San Francisco Area

San Francisco is a city that has something for everyone. Due to its location on a peninsula, it has been saved from the urban sprawl that has become so characteristic of many cities in the US. In addition, it is a very easy city to explore by foot with a wide variety of tour options for visits to the surrounding areas. Cable cars can be seen in most parts of the city and the tall hills with quaint houses and hotels add to the appeal. Packed full of a wide range of interesting, fun, hip, and charming restaurants, San Francisco also has some beautiful parks, as well as some interesting historical spots to visit. Those who have time should definitely try to explore the surrounding area which includes the Wine Country to the north as well as Muir Woods. While San Francisco may be a relatively small city, visitors will be hard-pressed to run out of things to see or do!

Highlights of San Francisco

• Golden Gate Bridge
• Alcatraz
• Coit Tower
• Fisherman's Wharf
• Union Square
• China Town

Historical Sites

Golden Gate Bridge
Probably the most photographed landmark in San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge. Completed in 1937, The Golden Gate Bridge held the world record for being the longest suspension bridge, at 4,200 feet long, for 27 years. The bridge provides San Francisco with the only direct highway link to Marin County. There is a five lane road as well as bike and pedestrian access on the bridge. The best way to enjoy the beautiful Art Deco architecture is to take your time and walk across.

Alcatraz
A visit to San Francisco would not be complete without a trip out to Alcatraz. Some of the most notorious criminals in the US such as Al Capone, George "Machine-Gun" Kelly, and Arthur "Doc" Barker were held at Alcatraz when it was functioning as a Federal Prison. Prisoners who were escape risks or who were considered violent and dangerous were usually sent to Alcatraz, which is why it became known as one of the toughest prisons of its time. Those interested in visiting Alcatraz can catch a Ferry from Fisherman's Wharf. There are audio tours in a variety of different languages which enable visitors to get a sense of what prison life was like and even describe one of the most famous escape attempts at the prison.

Coit Tower
In 1906, San Francisco was hit by a severe earthquake that caused extensive fires that all but destroyed the city. A philanthropist by the name of Lillie Hitchcock Coit provided funding to help "beautify" the City after the horrible disaster which led to the building of what is known as today's "Coit Tower". The Tower is 210 ft. tall and stands on the top of Telegraph Hill. Due to Ms. Coit's admiration of the fire fighters who worked so hard to save San Francisco after the earthquake, the tower's design was made to look similar to a fire hose nozzle. Even if the tower doesn't inspire you, the views from the top of the hill certainly will. The inside of the tower is an art museum.

Activities

Adventure Cat Sailing Charters
For those interested in seeing the Golden Gate Bridge from aboard a sailboat, Adventure Cat Sailing charters offers a unique 1 _ hour cruise that will take visitors underneath the Bridge and allow them to enjoy some breathtaking views of the city from the Bay. Additional information may be found at www.adventurecat.com. ISE Cardholders will receive a discount of $5.00 off of the regular Golden Gate tour price.

Red and White Fleet
Another boating option is aboard one of the boats from the "Red and White" Fleet. On this excursion, you can sail along the San Francisco Waterfront, under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. There are also Audio tours available in French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese and English for those that are interested. Frequent departure from 10 am, 7 days a week. Additional information may be found at their website. ISE Cardholders are eligible for a $3.00 discount on all tours.

Gray Line Tours
If you would like to join a professional sightseeing tour, there are quite a few to choose from. Gray Line has offered tours since 1910 of San Francisco, Muir Woods and Sausalito (to name a few). Additional information may be found at: www.graylinesanfrancisco.com. They also offer a 10% discount to ISE Cardholders.

Marin County
Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco is Marin County. This peninsula is a nice visit for those interested in getting away from the city to view some natural sites. On the bay side is Sausalito, a cute and very expensive little town with some interesting house boats docked in the Bay. On the other side is the Pacific coastline with Stinson Beach, hideaway Bolinas and Point Reyes National Seashore, said to be the best spot in the Bay Area for whale watching. In between the bay and the ocean is Mt. Tamalpais which stands above the famous Muir Woods. There are over 200 miles (320 km) of hiking and biking trails around the mountain with a variety of deer, fox, bobcat and mountain lions in its forests.

Muir Woods
Muir Woods is a protected area in which you can see some stunning coastal Redwood trees that used to exist in many of California's coastal valleys until the 1800's. It was originally spared from logging because it was hard to get to and later bought and converted into a National Park so that it could be preserved for generations to come. The trees here are enormous and the scenery is breathtaking. There are a variety of tours from San Francisco to choose from.

Wine Country
For those with a little more time on their hands, the Wine Country in northern California is definitely worth a visit. Autumn or spring are the best times to visit to take full advantage of the scenery at its finest. Napa Valley is further inland and has over 200 wineries with beautiful gardens and interesting architecture. Sonoma is less commercial and it is still possible to enjoy some free wine tastings there. Those interested in spending the night might want to consider Calistoga which is a spa town in northern Napa.

Chinatown
Chinatown is a fun place to wander through if you want to feel like you've been transported to a different country. 30,000 Chinese live in the area and there are a wide variety of curio shops and Chinese restaurants packed into the colorful and narrow streets. In late January or early February there are parades with fireworks and other festivities to mark the Chinese New Year.

Fisherman's Wharf
Most people who visit San Francisco inevitably find themselves at Fisherman's Wharf at some time or another as it acts as the gateway to some of the city's more popular attractions. Make sure that you pay a visit to Pier 39 as there are usually a large number of sea lions that like to hang-out there. This is a great place to stroll through and there are some great seafood places around that you won't want to miss!

Golden Gate Park
The fern dell, the arboretum, the tulip gardens and the Japanese Tea Garden can all be found in this beautiful park. An interesting fact is that the Park was built on top of sand dunes that once covered the area.

North Beach
North Beach is the area between Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. Originally the city's Italian quarter and the birthplace of the "Beats" in the 1950's, North Beach has a lot of fantastic restaurants, cafes, and bars. Coit Tower is also located in this part of town.

Places to Stay

The Mosser Victorian Hotel
Additional information about this hotel may be found at: www.themosser.com. ISE Cardholders will receive 10% off of the rack rate (subject to availability).

Best Western
Additional information about Best Western hotels in San Francisco may be found at: www.bestwestern.com. ISE Cardholders will receive 10-15% off of the rack rate at all Best Western Hotels. In addition to showing an ISE Card, each Best Western Hotel requires that cardholders mention the corporate ID number, 00140160, in order to obtain the discounted rate.

Hostels
There are a wide variety of places to stay in San Francisco. To search for hostels online with full descriptions, photos and availability features, please click here. The $2 reservation fee will be waived when booking through this site.

Places to Eat

Bus Stop Pizza
For a good Pizza, you might want to pay a visit to Bus Stop Pizza. Located at 256 Divisadero Street, this is a great spot to get a quick meal. Those with an ISE Card will receive $2 off of an extra-large or large pizza or $1 off of a medium or small pizza. Those who order an extra-large or large pizza also have the option of changing their $2 discount for a free six-pack of Coke.

Handy Deli 282
Located at 1815 Irving Street, this little Deli has some good sandwiches. ISE Cardholders will receive 15% off deli items.

Getting Around

Subway
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system is a convenient, economical subway system linking San Francisco with the East Bay. From San Francisco International Airport (14 miles south of the city centre), the simplest way to get to the city is by the extended BART system.

Trolley/Bus
The main public transport available in San Francisco is the Municipal Railway (Muni) system which consists of almost 100 different "bus" lines consisting of electric trolley buses, streetcars and the famous cable cars. Travelers can obtain a Muni passport which allows for unlimited travel on all Muni transports and is available from Visitor Information Centers, hotels and from businesses that display the Muni pass sign in their window.

Car
Since San Francisco is so compact, a car is more of a liability than an asset.

Ferry
San Francisco is one of the few places where you can actually see a lot and get to where you need to go by Ferry. There are docks at Fisherman's Wharf and the Embarcadero Ferry Building which have Ferries that run to Alameda, Sausalito, Oakland, Tiburon and the bay islands.

Taxi
If you are interested in getting a Taxi, it's best to phone ahead as they are hard to come by on the street.

Moving On

Car
Once you leave San Francisco, one of the best ways to see the coast that runs south to Los Angeles is by car. Take Highway 1 for the coastal road or the faster Interstate 280 if you would like to avoid the traffic. A car is also a great way to get up to the Wine Country in the north.

Bus
While there are a variety of bus companies that service the San Francisco area, Greyhound is the only one that operates a regular long-distance service. To catch a Greyhound bus, go to the Transbay Terminal in SoMA. ISE Cardholders that keep their Greyhound bus receipts will be reimbursed 10% off the ticket price (walk-up tickets only).

Taxi
There are many Taxis that service the San Francisco area.

Train
For those who are interested in catching a train, Amtrak has a terminal at London Square in Oakland. There is a free shuttle bus that runs from Caltrain station and from the Ferry docks at the Embarcadero. ISE Cardholders will receive a discount of 15% off by calling: 1-800-835-8725 in the US to make a reservation with Amtrak. They will then need to call 1-800-255-8000 to give their reservation number and information to ISE to receive a rebate check.

Air
There are three major airports in the Bay area: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oakland International Airport (OAK) and San Jose International Airport (SJC).