San Francisco Sightseeing Articles

San Francisco is one of our nation's most famous destinations, immortalized in dozens of films, including "Vertigo," "Birdman of Alcatraz," "Dirty Harry," "Pacific Heights," "Hulk" and "The Net."
It's no wonder many of us dream of traveling there to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown.

While staying in the city itself can be a bit pricey, San Mateo County, just minutes away via mass transit or car, is a great value. Plus San Mateo, home to Silicon Valley, has its own attractions to offer, including its pristine California coast, Santa Cruz Mountains wine country, Filoli Gardens and the University of Stamford's excellent art museum with the second largest collection of Rodin in the world.

Bay Area Rapid Transit allows easy access to San Francisco

The San Francisco International Airport is actually in San Mateo. Top hotels such as Sofitel San Francisco Bay and Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport are just a short shuttle ride away. Those hotels and others provide shuttles back to the airport for visitors who want to take a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train into the city.

Going to San Francisco by train is a great way to see the residential areas on the way into the city plus avoid traffic and parking fees. My friend and I took the BART train to the Embarcadero station then walked 20 minutes down Embarcadero to Pier 39 and the wharf.

We were glad we walked rather than took a bus because along the way we were able to take in the San Francisco skyline, including the signature Transamerica Pyramid, and the rolling hills that give the city its unique character.

Alcatraz tour boat concessions are located along the waterfront and the infamous Alcatraz can be seen in the distance. The ironic contrast of the brutal history of the prison with its huge popularity with popcorn-chewing tourists today should not be missed.

Nearby Pier 39 offers plentiful shopping options, dining from casual to fine, and entertainment such as barking sea lions and a merry-go-round. You can even catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

Don't miss the Dungeness Crab

We opted for lunch at one of the time-honored institutions of the area, Nick's Lighthouse. The cozy restaurant filled with well-worn vinyl booths and historic maritime memorabilia. The restaurant also offers an outdoor grill so that you can get a basket of fish and chips, fried calamari or Dungeness crab to eat on a nearby bench.

After being introduced to the delights of Dungeness, we took a cable car to Chinatown. The ability of the cable car to easily climb and descend the many steep hills of San Francisco helped me get why it's still so popular a means of transportation there.

Tea tasting in Chinatown delightful adventure

My friend, who had visited San Francisco before, introduced me to the wonderful sights, sounds and smells of the Chinese markets and apothecaries. Along our way into the heart of the area we came across a sign reading "free tea tasting" and saw a group of tourists seated at the counter of the teashop, called Vital Tea-Leaf Co.

The tea demonstrator was pouring small cups of tea, and after he finished he motioned for us to sit. He was part stand up comic, part tea educator and part salesman. Soon he had us laughing and hanging on his every word as he brewed various teas for us to try.

He prepared and served us numerous teas, including green, oolong, medicinal and floral. The rose tea was both pretty and tasty. One tea tasted buttery. The medicinal tea was bitter.

Vineyards of the Santa Cruz Mountains

The rest of our trip was filled with a string of such adventures. In San Mateo, for example, we took a tour and tasting at the Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards, considered one of the best wineries in the area. Along our gently winding drive up the mountains we were thrilled to see those California redwoods we'd heard about all our lives.

One of the things that impressed us both was how European looking the green mountain vineyards appeared. It's no wonder that California wines rival those produced in Europe. It was a delight to be able to see the Pacific Ocean in the distance from Fogarty's. You don't get that in Europe.

Later that day we visited Ano Nuevo State Natural Reserve and drove down San Mateo's oceanside highway. We stopped overnight at the Beach House Hotel in majestic Half Moon Bay. For our farewell dinner we opted for more of the region's delicious Dungeness crab.

Then we headed to a local favorite, Cameron's Inn and Pub, for a tasty brew, San Francisco's Tour Anchor Steam Beer. It was the perfect way to cap off our journey.

Source: examiner