Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sports and Outdoor Activities
San Franciscans are sports enthusiasts, and there are plenty
of activities to suit every taste. You can choose from a range
of public and private health clubs, swimming pools, tennis
courts, and golf courses. Spectator sports are provided by
two baseball teams, professional football, basketball, and
hockey, plus numerous Bay Area college games. Outdoor
activities include cycling, skiing, boat trips, and kayaking.
Whale-watching adventures are also fun to try. Tickets
are available through
Ticketmaster
(see p249)
or other
ticket agents
(see p261)
.
you out on their yacht, the only
way to sail around the bay is
to rent a boat from
Cass'
Marina
in Sausalito, where
lessons and piloted charters are
also available. For more limited
water trips, rent a kayak from
the
Sea Trek Ocean Kayak
Center
or a rowboat, pedal
boat, or motorboat from the
Stow Lake Boathouse
in
Golden Gate Park.
Golf Courses
Golfers have a wide range
of courses to choose from,
including municipal links
in
Lincoln Park
and
Golden
Gate Park
and the beautiful
Presidio Golf Club
. Farther
away, some of the world's most
famous courses line the Pacific
Ocean in Carmel
(see pp188-9),
where for about $275-$300
you can test your skills and
play a round or two at the
renowned
Pebble Beach
Golf Links
.
National League
San Francisco
Giants
play their home games
at the state-of-the art
stadium at AT&T Park. The
American League
Oakland
Athletics
(the A's) play at the
O.Co Coliseum in Oakland.
Football
The home ground of the
San
Francisco 49ers
is Candlestick
Park. The
Oakland Raiders
play
at Overstock.com Coliseum.
Local colleges, including the
University of California
at
Berkeley and
Stanford
University
in Palo Alto, also
have good football teams.
Basketball
The Bay Area's only NBA
basketball team is the
Golden
State Warriors
, who play at the
Oracle Arena. The Golden Bears
of
UC Berkeley
also play some
games there, but most of their
home games actually take place
on campus, as do all of
Stanford University's
.
Baseball
Two professional baseball teams
play in the Bay Area. The
Skiing
For skiing, San Franciscans
head east to the mountains
of Lake Tahoe
(see pp198-9),
where resorts like
Heavenly
and
Alpine Meadows
provide
excellent slopes for all levels of
ability, amid gorgeous alpine
vistas. The biggest resort,
Squaw Valley
, is just north of
the lake and was the site of the
1960 Winter Olympics. Also
within reach of the Bay Area are
Badger Pass
, in Yosemite
National Park
(see pp202-3)
,
and cross-country oriented
Kirkwood Ski Resort
. Skiing
equipment can be rented at all
these resorts, and lessons are
also available.
Whale Watching
If you visit San Francisco in
winter, don't miss the chance
to experience one of nature's
greatest shows, the annual
migration of the California gray
whale. These huge mammals
are sometimes visible from
headlands like Point Reyes
(see
p162),
but the best way to see
them is to join an ocean-going
charter trip, tickets for which are
available from
Tickets.com
or
Ticketmaster
(see p247)
.
The most informative
trips are those offered by
the
Oceanic Society
Expeditions
. They sail west to
the Farallon Islands, where you
may also see rare birds and blue
whales as well as migrating gray
whales. Many whale-watching
trips leave from Half Moon Bay
(see pp188-9),
20 miles (32 km)
south of San Francisco.
Tickets.com
∑
tickets.com
Ice Hockey
Home games of the
San José
Sharks
, the Bay Area's only
professional ice hockey team,
are played at the SAP Center in
central San José, about an hour's
drive south of San Francisco.
Gyms and Health Clubs
Large business hotels usually
have health club facilities on the
premises. Those that don't
usually have an agreement with
a private club that gives short-
term membership to hotel
guests. If neither option is
available, choose from the
upscale
Bay Club
, near the
Financial District, the well-
maintained
Crunch Fitness
, or
the basic
24-Hour Nautilus
Fitness Center
.
Swimming
Most public swimming
pools are out in the suburban
fringes, so for times and fees
contact
City of San Francisco
Recreation and Parks Depart-
ment
swimming information
line. To swim in the chilly
ocean, head to China Beach,
the only safe beach in the city.
Join the “Polar Bear Club” and
Oceanic Society Expeditions
Fort Mason.
Map
4 E1.
Te l
256-9604.
Boating
Unless you are fortunate to
know someone willing to take
