Bay Area advice wanted
Peri
Got docs <!> for our upcoming Mercury cruise (California coast down to Cabo San
Lucas), and are looking for some pre- and post-cruise advice.
The cruise is from Sunday, April 4 - 11, and we're arriving in town late
Thursday night, 4/1. Plan to Priceline a hotel in the Fishermans Wharf area, as
it seems that gives us the best access to sightseeing and the pier from where
the Mercury will leave.
My first question is about getting from SFO to the city. Do you suggest getting
transportation from the airport and staying at the hotel without a car, or
renting a car to use for these couple of days? I know parking is impossible (or
expensive at the hotel), and I'm not sure we'll actually need a car, but not
having visited the city before I really don't know. Coming from Long Island,
it's hard to imagine being anywhere without a car!
My second question is for when we return. We get back early morning Sunday,
April 11, and don't leave until very early Monday morning. I'm kinda stuck as
to what our best plan of action for Sunday is. If we stay in the city again
we'd need to get ourselves to a hotel and then arrange for VERY early transport
to the airport, but if we stay at the airport we'll be stuck in the middle of
nowhere on our last day in town.
Who knows the area really well and can help me sort this out?? Thank you in
advance!
~ Peri
Mike Cordelli
day or two. Lots of stuff is within walking distance, and what isn't is an
easy cable car or other public transportation ride. You can then just grab
a taxi over to the pier.
For two days if you are sticking to the touristy stuff, then a car isn't
necessary.
"Peri" <nospam...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:wC%2c.31624$Ak2.9...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
Cal Ford
for your type and duration of visit. If your chosen hotel does not offer airport
transfers, and probably will not, take a shuttle for about $12.00 each as this
is faster anyway.
Pack light and select a hotel as close to Pier 35 as you can get. That way you
can walk to the ship. The weather will be very nice so that is no problem.
On the return stay at the same hotel and ask the front desk to schedule an early
morning pickup/transfer. That way you can walk from the ship back to the hotel
as well. A real hassle getting a taxi after getting off the ship for some reason
so it is better to just walk.
Have a great cruise.
Cal Ford
Lido Deck Cruises
In article <wC%2c.31624$Ak2.9...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>, Peri says...
JLeary256
for Alcatraz Island, very interesting tour, but very popular and most always
sells out.
fmomoon
getting
> transportation from the airport and staying at the hotel without a car, or
> renting a car to use for these couple of days? I know parking is
impossible (or
> expensive at the hotel), and I'm not sure we'll actually need a car, but
not
> having visited the city before I really don't know. Coming from Long
Island,
> it's hard to imagine being anywhere without a car!
There is a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station at SFO, but it won't take
you close enough to your hotel in the Wharf area. You could grab a taxi at
the Embaradero station to your hotel. I'm not sure if you want to deal with
luggage on BART, though. Whether or not you deal with a car depends on how
many of you there are and where you intend to go. Most of the hotels in
that area will do one day only rentals for cars, which saves on parking, and
you can explore in that way. The wharf has a lot to offer, but don't forget
about Chinatown, North Beach and maybe a drive over the Golden Gate Bridge
to Marin County. If you have kids, go to the Exploratorium, which is a
science-themed museum; very hands on.
>
> My second question is for when we return. We get back early morning
Sunday,
> April 11, and don't leave until very early Monday morning. I'm kinda
stuck as
> to what our best plan of action for Sunday is. If we stay in the city
again
> we'd need to get ourselves to a hotel and then arrange for VERY early
transport
> to the airport, but if we stay at the airport we'll be stuck in the middle
of
> nowhere on our last day in town.
I would suggest staying in the city again. The other option is to stay by
the airport and rent a car or a taxi to go to a local mall (there are tons
of them around and pretty extensive, too). You might even want to go to a
local college (Stanford, perhaps) or a park to wander around.
>
> Who knows the area really well and can help me sort this out?? Thank you
in
> advance!
Have fun at my back door. :)
--
Monica
If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans. (Woody Allen)
steve
like the cliff house.
Peri
I think we will plan to book a car service to pick us at at SFO, stay at the
Wharf wherever Priceline puts us, and either walk or take a cab to the pier for
boarding. I know we can travel extensively within the city without a car, and
the only place my kids were interested in visiting that would require a car is
the Jelly Belly factory <g>. I think a one-day rental would work perfectly for us.
Coming back Sunday, we'll stay in the Wharf area again, and just arrange with
whatever car service we used to pick us up for our early morning flight on Monday.
Yes, Alcatraz is definitely on our list of "must sees"! I promise we'll do as
much typical tourist stuff as we can pack in to our pre- and post-cruise visits.
We'll have all day Friday, Saturday, and a half day on Sunday before boarding,
as well as all day the Sunday we return.
Any and all other suggestions welcome! Thank you, once again, for the wealth of
knowledge everyone is always so willing to share here. I'll do my best to
report on Monterey and Catalina Island as cruise ports after we return; there is
not much to be found, and I'd like to return the favor.
~ Peri
fmomoon
Aha! Monterey, now you're talking. I grew up there. :) Lots of fun things
to do and bring your walking shoes. Also bring a jacket because Monterey
rarely gets warm, even during the summer. Cannery Row is very touristy, but
the wharf area is charming and pretty accurate from a historical standpoint.
The Aquarium is, of course, not to be missed. The historical places like
Colton Hall, Custom House, R. L. Stevenson's home, Pacific House and
California's First Theatre are really interesting. Wander down Alvarado
Street, which is the closest thing to a main street that Monterey has. The
area has changed, somewhat, but you can still see the Monterey style from
when I was a kid. Walk on over to San Carlos church for a beautiful idea of
old Spanish California mission style. If there is a tour to Carmel Mission,
take it! The beach in Carmel is gorgeous (bring a coat), but I would never
suggest driving down there. It is a madhouse! If there is a tour bus to
Big Sur, that is a lovely trip, but those cliffs may give you problems if
you don't like heights. Pacific Grove is charming, especially the old areas
and a trip to the Asilomar is always cold, yet beautiful. Did I mention
that it gets really cold there?
Mike Cordelli
will have to get them from the venders on the street at their markup.
You'll have time to have several helpings of the crabs on the street, great
food.
The Jelly Belly factory is by no means just for kids. If it's the one out
in the valley, they may have the rejects on sale, I believe when we were
there was a nine case limit. We laughed, got three bags, next trip we will
be shipping cases back. It's a fun tour. It's a bit confusing to find, the
signs were not as many as there should have been (construction, last
October), so once you get off the highway take a few minutes to study the
map, flyer, whatever.
The Ghirardelli factory is also a place to visit if you have a sweet tooth.
"Peri" <nospam...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:du33c.34819$Ak2.10...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
RTCReferee
ship.
The tender will drop you off at the wharf. Once you pass through that area and
have sampled all the clam chowders, you can catch a bus or cab to the Monterey
Aquarium. This is something you really should see.
If you like Irish foods, toiletries, etc., there is a nice little store with
friendly shopkeepers just beyond the Wharf area.
Dick Goldhaber
Wharf. We had transfers so that wasn't a problem but I am glad to see that
you have decided not to attempt to walk from your hotel to the pier with
your luggage.
The street that runs past the pier is quite wide.
If you like chocolate, here is a link and Ghirardelli Square is within
walking distance from Fisherman's Wharf.
http://www.ghirardellisq.com/links/
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
video...@comcast.net
"Peri" <nospam...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:du33c.34819$Ak2.10...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
Thomas E. Parody
Gate Ferry. Depending on your age, the cost is only between $2.80 and $5.60
for a one-way trip. Basically, this is priced for local, commuter travel.
You can find maps, fares, and schedules from this link:
http://transit.511.org/schedules/routemap.asp?cid=GF&rte=5421
Lunyma
is also a Scandinavian store. We cruised with the owners, Marithe and ?, in
the Med, a few years ago. They were the NICEST people. Should you happen to
stop in, tell them that Pam and Chuck, from the Crown Odyssey, have not
forgotten them! (OK.. I forgot the husband's name :)
clint
"Dick Goldhaber" <video...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:3_SdnYI7D-a...@comcast.com...
cruiseyen
that day to either drive N to Napa/Sonoma or Mendocino, or S to
Monterey. Then return it to the airport the next day when you leave.
If you rent a car at the airport when you arrive, you can use the next
day to do another daytrip and again, return the car at the wharf.
S.F., like NY, has relatively liberal rules about car returns to city
locations.
If you are a new visitor to N.Cal, I think you would be silly to spend
3 days in the city, and not spend one going N or S and driving some of
the 1. Especially at this time of year.
As others have said, you only need a car if you're planning on a
daytrip. But you SHOULD plan a daytrip, at least one day.
Peri
eat BEFORE I even get on the ship!! Just what I need <g>.
We very well may decide to rent a car for the Thursday night we arrive in SF,
drive into the city and keep it for the next day. This way we can drive around
to acquaint ourselves a bit with the lay of the land, and be able to travel
outside the city (as I mentioned, the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield is
already on the list!). The rental will probably run about the same as any
ground transportation we'd need to get from SFO to our hotel. Then, we can turn
it in at the Wharf when we return from our wanderings on Friday, and spend the
next day and a half on foot and with mass transit.
We're hitting Monterey on the cruise (and yes, plan to visit the aquarium), so
we may indeed decide to head north for a bit on the Sunday we return. It's
Easter Sunday, however, so our sightseeing options may be limited. There's so
much to see and do in the area, that I really wouldn't mind leaving ourselves a
reason to return if we feel we haven't exhausted our options!!
~ Peri
Cathy Kearns
> Thank you again, everyone! And thanks for all the suggestions on MORE
places to
> eat BEFORE I even get on the ship!! Just what I need <g>.
>
> We very well may decide to rent a car for the Thursday night we arrive in
SF,
> drive into the city and keep it for the next day. This way we can drive
around
> to acquaint ourselves a bit with the lay of the land, and be able to
travel
> outside the city (as I mentioned, the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield is
> already on the list!).
I'm not sure what you had in mind on the lay of the land driving. Driving
into
SF is pretty frustrating. Getting to the wharf is even more frustrating. I
hate
driving around SF, when I drive up I get to the parking garage I'm looking
for,
park, and walk or take public transit around the city. SF is a great
walking
city.
Also, SF, and the bay area in general, have very few ways of getting out
of the bay area, say to Sacramento, the delta, or LA. (And it also means
those coming to the city for the weekend are limited in ways to get
there...)
Fridays people often leave early to get out of the bay area, and the traffic
into the city tends to get bad fairly early on Fridays. So even though it
says 60 minutes to Vacaville from San Francisco, it might take up to twice
that. (Lots of folks love heading to the central valley for water skiiing,
or
up to Tahoe for snow skiiing.)
RTCReferee
Francisco is that you stay in and very near San Francisco for your very short
visit pre-and post-cruise.
Easter Sunday weekend would not be when I would schedule a visit to the wine
country. I think you would enjoy Golden Gate Park very much. There is a great
deal to do there.
To get an idea of what you might be able to experience in and near San
Francisco, go to http://www.sfgate.com.
Click on "entertainment" and search the listings for all events, performances,
etc. for the time period you will be in the Bay Area. Sort by date.
RTCReferee
Searchable listing of events:
http://www.sfgate.com/eguide/search/events/
RTCReferee
"Union Street Easter Parade and Spring Celebration
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Event Info: (415) 456-6455
Sun 4/11/2004 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
fee/admission: Free Union Street
between Gough and Fillmore streets
San Francisco, CA
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Put on your best bonnet and make tracks down Union Street for the 13th Annual
Easter Parade & Spring Celebration. It's an eggsellent way to spend Easter
Sunday, complete with events for the whole family to enjoy, and it's all
sponsored by the Union Street Association. There will be outside dining by
local restaurants, children's arts and crafts projects, a petting zoo, live
music and children's performers, an Easter bonnet contest, flowers from local
garden clubs and last, but not least, the Easter Bunny and friends. The streets
will ooze spring as the parade hops along between Gough and Fillmore beginning
at 2 pm. Save spring cleaning for another day. -- Lisa Zaffarese"
--SF Gate (San Francisco Chronicle)
Ray Goldenberg
wrote:
>We very well may decide to rent a car for the Thursday night we arrive in SF,
>drive into the city and keep it for the next day.
Hi Peri,
I don't know if you are aware of the parking situation. Many of the
hotels charge $20+ a night just for parking in San Francisco.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Peri
>
> I don't know if you are aware of the parking situation. Many of the
> hotels charge $20+ a night just for parking in San Francisco.
>
I do know that, Ray, thank you though. We're only thinking about keeping the
car for a day, and since we need to get to the city from SFO SOMEHOW, a one day
rental with one night's parking isn't a bad deal. Even a quick look online
finds Intermediate cars from reputable companies at $40; or about the same price
of ground transportation. Add another $20+ for parking, and I'm good to go
(literally) for a day. Works for me!
~ Peri
Peri
~ Peri
Peri
> I'm not sure what you had in mind on the lay of the land driving. Driving
> into
> SF is pretty frustrating. Getting to the wharf is even more frustrating. I
> hate
> driving around SF, when I drive up I get to the parking garage I'm looking
> for,
> park, and walk or take public transit around the city. SF is a great
> walking
> city.
Ah, Cathy, I'm a NEW YORKER! I drive in the city all the time!!
Don't get me wrong, though, we're not coming in to LEAVE! We WANT to walk
around and see whatever we can in the brief time we're there. The point I was
making about driving around, though, is that it's often a good way to get the
feel of a place...see what's intersting and what you might like to go back to.
It also helps (me anyway) have a better sense of where I am in relation to
everything else. Guidebooks and maps are great, but for me there's no
substitute to actually cruising through an area to best figure it out.
I can tell you this, I am very much looking forward to our visit. And once
again, I really appreciate all the helpful advice.
~ Peri
RTCReferee
<< Subject: Re: Bay Area advice wanted
From: Peri nospam...@optonline.net
Date: Tue, Mar 9, 2004 11:02 AM
Message-id: <yxo3c.45593$Ak2.14...@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>
JLeary256
>
>Don't get me wrong, though, we're not coming in to LEAVE! We WANT to walk
I too am a New Yorker. :) But San Francisco is a double challenge with the
hills. Even with automatic transmissions, there is sometimes- slipping back.
:) I have driven there many times but a car does give you outside options-
traffic is as bad as NYC in some cases.
Cal Ford
stick to the various forms of public transportation. Save the car rental until a
later and longer visit.
Cal Ford
Lido Deck Cruises
In article <4gsr40dn6d5k682j8...@4ax.com>, Ray Goldenberg says...