National Park are moving closer to the cities , and there is no better example than Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The country’s largest urban park , sprawls over 35,0000 acres of land and water encompassing such historic areas as Fort Point , Alcatraz and the Cliff House.
The park is divided into two main areas , San Fransisco and Martin Country. On the Martin side are miles of open terrain studded with coves, beaches and cliffs.
Along the San Fransisco shoreline, from Fort Fusnston to Aquatic Park. You can hike, picnic , tour a prision, board a schooner, or just enjoy the view. Here are some of the park’s attractions:
1) Fort Funston. A city’s southwest corner: overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Loop trail offers hiker’s spectactular view
2) Ocean Beach: four mile sandy shoreline is a dramatic place to hike. Unsafe for swimming
3) Cliff House : venerable San Fransisco landmark offers view of Martin coast. Offshore , view Seal Rocks , home of sea lions and birds
4) Baker Beach: At northwest shore of Presidio facing the Golden Gate beach is a good place for hiking and fishing , swimming is unsafe
5) Fort Point National Historic Site: built in 1861, fort huddles beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Excellent example of Civil War fortifications.
6) Crissy Field: Walk San Fransisco’s shoreline between Fort Point and Fort Mason along the Golden Gate Promenade
7) Fort Mason: an old army post, Fort Mason has lawns gardens , picnic areas, grand bay views.
Aquatic Park : National Martime Museum is here. Lagoon provides swimming for the hardy, curved pier is an excellent place to fish. Historic ships berth at Hyde Street pier.
9) Alcatraz : guided tours trace the 22 acre island ’s history from fort to Federal prison.
Top Ten Things to Do While in San Francisco pt 1 There is so much to do and see in San Francisco that there is no way for you to do it all in a day. Here are some of the top things that you should absolutely do and see while...
San Francisco Bay Area Fishing Guide -- Book Review I recently purchased and read the book San Francisco Bay Areas Fishing Guide by Ray Rychnovsky. It is an excellent primer and refresher on fishing in the San Francisco Bay Area. It covers everything open ocean, ocean reef, near shore, beach,...
Fishing Report: June 19, 2009 Ocean Beach has been virtually swimming in tiny shrimp, which is perhaps the cause for the striped bass finding their way into the surf. The bass have been biting crazy here, especially late in the nights and in the early...
San Mateo County Hike of the San Bruno Mountain Park Summary: This is a 1.2 mile long all-access loop hike that takes you through coastal scrub. Location: This hike is located in the San Bruno Mountain Park as part of the San Mateo County Parks. Distance: The total length for...
Things to do in San Francisco pt 2 Here is a unique secret about San Francisco: Even the locals are often unaware of all of the gems that this fair city has to offer to its visitors. Here are some of the unique things that you might like...
The largest Asian community outside the Orient, San Fransisco’s Chinatown covers about 30 blocks and is roughly bordered by Kearny, Mason and Bush Streets and Broadway. It is best to arrive in Chinatown on foot or by public transportation, for the area is highly congested by traffic.
Grant Avenue is the main street where for 8 blocks between Bush and Columbus , visitors are guaranteed a delightfully unusual walk. You can get there from either the financial district, Union Square or Knob Hill. Remember that if you on top of a hill, that your walk will be down several steep blocks. The California Street cable car will put you smack dab in the middle of Chinatown.One of the most colorful approaches to Chinatown is a walk down Sacremento to Grant. You will see peaked pagoda style rooftops and bright colored balconies in the foreground and the bay and bridge beyond. Along Grant Avenue is the tourist’s Chinatown- curio shops, import shops and eateries.To get a glimpse of the “inside” prowl up and down some of the streets and explore the side alleys that parallel Grant. Scattered around gift shops and restaurants are stores and markets with exotic smells and sounds.In the early morning, Friday through Sunday, Stockton Street between Washington and Broadway becomes a throbbing open air market. Truck farmers in sidewalk stalls sell anything from squacking ducks to chickens.
Between California and Pine in St. mary’s Square, a quiet little park with Benjamino Bufano’s striking marble and steel statue of China’s one time president, Sun Yat-sen. Beneath the park , is an underground garage : entrances are on Kearny, Pine and California.
Old St. Mary’s Church , a San Fransisco landmark since 1954, stands at Grant and California. The gothic structure was built entirely of granite rock from China and brick brought around Cape Horn from New England.
How do you change waterfront property into a revitalized urban landscape ? Take 51 acres of land add $ 150 million , and come up with the Golden Gateway Center. In the late 1950’s the San Fransisco Redevelopment Agency did just that. Bounded by Clay by Clay, Battery and Jackson Streets, the former produce marketplace blossomed into a slick urban center of apartments , townhouses , offices and parks.
From the heart of the center, the dark glassed diagonally braced Alcoa building rises dramatically. The 2 block square Maritime Plaza, an elevated park, provides a place to stroll and relax. Here pedestrian bridges serve as elevated park,provides a place to stroll and relax. Here pedestrian bridges serve as elevated passageways to all sections of the center.
South of the Golden Gateway is architect John C. Portman’s ambitious Embaracedero Center. Hailed by one critic as :superbly conceived , fine in taste, and full of life, ” the center is a stunning success of multi- use urban development.
North of Market Street , impressive office buildings shade the narrow slot that is Montgomery Street, heart of San Fransisco’s business and financial district. Here and spreading into the nearby streets are the banking , brokerage and insurance firms that are a part of the Wall Street of the West. Here also are the general offices of many of the West’s largest business organizations.
The heart of the financial district is the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange ( Pine and Sansome streets) where business begins at 6 a.m. to coincide with the hours of the New York Stock Exchange. One block west of the Stock Exchange is the Bank of America Building, headquarters for the world’s largest bank. The 770 foot high. 52 story structure, with its bronze tinted bay windowed facade covers most of California , Pine , Kearney and Montgomery block. From the Carnellian Room of the 51?nd floor, you will see a magnificent view of San Francisco City and the Bay Area.
The 853 foot high Transamerica Pyramid at Montgomery, Washington and Clay street projects its unique shape the ever changing San Fransisco skyline.
Another skyscraper, the Wells Fargo Building at 44 Montgomery Street, rises 43 stories – 561 feet. On the 18?th floor of this unusual glass and steel structure is Montgomery Lane, where a collection of diverse shops cater to employees. Visitors are welcome during the day. Just below the main lobby a restaurant displaying early California artifacts from the Wells Fargo History Room. The History Room at 420 Montgomery highlights photographs, documents and monuments from the Gold Rush days to the 1906 earthquake. The collection includes a circa 1860 stage coach that ran from San Fransisco to the Santa Cruz Mountains. Visiting hours are banking days from 10 a.m. tp 3 p.m.
The Bank of California’s Collection of Money in the American West , finest of its kind in the country , features pioneer gold quarts , gold and silver ingots , privately minted gold coins and currency from the West. Open during banking hours from 10 A.M. tp 3 P.M. it is located on the lower level of 400 California Street.
For browsing and shopping in the downtown area , Union Square makes a more than ideal starting point. You can park your car in a cavernous garage beneath the square..
Stop first at the square itself. On a nice day, its benches will be lined with people relaxing in the sun or feeding the hundreds of pigeons that swirl around and congregate around the feet of anyone offering them a handout. On the sidewalks street artists will be displaying their wares.
Union Square is a hub of activity, hosting fashion shows. rallies and concerts. In spring , Rhodedendron days are celebrated – huge tubes of the of the colorful plants are placed throughout the square. A summer highlight is the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest. In the center of the square stands a 97 foot granite monument commemorating Admiral Dewey’s victory at Manila Bay during the Spanish-American war.
The fashionable St. Francis Hotel is on the west side of the square , across Powell Street. Many visiting dignitaries stop here – if you see a foreign flag displayed above the entrance , you can assume that it is honoring a very important guest from that country. You will also enjoy browsing through some of the hotel shops. For a good skyline views , ride the tower elevators to the top.
Post, Stockton and Geary streets also border the square. The Children’s Foundation in the plaza of the Hyatt on Union Square deserves a stop. Designed by Ruth Asawa , who also designed the fountain in Ghirardelli Square and Buchanan Mall in Japantown, it takes a whimsical look at the city’s history.
Around Union Square and spreading south toward Market and east toward Kearny Street are some of San Fransisco’s fashionable shops.
On the east side of the square across Stockton is Maiden Lane, a 2 bloc tree lined alley transformed from its bawdy past into a street of intriguing and exotic shops. Of particular interest is a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright , with an unusual yellow brick front and an interior circular ramp : it houses a boutique.
Quick Green Reads For The Weekend Volume Thirty. I have not been feeling so hot the last couple of days, so I don't have much energy to come up with something witty. (Not that I ever do, mind you). But I will leave you with these interesting stories...
Top Ten Things to Do While in San Francisco pt 2 There is so much to do and see in San Francisco that there is no way for you to do it all in a day. Here are some of the top things that you should absolutely do and see while...
Surf Spots in the San Francisco Bay Within 20 minutes of Pacifica in California, there are three really popular surfing spots. Ocean Beach is located in San Francisco, Linda Mar is located in Pacifica and the Jetty at Half Moon Bay is located at Half Moon Bay....
Love Webkinz? Where To Get WebKinz Pets At 40% off Webkinz Pets are a big hit here in our household. In case you don't know, Webkinz pets are stuffed animals that come with a code so you can play on the Webkinz virtual site. They are very popular with kids....
Hike of the Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda County Summary: This is a 3.2 mile out and back hike of the Crown Memorial State Beach, which follows paved sidewalks and lines the beach. The total change in elevation is nearly non existent. Location: This hike is located in Alameda...
Once San Fransisco’s rowdy Barbary Coast , this part of the city became a dismal warehouse area when the city rebuilt in other geographic directions following the 1906 fire. The old buildings were eventually boarded up and deserted and remained so until when in the time period around 1951 when an enterprising group pioneered the development of the exclusive and unusual design center that became to be known as Jackson Square. Chic specialty shops and fine restaurants added to its charm. Indeed Jackson Square , its concepts and motifs have been copied around the world, however nothing is ever as good as the original in character and charms.
Though most of Jackson’s Square’s showrooms are closed to the general public ( except for once a year usually in October) anyone with enthusiasm for elegant old buildings or anyone who simply enjoys window shopping will find a stroll through Jackson Square more than rewarding.
This unique merchandising district supplies Bay Area decorators and retailers with interior furnishings. The wholesale houses occupy handsomely restored buildings in the area surrounding Jackson Steer- bounded by Pacific Avenue and Montgomery and Battery Streets.
Restored buildings include such old structures as the A.P. Hotaling Co. Liquor Warehouse. Around the corner teh McGuire Company has restored the old Hotaling Livery Stables. Oldest of the area’s buildings is 470 jackson Street, it was Lucas Turner and Company Bank, established in 1853 by General William Sherman.
Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT - In Theaters 10/28. TICKETS NOW ON SALE Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT - In theaters 10/28. Get tickets now at ThisIsIt-Movie.com Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed...
Technology Help Small to Mid Size Companies Achieve Their Financial Goals Today, IT solutions are aiding small and mid-sized companies alike, as they compete with Fortune 500 companies for a piece of the pie. We live in an age of fierce competitiveness, fiscal concern, and global turmoil and uncertainty. Companies are...
Visit Germany: The UN-Official Guide [/caption] The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km2 (137,847 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 km2 (134,836 sq mi) of land and 7,798 km2 (3,011 sq mi) of water. It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the...
The 3 Most Important Services to Look For in a Managed IT Company Call it a sign of the times. A cultural phenomenon. Generation Y's need for instant gratification. There are many phrases that could describe why more and more companies are outsourcing their IT departments. The basic facts remain that outsourcing offers...
What's So Bad About A GM Bankruptcy? It finally happened: General Motors (GM) finally declared bankruptcy on Monday, a bankruptcy filing over a decade in the making. This has long be heralded as the end of America's industrial dominance i.e. the end of the world as we...
Truly a city within a city, Embacaredo Center compromises four major towers. Each elegant wafter thin tower springs from a common three level pedestal of plazas, promenades and shopping arcades. Current buildings include the 45 story Security Pacific Building ( one Embarcadero Center) , the 35 story Levi Strauss Building with its plaza level historical room (Two Embarcadero Center) and the 35 story Three Embarcadero building. All along with Four Embarcadero Center.
The architecturally innovative Hyatt Regency Hotel ( Five Embarcadero Center) is well known a favorite San Fransisco attraction. Charles Perry’s 40 foot sculpture Eclipse graces the awesome 16 foot story atrium lobby from which glass elevators speed you up 20 stories to a revolving restaurant offering 360 degree views of the city.
Elevated pedestrian bridges connect the various parts of Embarcadero Center , separating visitors and shoppers from the traffic below.
Adjacent to and north of the Hyatt Regency is the Justin Herman Plaza, adding a green oasis to this financial district. During the noontime period artists and “brown baggers” congregate around the famous Vaillancourt Fountain.
Across Market Street , south of the Hyatt Regency One Market Plaza creates yet another “people’s place”. A soaring skylight connects the Old Southern Pacific Building’s facade to two new office towers. creating a block long airy atrium. Sunlight pours in over the tree lined and flower lined concourse of shops and restaurants.
Across the street on Mission and Spear at the Roncon Annex Post Office , the colorful WPA’s historic murals are worth a look around. You will get speedy mail service here – pickup at more than a frequent round the clock basis.
Visit Cancun, Mexico: The UN-Official Guide Ave. Tulum is the main north-south artery (connecting downtown to the airport some 30 km (19 mi) to south). Tulum is bisected by Ave. Cobá. East of Ave. Tulum, Cobá becomes Ave. Kukulcan which serves as the primary road that...
An intense trip in the profound Mexico Jared W. Olen, founder of OlenJewelry.com, made an intense trip and his story is featured in this article. Olen Jewelry is an international retailer of high-quality, sterling silver jewelry. Jared told me a fascinating story about the campaign he will...
A Smoking Pariah in Europe DAY 2 Perry – Bermondsey to Florence Listening to – Oasis – Wonderwall Emotion – confused I’m rudely woken by my alarm. It’s 3.30am already. No time for a cigarette, it just feels wrong to light up at this ungodly...
A Citi of Layoffs: 52,000 More to Lose Jobs - Banking - CFO.com The other shoe dropped at Citigroup, and it was a big one. The banking giant said it is cutting another 52,000 jobs, on top of the roughly 23,000 in reductions made earlier this year. In a town hall meeting Monday...
How do you change waterfront property into a revitalized urban landscape ? Take 51 acres of land add $ 150 million , and come up with the Golden Gateway Center. In the late 1950’s the San Fransisco Redevelopment Agency did just that. Bounded by Clay by Clay, Battery and Jackson Streets, the former produce marketplace blossomed into a slick urban center of apartments , townhouses , offices and parks.
From the heart of the center, the dark glassed diagonally braced Alcoa building rises dramatically. The 2 block square Maritime Plaza, an elevated park, provides a place to stroll and relax. Here pedestrian bridges serve as elevated park,provides a place to stroll and relax. Here pedestrian bridges serve as elevated passageways to all sections of the center.
South of the Golden Gateway is architect John C. Portman’s ambitious Embaracedero Center. Hailed by one critic as :superbly conceived , fine in taste, and full of life, ” the center is a stunning success of multi- use urban development.
Marin County Hike of the Samuel Taylor State Park Summary: This is a 9 mile loop hike involving the highest peak in the Samuel P. Taylor State Park in Marin County, California. Location: This hike is located at the Samuel P. Taylor State Park, as part of the California...
Things to do in San Francisco pt 1 Here is a unique secret about San Francisco: Even the locals are often unaware of all of the gems that this fair city has to offer to its visitors. Here are some of the unique things that you might like...
Places to Walk in San Francisco pt 2 Whether you are looking for an urban hike or a quiet walk in the woods, there are plenty of unique places to go walking or hiking in San Francisco that are sure to please you. Here are some of our...
North of Market Street , impressive office buildings shade the narrow slot that is Montgomery Street, heart of San Fransisco’s business and financial district. Here and spreading into the nearby streets are the banking , brokerage and insurance firms that are a part of the Wall Street of the West. Here also are the general offices of many of the West’s largest business organizations.
The heart of the financial district is the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange ( Pine and Sansome streets) where business begins at 6 a.m. to coincide with the hours of the New York Stock Exchange. One block west of the Stock Exchange is the Bank of America Building, headquarters for the world’s largest bank. The 770 foot high. 52 story structure, with its bronze tinted bay windowed facade covers most of California , Pine , Kearney and Montgomery block. From the Carnellian Room of the 51′nd floor, you will see a magnificent view of San Francisco City and the Bay Area.
The 853 foot high Transamerica Pyramid at Montgomery, Washington and Clay street projects its unique shape the ever changing San Fransisco skyline.
Another skyscraper, the Wells Fargo Building at 44 Montgomery Street, rises 43 stories – 561 feet. On the 18′th floor of this unusual glass and steel structure is Montgomery Lane, where a collection of diverse shops cater to employees. Visitors are welcome during the day. Just below the main lobby a restaurant displaying early California artifacts from the Wells Fargo History Room. The History Room at 420 Montgomery highlights photographs, documents and monuments from the Gold Rush days to the 1906 earthquake. The collection includes a circa 1860 stage coach that ran from San Fransisco to the Santa Cruz Mountains. Visiting hours are banking days from 10 a.m. tp 3 p.m.
The Bank of California’s Collection of Money in the American West , finest of its kind in the country , features pioneer gold quarts , gold and silver ingots , privately minted gold coins and currency from the West. Open during banking hours from 10 A.M. tp 3 P.M. it is located on the lower level of 400 California Street.
5.8 earthquake shakes San Diego area [/caption] SAN DIEGO - A magnitude-5.8 earthquake in northern Baja California rocked the U.S.-Mexico border region Wednesday, causing buildings to sway more than 100 miles to the west in downtown San Diego and southwestern Arizona. The main quake was centered...
Tours in San Francisco Whether you are a native California resident or someone who is visiting from another state around the country, or even another country around the globe, you should know that visiting San Francisco and experiencing its surroundings is going to leave...
Free Activities in San Francisco If you are planning to visit beautiful San Francisco in California, then you should know that there are a number of attractions that are must-visit places for you to go and experience. Are you wondering if there are any unique...
San Mateo County Hike of Sawyer Camp Trail Location: Sawyer Camp Trail located in San Mateo County as part of San Mateo County Parks and Recreation The Hike: This is a 7 mile walk on a paved path that traces the Crystal Spring Reservoir. In the Bay Area,...
Aquatic Park : National Martime Museum is here. Lagoon provides swimming for the hardy, curved pier is an excellent place to fish. Historic ships berth at Hyde Street pier.
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