San Francisco (June 2016)
FAM Report by Martha McNeile
San Francisco Weekend – June 17 -June 20, 2016
Having never been to San Francisco I decided to join my husband on a business trip for a quick look at the city and Wine Country.
Friday June 17th – Parked at the Airport Sheraton – which I have found to be the quickest and easiest parking/shuttle. My husbands business was right next to the airport so we stayed at The Embassy Suites SFO Airport.
Saturday, June 18th – With a typical large included breakfast and a free shuttle to Union Square we headed to the city. The Shuttle dropped us at The Westin St. Francis (The Grand Dame of the city). This was a good starting point. Looking to get some tourist stuff taken care of we asked the closest spot to take a Cable Car ride up to Nob Hill and Fisherman’s Wharf. We soon found out that all the long lines we saw along the roads were the lines for the Cable Cars. The bellman at The Westin said the waits were 1 ½ – 2 hours and suggested heading down Market Street to the Vintage streetcars which bring you to Fisherman’s Wharf. The cost was $1.50 per person each way. We got off at Pier 39 Boardwalk. Here you will find many shops and restaurants. This is also where the tours to Alcatraz depart.
**Important note – If you have any clients interested in the Alcatraz Tour they must book in advance. Just for informational purposes we tried to get tickets for any tour over the weekend…no luck. During the busy season they are sold out months in advance. When I returned and talked about this Beth checked quick for clients that were going the next week and could not get them tickets during their stay.**
There are several harbor cruises ranging from 30-minutes to 4-hour dinner cruises departing from Pier 39. Because we had such limited time we chose a 30-minute cruise. This took us around Alcatraz Island and up close to the San Francisco Seals. It was a very reasonable $30.00 per person but I learned the hard way the difference in the Atlantic Ocean and The Pacific. I am comfortable on any size boat but was not prepared for the rough water of the San Francisco Bay. I would advise to look for the largest boat available!
We walked past Old Fisherman’s Wharf to Ghirardelli Square. Our plan was to take the Cable Car back down to Union Square only to find the lines were now 3 1/2-hours long. So it was back up by the Vintage Streetcar.
I stopped in to the Westin St. Francis and also The Sir Francis Drake. Both good locations and would recommend. However, I have to say I was not prepared for the homeless situation in San Francisco. Just one block from the Westin makes a big difference. I don’t think I would recommend anything else in Union Square area. Nob Hill will be my recommendation from now on. After walking around, I understood why our shuttle driver who saw we were unsure which way to turn when he dropped us off on the side of the Westin, said turn right – you don’t want to turn left.
Sunday, June 19th
Today we headed to Sonoma and Napa. We took the Golden Gate Bridge. Definitely a sight to see.
We lucked out with a beautiful sunny day and a beautiful view of the bridge. Once over the bridge and out of traffic we relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather and ride to wine country. We stopped in Sonoma for lunch and a quick walk through the shops in town. We then headed to Napa. A quick call to a family member who is a wine conoisseur for her expert advice we had some suggestions for their favorite wineries:
Silver Oak for the best Cabernet, Chateau Montelena for the spectacular grounds and wines, Duckhorn for an excellent tasting & Beringer for an entertaining tour. Again, we had a time restraint and could only try one. We settled on Beringer. The tour was entertaining and the grounds beautiful. I was surprised to taste some of their better wines and found my new favorite – Beringer Estates Collection – Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvigon 2013.
It was evening as we returned to San Francisco via Route 1 – through farm county – and savored the view of the lights of the city as we headed back over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Just a note about going over The Golden Gate Bridge. You pay the toll on the return trip. However, there are no cash tolls. Everything is online. You can go online and pay ahead of time (Fas Trak) or Pay by Plate with no stopping at the Toll Plaza. With this option you will need to go online and pay within 48- hours of your crossing. Your license plate is photographed as you cross the bridge. The website is www.goldengate.org. The toll is $7.00.
Although this was a very quick visit I was really able to get the lay of the land in San Francisco and a better idea of hotel locations. The highlight was wine country, which is definitely a must return!!!
Submitted by: Martha McNeile