A few days in Frisco before hitting the road down to LA. These are all MUST-DOs: the Powell-Hyde Cable Car ride from the base of Powell Street through Union Square, Nob and Russian Hills. By car queuing for 20 minutes before going down Lombard Street: the crookedest street in the world.
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Favourite spots: |
FISHERMAN'S WHARF From there you can explore the Wharf, Pier 39 with lots of shops and restaurants and Ghiradelli Square. Ghiradelli is the famous chocolate factory Of course one cannot miss the notorious sea lions at the end of Pier 39 where you can sea far away the famous 'bad-reputated' Alcatraz-prison Island. Unfortunately I didn't have time to go there and visit the ROCK. Addr: Shoreline near Jefferson between Powell and Hyde Website: www.fishermanswharf.-org
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What's really great: |
The great shopping possibilities and the fantastic Wine road
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Sights: |
KORBEL
As there was only one day planned to tour the valley, I had to restrict to a few places.
This was a must-go as one of the best known in the World: KORBEL, visit of the museum with possibility to sample-taste all their wines (at least 10!!) and finish your tour with a cool REAL wine-tasting moment on the shady terrace - do I have to mention I was amongst *angels*?
Website: www.korbel.com
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Accommodations: |
The Westin St. Francis has been a San Francisco landmark since 1904 and the saty was fantastic as it is located right on Union Square where all the main shops are!
Addr: 335 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Website: www.starwood.com/westin/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=1010
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Nightlife: |
WINE ROAD - SONOMA COUNTY
Now let's cross this RED famous bridge once more...
...and go to Sonoma Valley about 70 miles from San Francisco to find californian wineries and maybe taste some of their wines too in a place called Russian River
Website: www.wineroad.com
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Hangouts: |
CHATEAU DE BAUN
The vineyards of Chateau De Baun are located in the Russian River Valley, a cool growing region recognized as producing some of California's finest Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and champagnes. The champagne was very good and I bought one bottle of it and a blue flute to my *blue-glass* collection.
Addr: 5007 Fulton Road - P.O. Box 266 - Fulton,California 95439
Website: wines.com/debaun.html
This is the T-Bird car in front of the main building
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Restaurants: |
TINA'S RESTAURANT
Actually it was a pure coincidence that we found this breakfast bar right on the next corner of our hotel and as it almost hadmy name (I'm Tiina with 2 'i's) we just had to have breakfast there.
And they sure remember me as I ordered the two mornings I was there, french toasts with ham & cheese and NO eggs in what-so-ever-form. They still managed to dip my bread slices into egg-batter before frying them...but I couldn't ask them to take them back anymore...LOL!
The place looked like those 50s ice-cream bars - very cute and opens as from 6am
Address: 83 Eddy St at Mason
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Other recommendations: |
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
Somefacts:
* Opened in 1937 and not painted for the first 27 years!
* Its construction took just over 4 years
* Its one of the modern - Seven Wonders of the World -
* Its design is art deco
* Over 4600 feet long (1,4 km)
* The suspended towers are 746 feet high (227 m)
* At mid-span you are 220 feet (67,3 m) above the water's surface and passing ships look like small toys.
* The two great cables contain enough strands of steel wire (80,000 miles) to encircle the equator three time
* The concrete poured into its piers and anchorages would pave a five-foot wide sidewalk from New York to San Francisco
* Approximately nine million people from around the world visit the Golden Gate Bridge each year
* It has been closed due to weather conditions only three times
* The Golden Gate Bridge withstood, undamaged the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989
* The best way to see the bridge is to walk across it which takes about an hour
* The color is -orange vermillon- and referred to as -Golden Gate Bridge International Orange-
* There is a maintenance elevator going up to the top of the bridge that should fit 3 persons, but even ONE finds it hard to fit in!
* U.S. Navy wanted to paint the Bridge black with yellow stripes!
* A major sandblasting and repainting project was started in 1969 and ended in 1996 (due to the corrosive effects of moisture from the everpresent San Francisco fog and the highly salty ocean air) - painting still goes on!
* There are currently 36 paint staff employees
* The selection is very strict and the painters must have prior structural steel painting experience, including working at considerable heights
* Most work is done with spray equipment
* In 1996, 2,202 gallons (8.333 Liters)of paint were used (Did you know that it's equivalent to 55 standard bath-tubs!?)
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Published on Sunday April 25th, 2004
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Tue, Apr 27 2004 - 02:22 PM
by britman
Lovely enjoyable report to read and some good photo's. I want to go back to San Francisco after reading this! |
Mon, Apr 26 2004 - 02:38 AM
by travelalain
This brings back so nice memories of SF, good report |
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