World Travel Guide

City Guide  - San Francisco  - Excursions
Excursions

For a Half Day

Sausalito:
The Bay area is surrounded by fascinating places to see; visitors only have to climb aboard a ferry, take in the air and occasional fog, and disembark. Sausalito, or Little Willow, is a Mediterranean-style community, the first one over the Golden Gate Bridge, and long favoured by artists, bohemians and the odd gangster. Baby Face Nelson spend some time working in a bar here before the long arm of the law reached for him. A flotilla of houseboats is still visible, although the once renowned creativity seems to have toned down since commuters moved in. Writer Jack London had connections here and the British Zen Buddhist Alan Watts, who was instrumental in bringing Zen to the west, set up home here. A rail network once ran commuters into San Francisco but died a natural death after the bridge was constructed in 1937. Nowadays, it is easy to take the public ferry from Pier One and enjoy the US$10 return trip to this well-loved waterfront. Forty minutes later, one of the quaintest little communities in Marin County comes into view, offering shops, boutiques and galleries aplenty. Attractions include the Bay Model, a scale model of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Delta, and the Bay Area Discovery Museum, which provides hands-on interactive exhibits for children. More information is available from the city (tel: (415) 289 4100; website: www.ci.sausalito.ca.us).

For a Whole Day

Monterey:
Any visit to California's central coast is incomplete without a day in Monterey. Major tour operators, like Gray Line, run daily coach trips, but the best way to visit is by car. The journey down the Hwy-280 and then the spectacular coast road, Highway One, is all part of the experience. The landscape changes repeatedly during the two-hour journey and John Steinbeck fans will quickly recognise the tough life on the land that the Nobel prize-winning author describes in seminal works like The Grapes Of Wrath. As Monterey approaches, fields of artichokes seem to stretch for miles and are still maintained by indigent labour - immigrants trying to find their way in the USA. Attractions in Monterey include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, historic Cannery Row, once the sardine capital of the world and the National Steinbeck Centre in nearby Salinas. Fisherman's Wharf is home to tacky souvenir shops but resident pelicans and sea lions enjoy the attention of tourists. This is also the place to book up for one of several whale-watching trips that, depending on the weather and the whales, leave at regular intervals. A standard price seems to be US$27 and the chances of seeing greys, minkes, orcas, humpbacks and even the mighty blue whale are good. Sanctuary Cruises (website: www.sanctuarycruises.com) is committed to whale conservation and operates the only non-smoking, non-fishing, whale-watching boat on the Bay. The flora is as spectacular as the fauna, the area dotted with cypress trees and verdant hills. The Monterey Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau, 5 Portola Plaza (tel: (831) 649 1770; e-mail: info@monterey.com; website: www.monterey.com), can provide more information.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
GENERAL
City Overview
City Statistics
Cost of Living
 
GETTING THERE
Air
Water
Road
Rail
 
GETTING AROUND
Getting Around
 
BUSINESS
Business
 
SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing
Key Attractions
Further Distractions
Tours of the City
Excursions
 
ENTERTAINMENT
Nightlife
Sport
Shopping
Culture
Special Events
Food and Drink