Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
bumping into other boats or landing on
the bank. See chapter 9 for more infor-
mation on this and other outdoor fam-
ily adventures.
•
Checking Out the Scene at the M ari-
time National Historical Park:
Young
kids will lo ve exploring the antique
ships of the H yde Street Pier (p. 170),
running around on the grass at Victo-
rian Park, and gaping at the crazy swim-
mers in A quatic P ark who brav e the
Bay's chilly waters. All the while, grown-
ups can mar vel at the lo vely scener y.
Then ev eryone can grab a snack fr om
the S an F rancisco C repe Car t in The
Cannery (p. 132), and perhaps listen to
some music from a local performer.
•
Hanging O ut in G olden G ate P ark:
You don't need an agenda to fritter away
the hours ar ound San Francisco's most
famous park. The antique car ousel is a
big draw , as is the K oret Childr en's
Quarter, a world-class playgr ound. The
Japanese Tea G arden is so composed
and elegant y ou'll want to meditate
there, but the kids will pr efer stepping
over the stone walkways and scaling the
Drum B ridge. B udding botanists will
appreciate the dahlia garden outside the
Conservatory of Flowers and will espe-
cially enjo y ogling the carniv orous
plants inside. The de Young M useum
tower affor ds super city vie ws and the
Three G ems
str ucture in the sculptur e
garden is a great place to chill out for a
moment. O n S undays, the par k is
closed to traffic; near 6th A venue and
Fulton S treet, be sur e to look for the
skate dancers, who put on a fine sho w.
See p. 173.
•
Traveling through the jungle and the
heavens at the California Academy of
Sciences:
This Golden Gate Park attrac-
tion deserves its o wn heading. O pened
in late 2008 in a ne w awar d-winning
home, the world 's most eco-friendly
museum will inspir e the botanist,
marine biologist, or astronomer in your
child. B reathe in the moist air of the
world's rainforests, soak up the scener y
atop the living roof, fawn over the fishes
of the Steinhart Aquarium, and experi-
ence space trav el in the P lanetarium.
See p. 178.
•
Taking the F erry to M arin:
B undle
up and catch a B lue and G old F erry
(p. 185) fr om P ier 41 to S ausalito or
Tiburon. You can take bikes on the boats
if y ou like, but both villages ar e petite
and walkable. The ride is glorious.
Remain outside for the full effect of the
wind and salt spray. On a clear day, you'll
have trouble deciding where to look; the
scenery ahead is as thrilling as the vie w
behind y ou. S ausalito is v ery touristy ,
but the stores are fun for windo w shop-
ping. Tiburon is even more upscale than
Sausalito. It won't take long to tour the
village; leave someone behind to claim a
table at G uaymas, at 5 M ain St., where
drinks and passable Mexican food on the
sunny deck make this trip a little v aca-
tion within your vacation.
•
Trekking Along the Land's End Trail:
Provided your child won't run off ahead
of y ou, as the trail r uns along a steep
cliff, ther e's har dly a mor e beautiful
place to walk in S an Francisco. Start at
the trail head on Camino del Mar, park-
ing next to pictur esque Lincoln P ark,
which is dotted with majestic Monterey
Cyprus tr ees. H ead w est on the trail
toward the Cliff H ouse, pausing to
admire the vie w fr om the “ other” side
of the G olden Gate Bridge, the sw eep-
ing Pacific Ocean, and the Marin Head-
lands to the north. See p. 186.
•
Cheering the H ome Team at A T&T
Park:
You don't even need to be a base-
ball fan to deriv e a lot of pleasur e from
an afternoon or evening at this gem of a
baseball stadium (p . 265). B leacher
seats go on sale at the par k on game
days, but if y ou prefer something fan-
cier, y ou can usually get good seats
online fr om season ticket holders if
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