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| TOP SAN FRANCISCO AREA ATTRACTIONS |
| Golden Gate Bridge |
| Voted America's top city in numerous surveys, colorful and cosmopolitan San Francisco invariably charms visitors. Its 1.7-mile-long Golden Gate Bridge -- one of America's top ten construction marvels -- is a must-see. Celebrating its 65th anniversary, this graceful span (which connects to Marin county) is an unforgettable icon to drive, walk, or cycle across. |
| Japanese Tea Garden |
| Contemplate your next move in Golden Gate Park. Within its thousand-plus acres are gardens, lakes, bridal and walking paths, Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden, originally part of the 1894 World's Fair Exhibit. Tea drinkers overlook a waterfall and pond framed by fragrant wisteria. |
| Exploratorium |
| Named San Francisco's best museum, the Exploratorium is a fun, quirky museum of science, art, and human perception that features some 650 "please touch" exhibits. Its pitch-black Tactile Dome may inspire you to approach challenges in a whole new way. |
| Fisherman's Wharf |
| The city's most popular destination, Fisherman's Wharf overlooks San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The historic waterfront still serves as a working fishing pier, so expect fresh seafood at area restaurants. Nearby San Francisco attractions Pier 39, The Cannery, and Ghirardelli Square are touristy, but prove irresistible to many visitors. |
| Alcatraz |
| Do some time on "The Rock:" A short ferry ride on the Blue and Gold Fleet deposits you on Alcatraz Island, and the self-guide brochure directs you from the former penitentiary's dock to its cellhouse. Evening tours, led by park guides, are also available on his island-of-no-escape in the San Francisco Bay (Ferry departs Pier 41) |
| Cable Cars |
| Moving historic landmarks, the cable cars of San Francisco operate seven days a week along century-old routes. For a unique tour of the city, take the California Street line, which runs from the Financial District, through Chinatown, and over Nob Hill. The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines both terminate near Fisherman's Wharf. Board in San Francisco wherever you see a brown-and-white stop sign. |
| Chinatown |
| A dragon-draped archway at the intersection of Bush and Grant streets announces the entrance to Chinatown in San Francisco. Streets teem with fish and vegetable stalls, herbal shops, temples, and eateries. (Lichee Garden, Hunan Home's, and R&G restaurants all rate high with diners.) Museums include the Chinese Historical Society of America and Chinese Culture Center. |
| North Beach |
| In between appointments, stroll over to North Beach, San Francisco's Italian neighborhood, for a snack. The espresso is strong and the cannoli sweet at Caffe Trieste, and century-old Molinari's deli appeases the hungry. Once fortified, pay a visit to City Lights Bookstore, Mecca for bohemians and serious book-lovers alike. |
| Alamo Square |
| Picture-postcard-worthy views include Alamo Square, where San Francisco's circa-1900 Victorian homes are juxtaposed against the towering backdrop of downtown's skyscrapers (Webster, Broderick, Oak, and Golden Gate streets), and Lombard Street, the world's crookedest. Its vertiginous path winds past ornate houses and descends steeply (between Hyde and Leavenworth streets). |
| Red-and-White Ferry |
| If you can escape for a short while, hop a Red-and-White Ferry to Sausalito from Fisherman's Wharf. The ride takes one-half hour. The panoramic view of San Francisco Bay is spectacular, and Sausalito's sunny, inviting outdoor cafés and small shops overlooking the city are utterly charming. |
| AT&T Park |
AT&T (also called China Basin) is an open-air baseball stadium, home to the San Francisco Giants of the National League. The park also hosts the Emerald Bowl, a college football bowl game, every year. The park is located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of 3rd Street and King Street in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
Formerly known as SBC Park and Pacific Bell Park, the stadium was officially renamed AT&T Park on March 1, 2006, just two years after it adopted the SBC Park name. SBC Communications, the flagship sponsor of the park, rebranded itself as AT&T Inc. when it merged with AT&T Corp. in late 2005. This marks the third official name for the park since its opening in 2000. |
| Monster Park |
| Monster Park (colloquially Candlestick, after its original name of Candlestick Park, and sometimes just simply The Stick) is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California. It is the present home field of the San Francisco 49ers NFL team, which moved over from Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park before the 1971 season.
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