September 12th, 2010 by admin
San Francisco is one of those rare cities that offers almost timeless appeal. One of the greatest things that can be said about this great city is that the things that attract its youngest visitors are also quite often the things that bring in its older visitors.
In fact, the very museums that fascinate youngsters have lessons to teach their older visitors as well. Art is a common language among us all and the entertainment that can be found in this great city from opera, symphonies, concerts, plays, and musicals, to street entertainment are both top notch and appealing to people from all sorts of backgrounds and circumstances.
The diversity of this great city is as much a part of its appeal as are the attractions that are designed to bring in visitors. Perhaps one of the most attractive draws to this city for older audiences is the significant history of this city and its people. There are many places-museums and galleries, where you can learn about the history and tragedies that this city has endured, overcome, and now celebrate as part of its heritage.
The cultural diversity that this city offers is also a large draw to older populations. From the Asian history and culture, to the Latin history and culture, to the African American this city celebrates it all. I think that is my favorite thing about this city. It celebrates the good and the bad of its history side by side. Not many places on earth can do that, much less do it as effectively as San Francisco does.
In addition to all of these things, which are quite appealing in and of themselves, San Francisco has the trolley tours, Alcatraz Island tours, the Presidio, The conservatory of flowers at Golden Gate Park, Wine Tasting and winery tours, concerts and cultural events, plays and musicals, as well as Thoroughbred racing at Golden Gate Fields.
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August 19th, 2010 by admin
If you are planning a visit to San Francisco and you love wine, you might seriously wish to consider taking a day trip to one or more of the many vineyards that are only a short drive away. In fact, many of these vineyards offer packages that leave you free to taste all the wine you can handle without worries about drinking and driving.
Even if you’ve never really tried many wines or don’t really find the flavor of the wines you have tried in the past to be pleasant, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised to discover that you do in fact have a great palate for the excellent wines that can be found in California’s Sonoma Valley and Napa Regions. The wines you will taste here are generally great quality wines and are specially selected to showcase the best that these vineyards have to offer. Regardless of whether you find yourself a reformed wine connoisseur or not, you will at least have gained a really good education about both the wine making process and the many varieties of wines that are available.
There are many companies that offer tours to different vineyards. Try one, or try a few. The drive is short if you want to go it alone-just be sure that the vineyard you are planning to visit doesn’t require reservations before making the drive. The drive, should you choose this route, is quite beautiful and there are many things to see along the way. Be sure to have a designated driver for your wine tasting experience if you are going it alone. This detail alone could save one or many lives and is vitally important when planning your wine tasting adventure.
If bus tours aren’t for you but you don’t want to have to drive after visiting and tasting all of the delicious wines that you will be discovering, you should consider one of the smaller SUV tours that are available. These will be a little more costly but for many the personal attention is well worth a little extra money. Another great benefit of the smaller SUV tours is that your smaller group can be accommodated by smaller wineries that aren’t always available for visits from large bus tours. These tours need to be planned a little ahead of time, most requiring at least one week advance notice for reservations so they can’t be as spur of the moment as a larger bus tour which will generally have openings available at the last minute.
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July 26th, 2010 by admin
If your boots were made for walking, then a walking tour of one of San Francisco’s many fascinating neighborhoods or districts may be the perfect activity for you while visiting San Francisco. Even if you aren’t all that into walking but enjoy learning about an area and the things that make that area unique, this is the tour for you.
Combining education and entertainment with physical activity is a great way to trick your body into getting out, getting a little sun, and having a lot of fun. The best thing about these tours for me is the fact that they are free. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning about the history of the areas I visit. Even more than that, I love hearing about the great and quirky people that made the history; but I have to admit, I love doing things that provide entertainment and don’t cost a great deal of money. A donation is recommended and I can honestly appreciate that much more than an overpriced amusement park ride (or worse paying that much just to walk through the gate and never actually riding a ride).
Not all walking tours of San Francisco are free, but the ones that are led by the San Francisco city guides are. You really should check them out at some point during your visit. They offer a great selection of walking tours each and every day that will appeal to a very diverse audience. In fact, there are tours that are geared towards specific groups of people so if you are with your family, it might be a good idea to allow each member of your family to select at least one of these walking tours that is of interest to him or her. That way, everyone is motivated to sit through the selections of the other in anticipation of the trip he or she selected.
The tours typically begin in easy to identify and very public places and most of them even meet near access to public transportation in order to accommodate visitors coming from other areas of the city. The tours go to great lengths to avoid being overly strenuous but the Streets of San Francisco are not always accommodating, as they are well known for their steep hills. I think taking one of the walking tours early in the day is a great way to start the day. You get to get a little fresh air, a little exercise, and you are enjoying these things before the day gets too terribly warm. Not to mention the fact that starting your day off with something that is fun and free is a really good way to start your day.
If you are among the really brave, you might want to try one of the many ‘Ghost Walking Tours’ that are available. There are ghost walks of City Hall and the Palace. If you prefer something a little mellower, there are plenty of walks from which to choose. Some of the more popular walks are the Golden Gate Bridge walking tour (this tour provides great insight into the mind of the man who dared to dream of this bridge and tells the story of what it took to build this bridge it is very much a tour worth taking if you have any love for the many great bridges of the world), the Ferry Building walking tour (recently renovated, this building was once of major importance to San Francisco, it has now been replaced by roads and bridges but remains an important component in the history of this great city), and the Coit Tower Murals walking tour (the tour allows peeks at murals that aren’t always opened to the public as well as a glimpse into the murals that depict famous scenes from the 1930′s).
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July 2nd, 2010 by admin
One of the greatest things about visiting San Francisco is the close proximity to nearby attractions. You can stay in one city while visiting several. You can not only get the conveniences of being in the city, but the beauty of nature is not too far away from almost any point within the city. In fact, a short train ride will take you rather quickly to some nearby attractions that are definitely worth checking into.
One of the first train tours I’ll mention isn’t only a train tour but a bus and train tour. This tour goes from San Francisco to Yosemite Park. This trip requires transfers back and forth from bus to train but offers some beautiful scenery and the ability to enjoy it without the worry of driving, rest stops, and a need to simply stretch your legs. Sometimes a little inconvenience is worth a lot more convenience later in your trip. The train portion of the tour lasts about three hours and you get to spend three hours in Yosemite. For some it isn’t worth the hassle and for others it is just what the doctor ordered-time to rest and relax while on the way. This is by far the most complicated of the train tours heading out from San Francisco, at least the tours I will be discussing.
The second tour is to wine country. The beauty of these tours is the fact that you can enjoy your wine tasting experience without the worry of who’s going to drive. Everyone in your party can enjoy the outing equally. Even more than that however, is that many companies have made the train ride itself more the event than the wine tasting. With offerings such as 4 course meals and Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre for your enjoyment it is no wonder that this has become an event of choice for many San Francisco visitors. While this may be a more than moderately pricey option, it is well worth the expense. You can always cut costs elsewhere in San Francisco to make up for the expenditure.
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