14 . POINTS OF INTErEST | Never the same. Always San Francisco. POINTS OF INTEREST CONTINUED FORT MASON Upper Fort Mason, Bay and Franklin streets (GGNRA Headquarters and San Francisco International Hostel), 415-771-7277. Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, Buchanan St. and Marina Blvd., 415-345-7500. Fort Mason, a former military installation, is the headquarters for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Information and maps on all GGNRA programs and facilities are available at Park Headquarters, Building 201, upper Fort Mason. A 156-bed hostel is located nearby. Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture’s Festival Pavilion, located in lower Fort Mason, is used frequently for large exhibitions, fairs, a popular food truck gathering and more. Information on events is available at the main office, Landmark Building A, Fort Mason Center. Golden Gate Bridge GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE Spanning the entrance to San Francisco Bay. FORT POINT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE Reached via Lincoln Blvd. to Long Ave., 415-556-1693. Designated as a National Historic Site in 1970, this much-photographed landmark at the base of the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed between 1853 and 1861. The three-tiered structure surrounds a large courtyard built to accommodate 126 cannon mounts and 500 soldiers. Films chronicling the history of the fort and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge are shown daily. Free guided tours and cannon demonstrations are also available. Once called “the bridge that couldn’t be built,” today it’s one of the seven wonders of the modern world. This magnificent span, perhaps San Francisco’s most famous landmark, opened in 1937 after a four-year struggle against relentless winds, fog, rock and treacherous tides. It links the city with Marin County and the Redwood Empire beyond. You can walk, bike, bus or drive across. The south end of the bridge includes a welcome center and more. There is no more manual cash collection; toll payment by FasTrak or Pay-by-Plate. For details, visit goldengate.org/tolls. GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA In 1972, the United States Congress created a vast recreation area in San Francisco and Marin counties to protect coastal lands from development and to provide an urban park for the heavily populated San Francisco area. This is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Few urban shorelines contain this diversity: islands, redwood forests, a former federal prison, ocean beaches, retired military installations and historic points of interest. Across the Golden Gate Bridge, the GGNRA encompasses vast areas of undeveloped lands in the Marin Headlands, as well as wildlife sanctuaries, picnic facilities and miles of trails. Just beyond the GGNRA’s northern boundary is the 67,000-acre (27,114 hectares) Point Reyes National Seashore. To the south, 4,700 acres (1,900 hectares) in San Mateo County include Sweeney Ridge where, in 1769, the first Europeans saw San Francisco Bay. Maps and information on GGNRA activities are available from Park Headquarters, Building 201, Fort Mason, Bay and Franklin streets, 415-561-4700, or the Marin Headlands Visitor Center, 415-331-1540. GRACE CATHEDRAL 1100 California St., 415-749-6300. The seat of the Episcopal bishop of California, the cathedral is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture and the third-largest Episcopal cathedral in the United States. At the east entrance are exact replicas of the Ghiberti doors of the Florence Baptistry. HAIGHT-ASHBURY facebook.com/FortPointNPS; © Louis Raphael; Shutterstock.com Haight and Ashbury streets near Golden Gate Park Panhandle. Fort Point National Historic Site 49-MILE SCENIC DRIVE This planned tour throughout San Francisco exposes you to all the sights. Follow the seagull signs for a scenic circuit that includes some of the city’s most popular visitor attractions and unique neighborhoods. Allow a minimum of three to four hours. Maps of the drive are available from San Francisco Travel. GOLDEN GATE PARK From Stanyan St. to the Pacific Ocean, between Fulton St. and Lincoln Blvd., 415-831-2700. Breathtaking Views ALAMO SQUARE • CHINA BEACH CLIFF HOUSE • FORT POINT LINCOLN PARK • MARINA GREEN OCEAN BEACH • TELEGRAPH HILL/COIT TOWER TREASURE ISLAND • TWIN PEAKS These magnificent 1,017 acres (412 hectares) were once an open expanse of dunes. Developed in 1871, Golden Gate Park is among the largest man-made parks in the world. Amid countless trees and 7,000 kinds of plants are paddock fields with bison, lakes for rowing, play areas and a treasure of varied attractions, including the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco Botanical Garden, The National AIDS Memorial Grove, Sharon Art Studio and the restored 1912 carousel in the Children’s Playground. Nearby, the NOPA neighborhood (short for “north of the Panhandle”) offers excellent dining options. More than 50 years later, the Summer of Love lives on mainly in stores: vintage clothing, books and records are abundant along Haight St., the neighborhood’s busiest stretch. Places of interest include 710 Ashbury St., once home to the legendary band the Grateful Dead; 112 Lyon St., where famous singer Janis Joplin lived (Note: these are private residences); Buena Vista Park, with its views of the city; and, for architectural highlights, Masonic Ave., Piedmont and Delmar streets. HAYES VALLEY Hayes St. west of Civic Center. A short distance from Civic Center is Hayes Valley, which boasts galleries, antique shops, restaurants and book nooks. The 700-seat SFJAZZ Center is the first concert hall of its kind in the western United States. Patricia’s Green, at Hayes and Octavia streets, is a neighborhood favorite with rotating temporary art installations, including some Burning Man favorites. sftravel.com
San Francisco Travel Planner's Guide 2019 TPG: Page 14
