Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
then drop into the bakery at
Boudin
(p. 137) and try some authentic sour-
dough—see whether the fuss is worth it (personally, I could eat it all day). Then
take the
cable car
back to Union Square and either stroll through
Chinatown
(p. 125) or catch a historic F tram to the
Castro
(p. 172), where a stroll serves two
purposes: an introduction to a typical local neighborhood and a walk through one
of the world's most important centers for gay history. At night, head to
North
Beach
(p. 109) for an Italian meal and for an after-dinner browse at the famous
City Lights
bookstore (p. 184), a First Amendment defender where the Beat-
generation writers gathered.
IF YOU HAVE ONLY 2 DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Think about starting your day with one of the city's excellent walking tours, such
as the
Victorian Home Walk
(p. 129), on which you'll see dozens of colorful
wooden antique homes, known here as “Painted Ladies.” Then take the 1-day plan
and spread it over 2 days, and throw in some museums. The
Asian Art Museum
(p. 114) offers a superlative collection, the
Museum of Modern Art
's
(p. 106) col-
lection is no slouchy affair, or for those more into science, the
Exploratorium
(p. 121) and the
California Academy of Sciences
(p. 117) are two of the country's
finest facilities devoted to learning about our world in high style. Also make a pass
through the grand
City Hall
(p. 113), one of the most impressive civic buildings in
the country—its cupola is larger than that of the nation's capitol.
IF YOU HAVE 3 OR 4 DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Now you've got enough time to think about driving out to the Wine Country for
a single day, although you'll only have time there for three or four visits to winer-
ies. If that doesn't suit you, there are a number of interesting smaller museums
worth adding into the list, including the
Cartoon Art Museum
(p. 106). Or take
the BART across the bay and explore the college town of
Berkeley
(p. 104), long
a cradle for brilliant minds and recalcitrant student movements.
IF YOU HAVE 5 OR MORE DAYS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Spend more time in the Eden of Wine Country, sipping a red that was made just
feet away. If you're lucky enough to have this much time in the city, then by all
means live a little more like the locals do: Head to a park or sweat a little.
Golden
Gate Park
(p. 116), designed and sculpted by late 19th-century architects, is a
particular bucolic pleasure, but the people watching is better at one of the city's
smaller pocket parks, such as Washington Square Park, the heart of eccentric
North Beach
(p. 109). If you have the energy, rent a bike and take it over the
Golden Gate Bridge—from its historic span—or, from May through September,
take a ferry to the seaside settlement of
Sausalito
and from there, catch the shut-
tle to see the awe-inspiring redwood trees at
Muir Woods.
ICONIC ATTRACTIONS
Probably the most famous prison in America, if not the world,
Alcatraz
Island
555
(Pier 33, Embarcadero at Bay; no phone; www.nps.gov/alca; $25
ages 12-61, $23 seniors 62 and over, $15 kids 5-11; 9am-sunset, arrive at least
20 minutes before your reserved departure time)
was where the worst of the worst
