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The DEFs of Touring San Francisco

San Francisco Attraction

San Francisco Attraction

If you’re still not convinced, here are a few more reasons why San Francisco is worth spending your next vacation in. Once we get through skimming the list of places to go and things to do in this warm city full of diverse peoples, I’ll bet you’ll be on your way to your travel agent to have him book the next flight to the West Coast.

D. Downtown San Francisco. Downtown San Francisco alone already offers a variety of activities you can do while visiting the city. First stop, take a sip of California’s world-famous red wines produced right in the heart of Napa Valley, just north of the Bay Area. After all, it’s not everyday you get to taste the best wines made from the highest quality of grapes in the country. Or, if you’re the type who loves basking in museums and the classic arts, you can visit San Francisco’s several museums and performing arts theatres. There are so many of them to choose from I’ll doubt you’ll be able to see them all in one visit. For starters, you might want to visit the California Academy of Sciences, the only museum in the entire world where you can find a natural history museum, planetarium, and aquarium under one roof. And Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Presidio, etc. Need I say more?

E. Embarcadero Center. Now one of the most desirable places to build an office, Embarcadero Center is located right in the heart of San Francisco’s Downtown Waterfront area. Presently, it has four Embarcadero towers where about 14,000 San Francisco citizens go to work everyday and enjoy a diverse collection of restaurants offering different cuisines, cinemas, and retail shops. Embarcadero Center has not always been what it is today. It went from an entry point for ships that carried treasure hunters who heard of the California Gold Rush in the nineteenth century, to a haven of thieves and prostitutes in the 1920s, to San Francisco’s Produce District later on. Today, after massive development efforts, Embarcadero Center is now one of the most sought after sites in San Francisco.

F. Fort Point. Built in 1784 by Spaniards who wanted to protect their settlement against British and Russian encroachment, Fort Point was originally called Castillo de San Joaquin. Apparently, Fort Point no longer offers any military value, but it still is a preservation of the art and architecture prevalent during the eighteenth century. Fort Point is located at the southern side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Before the construction of the Bridge, many wanted the fort abolished since it no longer served military purpose. It was President Richard Nixon who allocated the funds for its preservation.

The ABC’s of Touring San Francisco

Historical place at San Francisco

Historical place at San Francisco

Thinking of touring San Francisco? There are actually a million reasons and more for you to get yourself out here to this sunny, spunky Californian state. Rich with nature’s wonders, cultural spots, historical places, and simply breathtaking sights, San Francisco is actually one of the most frequented cities in the United States by tourists. If you’re not yet joining in the bandwagon, here are some reasons why you ought to.

A) Alcatraz. A tiny island sitting quietly in the middle of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz now serves as the site for the oldest lighthouse in the entire Western Coast of the country. It is also where the infamous Alcatraz prison, known for the notoriety of the prisoners who spent the last of their lives in its dark, musty cells, is located. The powerful Italian-American gangster Al Capone served a portion of his sentence in Alcatraz before being moved to Terminal Island in Los Angeles when the prison doctors diagnosed him of having syphilis. George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly also served a part of his sentence in Alcatraz. He was known as a prominent kidnapper, smuggler, and robber during the late 1920s and early 1930s, but surprisingly, the Alcatraz prison guards regarded him as a model inmate. Alcatraz Island is now known to be one of the strangest places in the United States because of the reports of haunting by prisoners who died right inside their cells. Aside from that, it has also become a habitat for different kinds of sea birds, unique plants, and species that have never even been discovered. It has cliffs as high as 30 meters, where Western gulls, Heermann’s gulls, cormorants, and pigeon guillemots can be found nesting. It also has a steep ridge where grassland and wild rye serve as habitat for deer mice.

B) Baker Beach. Planning to be a little adventurous on your next holiday? Baker Beach is (in)famous for its several strips of nude beaches. It is located just south of the Golden Gate Bridge and covers roughly half a mile of white, sandy beaches and clear, blue waters. Still, even if you’re not the type to ogle at topless ladies, Baker Beach may still be worth a visit because it is one of the few sites in the world where the beautiful but endangered Marin Dwarf Flax can be found. All things considered, Baker Beach is a place where you can see many things you rarely see in your life.

C) Chinatown. Experience the colors and culture of China right in here in the United States. San Francisco’s Chinatown is the biggest all over the world, of course, excluding China itself. Marvel at the Chinese buildings as you walk down its alleys and streets. Get a taste of authentic dimsum, moon cakes, fortune cookies, and Chinese tea prepared by a native himself. There are also stores where you can buy your favorite Chinese delicacies and other souvenirs. You can choose from Ching Kee egg roll cookies, botan rice candies, garden wafers, fortune cookies, ginseng extract, and literally thousands more if you only have the patience to scour the streets.

San Francisco: Reasons to Visit the Bay Area on Your Next Vacation

Ocean Beach - San Francisco

Ocean Beach - San Francisco

Okay, so your next long vacation isn’t around the corner yet, but you’re already planning on the places you want to visit once your boss gives you the signal. San Francisco may be the best bet for you. Aside from it is just one plane ticket away, San Francisco has everything the rest of the world has to offer you. Here’s why.

Bask in the glorious blend of sun, sand, and sea. San Francisco, like everywhere else in California, will always be loved for its distinctly Mediterranean feel. Warm summers, mild winters, and great beaches. Surrounded on its three sides by the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco has what the state calls the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a long strip of beaches, parks, and historical sites where tourists and locals alike can appreciate the natural beauty of the state. Ocean Beach and Baker Beach are two of the most famous San Francisco beaches. Though Ocean Beach is not known for swimming and surfing because of its rip cold waves and rip currents, it is still considered a thing of beauty and visited by people who want to enjoy a little sight-seeing.

Get to know nature a little better. San Francisco has more than 200 parks, which are taken care of by its own Recreation and Parks Department. The oldest, largest, and most popular park frequented by tourists is the Golden Gate Park. It is found at the center of the city west and extends all the way down to the Pacific Ocean. Golden Gate Park was built in 1860 by planting different species of non-native trees and flowering plants. It also features several attractions like the San Francisco Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, and the Conservatory of Flowers. Another famous park in San Francisco is the San Francisco Zoo, which is situated near the Lake Merced. San Francisco Zoo is home to more than 250 species of animals and many of these are in the list of endangered species.

Relive history, revive art. San Francisco is home to several museums and art houses that feature different pieces from various periods of time. San Francisco’s Palace of the Legion of Honor is dedicated to hosting European antiques, while the Museum of Modern Art features contemporary masterpieces that were modeled during the twentieth century. Meanwhile, the De Young Museum located within the Golden Gate Park is home to native and cultural artifacts discovered in Oceania, Africa, and North and South America. The Asian Art Museum was also part of the De Young Museum before it was rebuilt into its present form. The Asian Art Museum features ancient Asian artifacts that are about 6,000 years old.