Simply Smart Travel
By Jeff and Virginia Orenstein
San Francisco, California Note: Even though San Francisco is a great place to visit, travel to the area should not be undertaken now. On December 30, 2020, the Department of Public Health updated an order to extend the previous travel quarantine and the Bay Area Regional Stay Home Order to Mid-May. Essential activities only are permitted and most businesses are closed or restricted. All non-essential employees must work from home. Gradual reopening is planned during the late spring and through the summer if conditions permit.
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an Francisco’s legendary prominence in American song and culture is well-deserved. This gem of a city overlooking picturesque San Francisco Bay is built on seven hills. It is a must-visit place for simply smart travelers for its beauty alone. Add in a really great restaurant scene, a fascinating mix of cultures and neighborhoods, museums, unique architecture and proximity to too-many regional attractions to visit in a single trip and you have a real bucket-list-worthy place to visit. Famous for its cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, the marketplace at the Ferry Terminal, Coit Tower, the financial district, “painted lady” Victorian houses and many other scenes often portrayed in movies and TV, this bustling city is also a crossroads of culture and a busy center of maritime commerce. While San Francisco is on the pricey side if you choose to limit yourself to world-famous hotels and eateries and shop only at Union Square boutiques, the city also boasts a staggering array of excellent lodging, entertainment, shopping and restaurants that are reasonably affordable. Purchasing a San Francisco Municipal Public Transportation Passport gives you affordable and convenient access to cable cars, buses, streetcars and the Metro. Similarly, a San Francisco City Pass (citypass.com) gives you transportation access plus museums and a bay cruise. Located on the Pacific Ocean, this eclectic city is also a great place to base yourself for day trips to explore the many attractions that surround this city by the bay. They range from distinguished centers of leaning like the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford to the high-tech palaces of Silicon Valley, the majestic redwoods at Muir Woods and, of course, the nearby California wine country. Before you visit in person, visit the web sites: • https://sf.gov/step-by-step/reopening-san-francisco
A typical street scene from San Francisco since it is built upon seven hills. They are Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Twin Peaks, Mount Davidson and Lone Mountain/Mount Sutro. Credit: Jeff Orenstein, Simply Smart Travel
• https://www.sftravel.com/ • https://www.visitcalifornia.com/region/discover-san-francisco-bay-area/ • https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/spend-threedays-touring-san-francisco/ Getting There San Francisco is a west-coast crossroads can be easily reached by highway, air, cruise ship or train. • By air, the nearest airport is San Francisco International (SFO) at 15 miles away. Oakland International (OAK), is 20 miles away from the Financial District. • By train, Amtrak has a station in Oakland at Jack London Square. It is connected to San Francisco by Amtrak bus and other public transportation. From Oakland, there is frequent service to the entire west coast and beyond. • By car, San Francisco is on interstates 280, 580 and California 101. • Cruise ships (not currently operating) sail from San Francisco’s cruise terminal, 1.5 miles distant. (Smart Travel page 34) www.SeniorSpectrumNewspapers.com // February 2021 |
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