Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Suggested Itineraries
When y ou've got k ids in t ow,
sometimes just getting out of your hotel in
the morning can feel like a major accom-
plishment. Deciding where to go after that
can seem more daunting still.
The itineraries in this chapter will
Francisco's relatively compact size, leading
you fr om one nearb
y attraction to
another.
If you have only 1 day to spend in S an
Francisco, the “B est in O ne D ay” tour
introduces y ou to the city 's most endur-
ingly popular highlights and giv es y ou a
chance to take in its beloved views as well.
Should you have more time, take the “Best
in Two D ays” and “B est in Three D ays”
tours on days 2 and 3.
help take the guesswor k out of ho w to
spend y our time in S an F rancisco. I' ve
included the major sights that will interest
both adults and kids, and arranged them
in a manner that takes adv antage of S an
1
ORIENTATION
San Francisco has a lot going for it. F or its geographic setting, it ranks as one of the
loveliest cities on ear th. The tolerant, open-minded population includes a dynamic mix
of cultures from around the globe. The city produces some of the most innovative cuisine
in the country and is home to a plethora of cultural institutions as well. Finally, from this
little nook in N orthern California, one can r eadily visit some of the most dramatic
mountains, beautiful beaches, and stunning national par ks in the world.
San Francisco occupies the northernmost tip of a 32-mile-long peninsula. I ts western
coast is battered by a chilly and unr elentingly forceful piece of the P acific Ocean, while
its eastern side looks out onto the calm waters of San Francisco Bay, the Bay Bridge, and
the towns and mountains bey ond. To the nor th, the photogenic G olden Gate Bridge
spans the tiny opening to the bay, less than 2 miles in length, and connects San Francisco
to the picturesque hills of Marin County. San Francisco has its own share of hills, and as
such offers visitors one fabulous vie w after another.
The city's 790,000-plus r esidents include ethnicities fr om every corner of the globe.
Enclaves of African-American, Chinese, El Salvadoran, Brazilian, Irish, Italian, Japanese,
Mexican, M iddle Eastern, R ussian, and Vietnamese r esidents, among others, make it
possible for locals and visitors alike to experience a world of cultur es within 47 squar e
miles. San Francisco's cosmopolitan roots can be traced to the gold rush. Before then the
sleepy to wn of Yerba B uena—settled b y the S panish in 1776, claimed b y M exico in
1822, and declar ed part of the U.S. (and r enamed San Francisco) in 1848—was little
more than a military outpost, a port, and some ranchland. That all changed when news-
paper publisher Sam Brannan took it upon himself in 1849 to publicize the discovery of
gold in the American River, 130 miles east.
The gold r ush attracted a flood of for tune hunters, adv enturers, savvy business folk,
and opportunists from across America, as well as immigrants from as far away as China.
The vast majority made no money digging for gold; their luck came fr om ending up in
