Aerial View of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge

The very thought of San Francisco brings up a myriad of images, even for those who have never been fortunate to visit this magical city. There is the image of San Francisco's history, as the final point in the long journey west, a city that began as part of a chain of Spanish missions, in an area that grew separately from the rest of the U.S.A. and thus developed a unique culture and ambience. Also in history are the images of San Francisco as the city of the great goldrush - an event that fuelled phenomenal growth; and of the earthquake and great fire of 1906. A more recent image is that of the San Francisco of the 1960s, the capital of the Hippie Generation, with the focus of this at Haight-Ashbury. Above all though, the visual image of San Francisco has always been that of an incredibly beautiful city. Built on over 40 hills, and set on one of the world's most spectacular bays, the steep and picturesque streets of the city's downtown core seem to plunge almost vertically downwards to the harbor. With characteristic innovation San Francisco adapted, and introduced the city's famous cable cars to overcome the steep gradients. Parks and an abundance of unusual trees and shrubs seem to be everywhere. Flowers blossom year round in a riot of color.

Today the contemporary images of San Francisco still make it stand apart from the rest of the United States. San Francisco is viewed by many as a bastion of tolerance. Forever a Mecca for the 'individual,' emigration to the area has sent housing prices through the roof. Silicon Valley to the south with its booming high-tech industry has also attracted many newcomers to the region. Whatever its appeal, San Francisco and the Bay Area has for generations been the epitome of a happening place. That is still very much reflected in today's city. Full of funkiness, the shops and boutiques are trendy but tasteful, the restaurants are among the very best in contemporary cuisine - much of this cuisine was innovated in San Francisco. Above all San Francisco's past still lives in the modern San Francisco. Very few cities in the New World have so successfully restored and preserved whole historical neighborhoods as San Francisco has. San Francisco has managed to blend modern award-winning architecture, with block upon block of turn of the century housing and other period buildings in prime condition. The overall effect is very stimulating visually and this ties in well with the energizing atmosphere of the area.

HISTORY

For a city that is so established and historical, it is amazing to think that the first Europeans did not arrive in this area until 250 years ago. Tragically this European settlement was marked by the virtual disappearance of the original inhabitants, the Ohlone Indians. Within a few years of the arrival of the Spanish Catholic missionaries who set up the Mission Dolores, the tribe was no more. The mission was one of a chain established along the California coast The initial community that quickly grew around the mission was called Yerba Buena. In 1846 at the end of the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States, and around this time, Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco. In 1848, gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada. San Francisco boomed overnight. The popular image of a city full of saloons and bordellos, gambling and opium dens was an accurate one for the rest of the 19th Century. The transcontinental railway link was completed in 1869 and this fuelled the city's growth. Then in 1906 came the 'Big One' - the earthquake and subsequent three day fire that wiped out a large proportion of the city's structures. Rebuilding commenced immediately, and since that time increasingly strict building codes have been put in place to prevent the same amount of devastation if and when another large earthquake hits. Anticipation for the next 'big one' is a constant topic of conversation in the area.

In the first half of the twentieth century attention shifted from San Francisco to the City of Los Angeles located in Southern California. To this day L.A. is a much larger city, but has never matched San Francisco in terms of charm and sense of history. In the 30s construction was undertaken to create what is probably San Francisco's most well-known landmark - The Golden Gate Bridge. At the same time the equally spectacular but less celebrated Bay Bridge was also constructed. These provided much-needed public works projects for the depression era. Also in the years between the two world wars, different aspects of San Francisco was featured in the contrasting works of writers Jack London and Dashiell Hammett. With the entry of the United States into World War II in 1941, San Francisco became an embarkation point for hundreds of thousands of troops going to war in the Pacific. The shipbuilding industry grew rapidly to feed the demand for new ships, and the population reached new levels.

Since World War II, San Francisco has always been the source of some cultural focus including the beat movement of the 50s, the hippies of the 60s, and as the center of Gay Liberation. In the early 80s and beyond, the AIDS epidemic devastated San Francisco's gay community. The city showed its great compassion at this time, and has set the standard in managing this appalling disease with great dignity and sensitivity. In 1989 a large earthquake hit with the epicenter near to Santa Cruz south of San Francisco. There was considerable damage, and significant loss of life, but without the strict building codes it would have been much worse. Once again San Francisco has recovered from the damage very quickly. Fear of the 'big one' has certainly not prevented extensive migration to the Bay Area throughout the 90s and into the 21st Century. The Information Age has certainly stimulated the economy, the City of San Jose and the surrounding Silicon Valley are headquarters for many of the movers and shakers in the computer revolution.

CLIMATE

	Aerial View of San Francisco

San Francisco's climate really fits the description moderate, but this moderation makes the climate very unusual. The city has the least variety of weather of any city in the U.S.A. This moderation is because of the temperature of the surrounding ocean and the winds. For much of the year the day starts with a mist rolling in from the bay, that remains for most of the morning. It never gets extremely cold - frost is almost unheard of, and similarly the temperature rarely goes higher than the 70s (fahrenheit). The Bay Area's weather makes for a very refreshing change for visitors from climates where it is either very cold or very warm. Probably the best way of describing the climate is by saying that it nearly always seems like spring. The greenness that this spring like weather brings is very attractive, and a huge variety of flora can be grown. In the summer months if one travels to San Francisco from other parts of California or even much of the rest of North America, San Francisco will probably seem almost cold in contrast. Light summer clothing is hardly appropriate, thin sweaters and spring wear are ideal year round. It can rain at any time of year, but there is usually more rain in January and February than during other months. The rain is often light, in keeping with the weather's moderate theme. Many say that the ideal months to visit are October and November, when fall and even winter weather is setting in throughout most of North America - in San Francisco it will still seem like spring.

TRANSPORTATION

San Francisco Cable Car with the Transamerica Tower

The Bay Area has the best transit system of any city in the western half of the United States. This is largely because car travel is not necessarily practical in the narrow, steep and congested streets, so the use of transit is more popular, as well as being environmentally responsible. The San Francisco Municipal Railway System (or Muni) is responsible for public transport , and this includes buses, trolley buses, trains, streetcars and cable cars within San Francisco. BART also offers transit service to points in the suburbs and East Bay area. There are also several county bus services connecting the whole area. And of course, ferry service from the area of Fisherman's Wharf to Alcatraz and several communities across the bay.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located fifteen miles south of the city. Regular BART buses leave the upper level of the airport. A taxi to the downtown area will cost around $30 plus tip. Depending on traffic the driving time to the major downtown areas is from half and hour to an hour. There are several private shuttle buses offering airport to door service (and return), these are very competitive, so check prices - for two people they still may work out a little cheaper than a taxi. SFO is a major world airport with direct service from all major airports in the U.S.A. and Canada, and many points in Australia and New Zealand, Asia and Europe. There is also domestic air service from many points in the U.S.A. to the other Bay Area airports at Oakland (with an easy BART shuttle connection) and San Jose.

The San Francisco area is served by AMTRAK trains which serve the length of the West Coast from Vancouver B.C to San Diego and from the rest of the USA. The Amtrak stations in the Bay Area are at Oakland and Richmond, both having good BART connections to downtown San Francisco.

The Bay Area is on the route of several Interstate highways making connections from the rest of North America relatively easy. Greyhound Buses reach San Francisco from all over the continent.

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

	Aerial View of Alcatraz - San Francisco

Visitors to San Francisco should not be put off making a visit to the famous (and infamous) Alcatraz because of its popularity as a top tourist attraction. A visit here is well worth the necessity of booking a ticket to this fascinating island fortress in advance, and the crowds of people one is likely to encounter become nothing but a very slight inconvenience. Immortalized in such Hollywood hits as 'The Birdman of Alcatraz,' Escape from Alcatraz' and 'The Rock,' and the former 'home' of such notorious criminals as Al Capone, 'Machine Gun Kelly' and of course the 'Birdman' himself, Robert Stroud. Alcatraz is mesmerizing, and recollections of your visit here are guaranteed to last. The United States National Park Service has done an outstanding job of preserving this former showpiece of the federal correctional system, not only physically, but also in atmosphere.

The optional self-guided audio tour is remarkable - it transports participants back in time all but literally. So close to a big city and yet so far and unattainable for the inmates, it would be impossible for a visitor not to imagine the desolation they must have felt. The sounds and even the smells of San Francisco float across the bay like the morning mist, and yet the city with all its humanity may as well be a million miles away - so complete is the isolation of Alcatraz. It is easy to imagine why inmates were particularly tormented by the frequent sounds of celebration and parties, and the smell of the chocolate factory that frequently drifted across to the island. Frequent boats leave Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf for Alcatraz during the day. It is advisable to call as much as two weeks ahead for reservations. Whatever else you plan to do in San Francisco, don't miss this astounding place.

On the other side of the bay from San Francisco, is the very charming community of Sausalito. It has a definite Mediterranean feel and appearance, and has come a long way since its origins as a fairly raunchy fishing community. Sausalito's appealing promenade is full of boutiques, souvenir stores and nice restaurants, with various prices, from high end to fairly reasonable. Above the promenade the tall and luscious cliffs are the site of some beautiful and not so beautiful - but all very expensive - homes, and some very exclusive hotels, which provide a truly idyllic getaway. The houses and hotels are very reminiscent of those found on the French Riviera. Sausalito is a great place to rent a yacht or smaller sailing craft for a few hours - with or without a crew. Sausalito is frequently served by ferry from Fisherman's Wharf. It is also possible to continue on to Sausalito after visiting Alcatraz. Some ferries also call at other communities on this side of the bay on the way to or from Sausalito.

Victorian Houses - San Francisco

An ideal way of seeing some of San Francisco's wonderful architecture is by taking a guided walking tour around one of the city's historical districts. There are many such tours of neighborhoods including the Castro, Chinatown and the Mission. One of the most interesting is the Victorian Walking Tour. With a small group of people, a knowledgeable guide will show you around 200 examples of fine Victorian homes, gardens and buildings, including some notable interiors. You will also see some famous movie locations including the splendid home where 'Mrs Doubtfire' was filmed, and be able to visit many areas where regular tour buses are not permitted, and of course learn a lot about the different types of Victorian architecture. The walking tour takes place daily all year, weather permitting. The tour is low-impact, and therefore is suitable for most people. It takes approximately two and half-hours to complete, and includes a trolley bus ride through some of the most interesting neighborhoods, including Union Street, Russian Hill, Chinatown and North Beach. This walking tour commences by the clock in the magnificent lobby of the Westin St. Francis Hotel, a great start, as this is an outstanding example of Victorian architecture. Reserve in advance up to the day you want to take the tour.

San Francisco is famous for its cuisine, especially the many Chinese varieties. The large population of people from China, or with Chinese ancestry, that have expertise in the fine art of Chinese cooking, assures that eating Chinese food in San Francisco will be a culinary delight. Some believe that the Chinese food here is the best in the world because of the superior fresh ingredients - especially seafood and fresh produce - which are available. The list of fine Chinese restaurants is almost endless, offering every conceivable type of Chinese cuisine. Perhaps San Francisco's most renowned Chinese restaurant is far more than just a culinary experience. The House of Nanking (919 Kearny St) is first noticeable because of the long line-up stretching down the street at lunch and dinnertime. To avoid the line-up go during the off-peak time from after lunch to early evening, however the line-up is part of the full House of Nanking experience.

Do not be put off by the 'bare-bones' interior and less than scrupulous serving standards, this place is a huge hit with even the snootiest gourmets. Food critics make it a point to come here on their visits to San Francisco. The food is simply phenomenal and will never be forgotten by those fortunate enough to be in San Francisco to sample it. The atmosphere is amazing - as each set of diners overcome their initial trepidation when they see and sample the food put before them, and then enthuse at the wonderful fusion of flavors. The menu only lists a fraction of what is available, whatever you desire in Chinese cuisine it will be cooked for you. If you don't know what to order the waiter will help you, sometimes he will even order for you without your requesting it! Trust him he will know. This is all part of the House of Nanking experience. Be sure to try it.

	View from Underneath the Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco

San Francisco's most well known and popular image is doubtless that of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is legendary the world over, and the process of painting the bridge - which begins again as soon as it is completed - has became a universal metaphor to illustrate a continuous work in progress. The Golden Gate Bridge provides one of those vistas that is never exactly the same, no matter how many times you view it. Contrary to popular myth the bridge is not named for the rather garish orange color that it is painted, but when the sun reflects off it, it really does look like it is made of gold. Actually the name "Golden Gate" is for the point of the bay where the bridge spans, and it was used for many years before the bridge was built.

The Golden Gate Bridge -designed by Joseph Strauss - was constructed between 1933 and 1937. It links the City of San Francisco north across the bay to Marin County, and has a span of 4200 feet and is two miles long. Ideally the bridge should be viewed in three ways. Driving across is a total thrill with the huge towers racing by. The toll is payable on the southbound journey from Marin County to San Francisco. Walking the length of the bridge takes around an hour and really helps visitors to appreciate the dramatic and overwhelming size of the bridge, and the magnificent views. Finally underneath the bridge is Fort Point National Historic Site. This provides an awe-inspiring view of the surf pounding underneath the gargantuan span of the bridge.