Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
58
Chocolate S hop (p. 244). I nstead, take in
the view of the bay and Alcatraz Island and
walk do wn thr ough Victoria P ark to the
water's edge. A t any time of day , y ou're
likely to find har dy (or perhaps just crazy)
souls swimming in the frigid 50-something
degree waters, often without wetsuits. Many
are part of the D olphin Club, founded b y
German immigrants in 1877, whose club-
house now sits on the Hyde Street Pier.
5 Hyde Street Pier
Walk over to the Hyde Street Pier (p. 170)
and purchase tickets to boar d the antique
ships. Enjoy stunning views of the bay and
the G olden G ate Bridge while y our chil-
dren explor e an elegant 19th-centur y
square-rigger, an 1890 ferr yboat chock-
full of antique cars, and a 100-y ear-old
tugboat. After checking out engine rooms,
captain's quar ters, and ev en a r eplicated
turn-of-the-20th-century concession
Musée Mécanique (p. 171), a fun antique
arcade. If your kids like big boats and bat-
tles, splurge on tours of the SS J eremiah
O'Brien, a WWII “Liber ty S hip,” and the
WWII submarine USS Pampanito (p. 173).
Our girls are staunch pacifists, but they still
loved the tours—as I' m sur e will our son
when he 's older . As y ou continue east,
steer clear of the cheesy tourist shops
(you'll find plenty of souv enirs later on in
Chinatown) and brace y ourselves for the
crowds at P IER 39 (p . 172). P IER 39 is
my least fav orite place on the whar f, but
my opinion clearly counts for little, since
it's actually the thir d most visited U.S.
tourist destination, behind D isneyworld
and D isneyland. I f y ou can get past the
candy, cookie, and fudge shops, what does
it actually have going for it? Three things:
an enjo yable, albeit pricey , aquarium; an
antique carousel; and the city 's infamous,
smelly sea lions. B etween those thr ee
things, a plethora of to y stor es, and the
aforementioned sw eet shops, good luck
tearing the kids away.
8 Telegraph Hill & Coit Tower
After the bustle of F isherman's Wharf,
you'll enjoy the serene city views from atop
Telegraph H ill, named for a semaphor e
installed there in 1850 to aler t residents of
ships' arriv als, and cr owned b y a strange
obelisk called Coit Tower. The trek may be
too much for little legs. Fortunately, the no.
39-Coit bus takes y ou fr om the corner of
Stockton and Beach streets right up to Coit
Tower. Inside the to wer, check out murals
celebrating the r ural and urban wor king
class, painted b y students of D iego Rivera,
then splurge on an elev ator ride to the top .
Afterwards, walk or bus back do
stand, cr oss the str eet to the M aritime
National H istorical P ark Visitor Center
for a look at intricate model boats and
more info on the city's seafaring past. The
visitor center is in The Canner y, a 1907
red-brick str ucture that was once the
3
world's largest peach-canning facility and
now houses a collection of stor es, includ-
ing the enchanting Lar k in the M orning
Musique S hoppe. S top b y The Canner y
courtyard to see if any musicians ar
e
playing.
6 SAN FRANCISCO CREPE
CART
This quaint car t off ers sa vory and sw eet
crepes, with fillings like ham and cheese
or bananas and choc olate, to be enjo yed
in the lo vely c ourtyard at The C annery,
sometimes t o the ac companiment of
live music fr om f olksy local per formers.
See p. 132.
wn to
Washington Park. See p. 183.
9 Washington Park &
North Beach
Now relax in Washington Square, one of
the city's oldest parks, dating to 1847. Let
the children play in the small playgr ound
while you take in the scene in this historic
7 Fisherman's Wharf
Head east toward the heart of Fisherman's
Wharf (p. 168). A t Pier 45, step into the
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