacific Heights mansions and other parts of the city; phone (415) 557-4266 for schedules and information.
San Francisco Architectural Heritage offers a 2-hour Pacific Heights walking tour that is conducted on Sunday and four different 2-hour walking tours that are given on a rotating basis on Saturdays. The tours cost $8; over 64 and under 13, $5. For information phone (415) 441-3000.
The murals along Balmy Alley in the Mission District can be viewed via walking tours. Tours offered by the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center depart Sat.-Sun. at 11 and 1:30. Fee $10-$12; college students with ID $8; over 64, $5; under 18, $2. Monthly bicycle tours also are available. Phone (415) 285-2287.
Spectator Sports
Bay Area fans vigorously support both professional and college sports teams. San Francisco's and nearby Oakland's professional and college teams--the Giants, Oakland A's, 49ers, Golden State Warriors, Raiders and Sharks--offer plenty to cheer for.
In addition to the venues listed below, the Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave. at Santos Street (in Daly City), plays host to rodeos, ice shows and other events; phone (415) 404-4111.
The San Francisco Giants play at AT&T Park. The stadium, at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, is southeast of downtown; phone (415) 972-1800 for ticket information. The rival Oakland A's play at McAfee Coliseum, I-880 at the 66th Avenue exit in Oakland; phone (510) 568-5600.
The Bay Area's Golden State Warriors play at The Arena in Oakland, off I-880 at either the 66th Avenue or Hegenberger exit; phone (510) 986-2222 for ticket information.
Area universities whet hoop appetites as well. Just south in San Jose, the San Jose State University Spartans play their home games at the San Jose Event Center, 7th and E. San Carlos streets; phone (408) 924-7589. The University of California Golden Bears compete at Haas Pavillion in Berkeley; phone (510) 642-3277 or (800) 462-3277. And the University of San Francisco Dons draw fans to War Memorial Gymnasium, 2335 Golden Gate Ave.; phone (415) 422-2873.
Two NFL teams serve the Bay Area. The San Francisco 49ers, dubbed the "team of the '80s" for its four Super Bowl wins following the 1981, 1984, 1988 and 1989 seasons, not to mention its clinching of the title following the 1994 season, play at Monster Park, south of the city off US 101 on Jamestown Avenue. For ticket information phone (415) 656-4900. The Oakland Raiders play at McAfee Coliseum; phone (510) 569-2121 for Raiders ticket information.
Farther south, members of the San Jose Sharks circle their prey. The Bay Area's NHL representatives take to the ice at the HP Pavilion at San Jose, 525 W. Santa Clara St. at Autumn Street; phone (408) 287-9200.
Recreation
San Francisco, frequently considered a metropolitan mecca, has an alter ego. The 76,500-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area represents the city's pastoral side. Encompassing the northern and western city shoreline, it offers bracing scenery, miles of trails and several camping sites. The area attracts bird-watchers, beachcombers, hikers, bicyclists, surfers, surf fishers, picnickers and naturalists.
Performing Arts
San Francisco's tempestuous 19th-century adolescence was more attuned to drinking and gambling than to the refined pleasures of the performing arts. Even so, 15 legitimate theaters operated amid the saloons of the Barbary Coast. Today residents and visitors alike can take advantage of a world-class symphony, opera and ballet companies, and theatrical fare--from touring Broadway blockbusters to a full house of offbeat experimental productions.
The city's two major performing arts facilities are just west of the Civic Center. A bronze Henry Moore sculpture squats in front of Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The building's wraparound design places seating around and even behind the orchestra. The War Memorial Opera House, opposite the Davies, plays host to opera, dance and performing arts troupes. The venerable structure appears as it did in 1931.
The San Francisco Chronicle's pink-page Datebook section, published in the newspaper's Sunday edition, carries complete listings of area theaters and nightspots as well as information about upcoming events. TIXBay Area offers cash-only, half-price tickets for selected theater, dance and music events on the day of the performance, and also serves as a TicketMaster ticket outlet (for credit card purchases). It is located inside the Union Square Garage, accessible through the Geary Street entrance; phone (415) 433-7827.
|
|
