Spending Sunny Days on San Francisco s Bay

Spending Sunny Days on San Francisco s Bay First, check into the hotel. The Opal, formerly La Quinta Inn and Suites is an excellent choice. Located at 1050 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco, CA. in the Civic Center/Cathedral Hill area of downtown San Francisco. You can walk to the Historic Cable Car, Symphony Hall, and other popular locations, or take the city tour bus and explore the beautiful cityscapes including Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, The Victorians, (Pink Ladies four brightly painted Queen Anne Victorians) and Fisherman’s Wharf. The tour bus will send a shuttle to some hotels, and take you to the Fisherman’s Wharf where the double-decker buses depart. Visit Chinatown for a full day of sightseeing. Chinatown seems to go clear to China with its many shops and restaurants. You can purchase everything from fine jewelry to your favorite San Francisco sports team cap or jersey at reasonable prices. During our visit we found a very nice silk scarf for my mother. The shop keeper called it his Mother’s Day Special. I’m sure we paid his regular price, but it was nice and he was very attentive to our requests. Catch the Powell-Hyde cable car line to the Fisherman’s Wharf. They are still reliable and a scenic way to see the city. Dine at No. 9 Fisherman’s Grotto. Fisherman’s Wharf’s first Seafood Restaurant for a nice cozy dinner, and order the Dungeness crab pasta dish. Tasty! The Fisherman’s Wharf is a tourist attraction located on the waterfront where you can shop for souvenirs, see live entertainment, experience the bay breeze, and the many different aromas from the restaurants along the Wharf. If you’re the adventurous type, you can bike 2 miles across the Golden Gate Bridge erected with its orange towers, and return by ferry. This is great family fun. Guided Tours available daily from five locations, 465 Jefferson St. at the Argonaut Hotel, 1095 Columbus Ave. near last cable car stop, Pier 41 at Fisherman’s wharf, Pier 43 ½ at Fisherman’s wharf, and 2715 Hyde St. near last cable car stop. For a little more adventure, take a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island a.k.a. “THE ROCK” known to be an inescapable experience. They even have tours of the actual facility, but you must book in advance since it’s one of the cities more popular attractions. We didn’t visit Alcatraz, but we did get some fantastic photos and video as we ferried our way to Sausalito. Upon our arrival to Sausalito, we noticed what may have been a Cinco de Mayo festival already in progress. This included many vendors selling their artwork and various crafts. We also enjoyed the sounds of a Cajun flavored blues band straight out of New Orleans that really set the atmosphere. Finally, when you return to the Fisherman’s Wharf, beware of the local comedian/prankster a.k.a. “THE BUSHMAN”. He looms on the sidewalk camouflaged with a few hand held bushes, and if you’re strolling along, talking to your honey, or chatting on your cell phone, he’ll shake his bushes and give you a little scare if you’re not paying attention, but it’s all in fun. Be sure to leave a tip in his coffee can. He was a hilarious part of our San Francisco experience. San Francisco’s famous fog occurs mostly in summer, and can make things quite chilly, so keep a sweater or jacket close by. Carl McKoy, C.E.O. of affordabletravelagents.com operates a homebased business on a part time basis, and seizes every opportunity to travel. For more information on San Francisco travel email travel@affordabletravelagents.com or visit affordabletravelagents.com