San Francisco
Take Your Family, Leave Your Heart
San Francisco is a wonderful family destination
by Jamie Reno
I Left My Heart, in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me
To be where little cable cars
Climb halfway to the stars!
And the morning fog will chill the air
As most Californians and lovers of classic popular music know, these are the opening lines to “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” the beloved song which poignantly captures the essence of an enchanted city. Written in 1954 by George Cory and Douglass Cross for opera singer Claramae Turner, the song, which of course is most indelibly associated with Tony Bennett’s epic 1962 version, was adapted by the city as one of its official anthems.
San Francisco is an integral and valued part of popular culture and California life. But is this majestic and romantic city a good place to bring the entire family? The surprising answer is yes - especially if your kids like to learn a little something while vacationing. San Francisco, with its artsy, even ribald image, isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking of family trips, but this is a magical place that stirs your sense of wonder… and who appreciates magic and has more of a sense of wonder than a child?
Your kids’ curiosity will be piqued by the city’s cultural diversity, its historic cable cars, and its awesome hills, especially the infamously steep Lombard Street, and they’ll love driving across and learning about the Golden Gate Bridge and the city’s maritime lore.
One of the best places to spend a weekend or week with the family in San Francisco is at the newly remodeled and utterly beautiful Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf, a post-modern but family-friendly hotel where the service and the location are both ridiculously good. This small but amenities-packed Hyatt is in the heart of the frenetic but inviting waterfront with its museums, curio shops and restaurants.
When you’re done people-watching and checking out the famous Boudin Bakery, Pier 39, the Wax Museum and other fun spots, stop in to Cioppino’s on the Wharf, a family-owned Italian seafood eatery that offers a variety of scrumptious dishes including its signature meal, Cioppino, a delectable seafood soup that is uniquely San Franciscan.
The origin of both the dish and the restaurant name came from the Italian fishermen in the early 1900's, when Fisherman's Wharf was still called Meigg's Wharf. Someone would make the rounds of the moored fishing boats, calling out for contributions to a common, festive stew. One fisherman would toss a big fish into the bucket, another would put in a succulent Dungeness crab, another some herbs and vegetables. The cry that prompted each contribution was “Chip In!, Chip In!" But coming from an Italian, this American slang had to end in a vowel. And the "in" became "een". So "Chip-een-o" was born.
Another fun and educational part of any family trip to San Francisco is The Haight Ashbury Flower Power Walking Tour (www.haightashburytour.com), which gives you detailed insight into the infamous neighborhood near Golden Gate Park that was the heart of the hippie movement in the 1960s. When you contact the tour ask for Izu, who has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of everything about the Haight. If you have your kids with you, just ask Izu to tread lightly over the hallucinogenic stuff.
Another no-brainer for families is The Exploratorium, an interactive, hands’ on science museum for kids within the Palace of Fine Arts, which was created back in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
A great mellowing-out spot for the family is just across the Golden Gate in Sausalito. Dine at the Spinnaker, which is which is built on piers directly over the water and offers panoramic views of the San Francisco skyline, Angel Island, Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls enable you to look back and point to and discuss all the places you’ve visited earlier in the day.
While most restaurants with such enviable locales rely on the views for tourist traffic and don’t focus much on food or service, Spinnaker gets a large local clientele thanks to the friendly but meticulous management style of Nelson Julian, whose menu offers something for everyone and whose service is outstanding. Ask for a table in waiter Gary’s station. He’s a longtime Sausalito local who ran his own restaurant for years, sold it, but couldn’t stay retired. Now he’s happily waiting tables and reminiscing with customers about Sausalito restaurant lore and Bay Area history. You can take a man out of the restaurant business, but…
San Francisco is truly a magical place with a style and flavor unlike any other city in the world. It’s a gem on California’s coast. And who says it isn’t a great destination for the entire family?
My love waits there in San Francisco
Above the blue and windy sea
When I come home to you, San Francisco,
Your golden sun will shine for me!
As
most of the city snuggled in their beds, under warm covers on the
chilly spring morning of April 18, 1906, the last thing they expected to
rouse them from their dreams was the rumbling of the earth as it
violently erupted into chaos. The 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck with
amazing violence, leaving most of San Francisco in a heap of rubble in
less than a minute. 
While
the earthquake and the ensuing fire that followed reduced most of the
buildings in San Francisco to dust, the Palace Hotel lost just eight
percent of it’s magnificent building. The hotel of choice to many of the
world’s royalty, politicians and the rich and famous, used the water
from its own rooftop and basement reservoirs to put out most of the fire
that had spread, and threatened to engulf the building. It was only
when the water was drained, that flames took hold. It was decided to
rebuild the entire hotel with steel, concrete and bricks, rather than
make repairs, and a new and even more elegant Palace Hotel emerged in
May of 1907. San Francisco Botanical Gardens
Eight Facts About
The San Francisco Botanical Garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden features more than 8,000 varieties of plants from around the world on 55 acres in the heart of Golden Gate Park. Open 365 days a year, this living museum boasts one of the most diverse plant collections in the world. With 26 distinct gardens and collections on our grounds, visitors can explore incredible rarities from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, and South Africa, plus our award-winning California Native Plant Garden complete with a century-old redwood forest.
One of our city’s most notable assets and legacies, we’re recognized around the world as one of the premiere Botanical Gardens.
Here’s why:
• The Botanical Garden is a living museum featuring more than 50,000 plants from around the world displayed over fifty-five acres.
• We have over 8,000 different varieties of plants from Asia, Australia, Central, South and North America, New Zealand and Africa.
• Nearly 350 of our plants are rare and/or endangered.
• SFBG's gardens include: the Redwood Trail, Succulent Garden, Ancient Plant Garden, Moon-Viewing Garden, Tropical Cloud Forests, Nature Trail, the Children's Garden, and the geographic gardens of California, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, and South Africa.
• The SFBGS is an active participant in both the North American Plant Collections Consortium and Botanical Gardens Conservation International, with 700 member gardens in 118 countries. The Garden's plant collections are a valuable repository for rare and endangered plant species which are found only in San Francisco and prized throughout the world.
• Over 10,000 school children (90% from San Francisco) each year get the opportunity to enjoy this firsthand experience and learn about sustainability, conservation, and ecology on the grounds and in the Library at the Botanical Garden.
• The Education Department offers more than 100 lectures, classes and workshops in horticulture, botany and conservation each year.
• The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture, established in 1972, is northern California's largest horticultural library. The library houses nearly 30,000 volumes and 500 plant and garden periodicals.
Visit the site: http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/
Muir Woods, Marin
Muir
Woods canyon is a place to walk and enjoy the forest. The primary
trails along the canyon floor are level and paved. Bridges along Redwood
Creek create leisurely 1/2 hour, 1 hour, or 1 1/2 hour loops. All of
these walks take you on a journey beneath 1000 year old old-growth coast
redwood trees. Muir Woods is visited by over 1 million people each year. Visitation is highest in summer months; park staff recommends visiting on weekdays, before 10am or after 4pm to avoid the crowds. The redwood forest is usually cool. Jackets, layered clothing, and walking shoes are advised. Picnicking is not allowed in Muir Woods, but there are picnic facilities nearby at Muir Beach and Muir Beach Overlook.
To protect the redwoods William Kent and his wife Elizabeth Thacher Kent donated 295 acres of the land to the Federal Government and in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared it a national monument. Roosevelt suggested naming the area after Kent, but Kent wanted it named for conservationist John Muir.
In May 19, 1945, delegates from all over the world met in the spring
to draft and sign the Charter of the United Nations. President Franklin
D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, shortly before he was to have
opened the United Nations Conference. On May 19, the delegates held a
commemorative ceremony in tribute to his memory in Muir Woods’ Cathedral
Grove, where a dedication plaque was placed in his honor. Open to the public on Wednesday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm (open most major holidays except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day) and open on Monday, if the holiday falls on Monday or the weekend. Admission includes discounts for students with ID and seniors 65 & older. Free for children 6 and under accompanied by a paid adult. Group tour information and rates, please call 925.736.2277, extension 236.
Filoli is open Tuesday through Saturday, from February 10 to October 30, 2004, between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:30 pm (last admission is at 2:30 pm); closed on Sunday and Monday. Filoli is closed in observance of all Federal Holidays.
Admission fees are $10 per adult, $5 per student (with valid ID) and $1 for children ages 7-12. Children under 7 are free. Admission includes self-guided tours, guided tours, and nature hikes. Filoli is wheelchair accessible in both the house and gardens; however, wheelchairs are not available for rental. Please inquire at the Tour Office for a map outlining the best tour route for wheelchairs
. Guided tours are available, by reservation, Tuesday through Saturday. This is a two-hour tour led by a Docent through both the house and gardens. Call 650/364-8300 ext. 507 for tour times.
Self-guided tours take place Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am with last admission at 2:30 pm. No reservations are required. A map is available for your self-guided tour and volunteers are posted in both the house and garden to answer questions. There is also a continuous 10 minute video on the history of Filoli in the Visitor and Education Center.
Guided Nature Hikes are available, by reservation, on Saturdays at 10:00 am. The hike covers roughly 3 miles of trails and takes approximately 2 1/2 hours. Nature Docents describe wildlife, plants, endangered species and the historical background of the area. Visitors may not hike without a Docent.
To contact the Tour Office, please call 650/364-8300 ext. 507 Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am-3:00 pm or fax 650/367-0724.
The Filoli Garden Shop is open 10:00 am-3:30 pm. The gift shop has a wonderful array of beautiful items for the home and garden.Filoli also has an extensive selection of gardening books and cookbooks. Stop in to look around after your tour.
