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Hotel Charlotte
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Tioga
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San Francisco Highlights and a One day Itinerary | |||||||||||||||
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Groveland and Yosemite are |
The first is just water watching and there are oodles of places to do this from. A most popular drive is the 47 mile scenic route looping all through San Francisco, to the Golden Gate Bridge, Lincoln Park, along the coast to the Zoo and around Lake Merced. The route returns you through Golden Gate Park, around Twin Peaks and back into downtown. Other fabulous view points include the Marin Headlands, just cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take the first exit that will wrap you around for stunning views back, high above the city. Sausalito and Tiburon have oodles of inspiring views and are great day trips themselves.
Now
head north again, and continue your walk past the Fish Market and little
fishing boats bobbing as they await their next departure. Pass the popular
blues bar where you are likely to hear live music at 9 in the morning. The
right side of the street has a great art gallery with something new and
always original every time we enter.
...We lived in the Bay area for many years and there are so very many things to do, but the water front seems to be the most natural place to start. The Hotel Charlotte is just 3 hours from the bay area and a convenient stop on the way to Yosemite, Tuolmne River Rafting and a whole lot more! Follow city highways out to 580, which will turn into 205, which turns into 99, and exit in Manteca at Highway 120. (Really just follow the signs!)
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San
Francisco is included here because so many of our Yosemite visitors are coming from
SF or are on their way to this beautiful peninsula city. Between us, Victor
and I lived in the bay area just over 32 years and have some favorite activities to
share.
My
very favorite thing to do in all the years of taking family and friends to the
many different activities was visiting Alcatraz. Be sure to make
reservations as this fills up early and you are unlikely to get same day
tickets. This trip starts at the Pier 39 area so arrive early,
take a walk around, get some cheap t-shirts and funky knick-knacks and try
the clam chowder in a sour dough bowl or any of the other tasty treats
from the fish market one pier to the north. The Alcatraz trip can
also double as your get on a boat on the bay trip, filling two great regional
activities. When you get to Alcatraz island, be certain to rent headsets and
take the self paced tour. This island in the middle of the bay is absolutely
rich with interesting history, politics and intrigue, not to mention the
setting for several popular movies. Birdman of Alcatraz, Escape
from Alcatraz and more recently The Rock. 
Alighting
from the Alcatraz tour boat, head over to the non-commercial water side of
Pier 39 and you will see the harem of seals that have taken over the
docks. Though a few bay touring boats still use this high rent "marina" to
take off from, the majority of tenants are the very entertaining and
charming seals. 
The road you are on will, in a block,
dead end at Hyde Street Pier. Take a right and tour this great living boat
museum! Time it right and you may arrive on docent day where the volunteers
are not only dressed in period costume, but are required to only answer
questions in the historical setting from which their ship was built. Ask
about the great fire of 1906, and they will not know what you are asking
about or will refer to some long forgotten
lesser blaze. This is very much a hands on activity. My mom was sewing sail
canvas and dad got to help carve a huge canoe. The hosts are well knowledged
providing a fun stop for kids, families and those with oodles of curiosity.
San Francisco is always pictured
with colorful old Victorian homes, a beautiful sky-scape and trolley cars.
From Hyde Street Pier it is just two blocks uphill to the trolley turnaround
station. Watch a few turns, then hop on for your own ride up the hill. While
you can stay on all the way to Union Square, we like to get off at the top, Lombard Street
(Crooked Street) and walk down enjoying the flowers and beautiful homes on
this one-of-a-kind cobble stoned street. At the bottom of the hill, turn
left and loop back to the Pier 39 area. 
Hotel Charlotte
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