Page 78 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

INSIDER’S
»
TIP
Don’t overlook travel by water
for unforgettable sightseeing in
the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sail the bay by ferry to or from
SAN FRANCISCO’S EMBARCADERO
and FISHERMAN’S WHARF to
OAKLAND, SAUSALITO or TIBURON
and enjoy remarkable city and
bridge views. Along the SAN MATEO
county coast, three-hour cruises
from HALF MOON BAY are awesome
experiences in the Pacific Ocean,
particularly during the December-
May gray whale migration.
ENJOYING AN ALFRESCO BEVERAGE
and fire with friends at Pier 39, below;
Moon Festival in San Francisco’s
Chinatown, the largest Chinese
community outside Asia, opposite.
76 2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
East Bay: Berkeley & Oakland
On the eastern side of the bay lies the col-
lege town of Berkeley, with its history of
political idealism, University of California
academic prestige and coffeehouse intellec-
tualism. Berkeley is almost synonymous
with Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse and the
movement to organic, local and seasonal
food. Berkeley’s larger neighbor, Oakland, is
a culturally diverse city with vibrant neigh-
borhoods, a booming downtown and lovely
Lake Merritt, whose three-mile path draws
joggers and walkers.
The city is easy to explore on foot, with
the waterfront Embarcadero, Fisherman’s
Wharf, Chinatown and Union Square (the
largest shopping area in the western U.S.) all
within a short walk of each other. Colorful
vintage streetcars rumble down the Embar-
cadero and Market Street, connecting to
public transportation that carries visitors to
the city’s many diverse neighborhoods and
to Golden Gate Park, the large greenbelt that
extends to the Pacific Ocean.
The region’s other major cities are San Jose,
where revitalization has brought an urban
vibe, restaurants and museums downtown,
and Oakland, which attracts visitors with the
renovated Museum of California, bay-front
Jack London Square and a trendy dining scene.
Its college town neighbor, Berkeley, is home to
the striking new Berkeley Art Museum and
Pacific Film Archive.
City & Town
Even though it was surpassed in population
by San Jose long ago, San Francisco remains
the region’s cultural hub. The city draws
more than 25 million travelers each year to
its dense 49 square miles containing its
famously steep hills, thousands of restau-
rants offering an astonishing variety of
cuisines, different groups of people, fasci-
nating neighborhoods, parks, Victorian-era
houses and world-class museums and cul-
tural activities.
The Great Outdoors
One of the world’s largest urban parks—the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area—
stretches over 60 miles of Bay Area
coastline. The area encompasses beaches,
historic sites, biking and hiking trails and
vast open spaces to savor the Bay Area’s
varied natural beauty. Among the highlights
are the majestic Marin Headlands and San
Francisco’s Presidio and Crissy Field, a pop-
ular walking area and restored wetlands that
also draws kite boarders to the white-capped
waters at the Golden Gate.
Rolling green hillsides dotted with Cali-
fornia golden poppies make spring an
especially ideal time to explore Mount
Tamalpais and Muir Woods in Marin County.
Point Reyes National Seashore’s beautiful
coastal terrain contains an abundance of
wildlife, including migrating shorebirds and
ducks, whales that are easily seen off the
coast in migration season (mid January to
mid March) and a herd of tule elk.
There also is no lack of wide-open spaces
in the East Bay, where the regional park dis-
trict includes 65 parks covering 113,000
PIER 39. OPPOSITE: MICHAEL URMANN/SHUTTERSTOCK