Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
223
$6.25 for kids under 13, $8 for adults, and $5.50 for seniors 55 and up, with skate rent-
als adding $3 to the admission fee. Every year, from the second Wednesday in November
until January 2, a por tion of Justin Herman Plaza across from the Ferry Building turns
into the
Holiday I ce Rink at the E mbarcadero Center
(
&
415/837-1931;
www .
embarcaderocenter.com). Skating sessions are 90 minutes long and cost $8 for adults and
$4.50 for kids before 6pm. After 6pm, prices incr ease to $8.50 for adults and $5.50 for
kids. Skate rental is an additional $3, and small siz es are available. The rink opens at
10am daily and is open until 10pm S unday to Thursday and until 11:30pm Friday and
Saturday. Bring extra socks and have some gloves if possible, as it can get chilly out there.
Expect crowds as well, which makes skating on the smallish rink a little intense at times
if you're unsteady on y our blades. The outdoor setting is r eally lovely, especially in the
evening when the tall Embarcadero Center buildings are lit.
2008 saw the first
Holiday Ice Rink in U nion S quare
(
&
415/781-2688;
www.
unionsquareicerink.com), r unning fr om mid-N ovember until early J anuary, S unday
through Thursday from 10am to 10pm, and w eekend nights until 11:30pm. Rates ar e
the same as at the Embarcadero Center rink. You can also ice skate at the
San Francisco
Zoo
(
&
415/753-7080;
www.sfzoo.org) fr om late N ovember until N ew Year's D ay.
Skating is $5 if you bring your own skates; special skating and rental packages combined
with zoo admission are also available.
IN-LINE SKATING/ROLLER SKATING
On Sundays in G olden Gate Park at 6th A venue and F ulton Street, skaters congr egate
for a hugely enter taining dance par ty fr om ar ound noon to 5pm. The music is hip-
shaking and the par ticipants amazing in their skill on wheels. I f you and the kids want
to skate in the park,
Golden Gate Park Bike & Skate
on Fulton Street between 6th and
7th avenues (
&
415/668-1117;
www.goldengateparkbikeandskate.com) rents skates as
small as kids' size 10 for $5 an hour or $20 per day. In-line skates are $6 an hour or $24
per day. Safety equipment is included in the r ental.
Bike and Roll
rents skates from its
Fisherman's Wharf location at 353 Jefferson St. (see contact info under “Biking,” above)
for $5 for 2 hours, with a 2-hour minimum, or $25 per day. They carry a variety of sizes,
including skates for the littlest r ollers.
JUGGLING & FLYING TRAPEZE
San Francisco is home to the
Circus Center
(755 Frederick St.;
&
415/759-8123;
www.
circuscenter.org), the premier training ground for circus arts in the U.S. Classes in such
disciplines as Chinese acrobatics, hand-balancing, clowning, and flying trapeze are avail-
able for students age 5 and up . Classes may be av ailable for dr op-ins, but the center
recommends calling ahead of time to check availability and rates. The center is across the
street from Kezar Pavilion at the southeast corner of G olden Gate Park.
KAYAKING
A memorable way to get as close to the bay as possible without actually getting in is b y
skimming the sur face in a kayak. A t
City Kayak
(Embarcadero at Townsend;
&
415/
357-1010
or 415/850-9971; http://citykayak.w eb.aplus.net), kayaks r ent for $15 per
person per hour (kids under 8 fr ee; 15% discounts for students). I f you plan to explor e
the bay on your own, every member of your party must be at least 5 feet tall. City Kayak
will permit small kayakers in y our group if y ou hire one of their pr ofessional guides at
$80 per hour, for a minimum of 2 hours. Tours depart from South Beach or PIER 39.
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