Bay Area Break

We took a midweek break to the San Francisco area. Naturally, this being San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-see, as well as riding on a cable car. The general feel of the city is one of constant activity and bustle. For the baseball fan, a tour of Pac Bell Park (home of the Giants) is a must. There is simply much to do and see in this great American city. There are also interesting places to visit outside of San Francisco. The entire Bay Area has many and various attractions worthy of a visit.

Quick Tips:

Although San Francisco itself is always a pleasure to visit, there are many activities outside of San Francisco which are equally enjoyable. During this particular trip we took a drive down the Peninsula coast to Half Moon Bay, which is about 40 miles from S.F. Discount coupons and travel guides/information are available from the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (http://www.sfvisitor.org/).

Best Way To Get Around:

San Francisco itself can be seen with public transportation and your two feet. If you want to venture farther from the city, the use of a car is advisable.

The Beresford is a small but fashionable hotel located in the heart of San Francisco. It was just a couple of blocks from Union Square and very near the trolley lines which can take you all over San Francisco. The decor for this hotel is "quaint" Victorian. By that I mean the hotel has the feel of a once stylish and elegant English lady who has seen many years of life; she's not quite what she used to be, but nonetheless has aged gracefully over the years.

The rooms were on the small side and furnished simply but nicely with the usual pieces. There was only one window, which looked out onto an alley.

The lobby again was small and there was a parlor where one could meet friends or associates for an intimate conversation. This parlor also had a PC connected to the internet where emails and other cyberspace locations could be checked at will. There was no parking available on the premises. A charge of $20 a day to have your vehicle parked in a safe location off the street was located seven blocks from the hotel and took about 15 minutes to have your car retrieved. Located just off the lobby was the White Horse Restaurant, which is styled after a British pub.

I didn't realize until recently that the World War II aircraft carrier Hornet had been turned into a living, breathing museum of our country's history. I made it a point to visit and I wasn't disappointed. The original carrier Hornet from which Jimmy Doolittle et al raided Tokyo early in WW2 was sunk in 1942. A new carrier was then being built and was commissioned again as the Hornet in 1943. This is the carrier on display at the former Naval Air Sation in Alameda.

Although I had been on only a few ships in my life, I was awestruck by the size of it. You first come on board at the hanger deck, which looks like the interior of a gigantic but empty warehouse (save for a few displays of note). Once you start walking, climbing and descending ladders you really do feel like you are in a giant warehouse. You can wander at your leisure through much of the interior and onto the flight deck of the Hornet. There are docents (some are veterans of World War II/Korean War) to answer your questions and guide you into the bowels of the ship and up to the bridge. There are a few static displays of aircraft both on the hanger and flight decks. Groups of individuals who once called the Hornet their home are coming back and restoring things to their original condition as time permits. The Hornet was active from World War II until 1971. During this time, she also recovered the Apollo 11 and 12 astronauts. A display to mark those occasions is located on the hanger deck. If you like history or the Navy, you will love this experience.

Ample free parking is adjacent and a $12 fee is charged to get on board. You can then wander at your leisure for hours at a time if you wish. Be sure to wear some good walking shoes as that is how you are going to see this wonderful ship.

Sarah Winchester would have been considered a crazy lady except for one thing--she had more money than she could spend in her lifetime. Since that was the case she was then instead considered "eccentric". She was the widow of the Winchester firearms firm manufacturer and as such inherited the company upon his death. She then got the idea that in order to appease the spirits of those slain by the Winchester rifle, she would need to build onto her home everyday for the rest of her life. This led to her to San Jose and the purchase of an 8 room farmhouse which became as we know today the 160 room Winchester Mystery House. Because of all the changes done during the course of the building of this house, many rooms, hallways, doors, etc. seemingly have no purpose other than to "exist". Most of the rooms are furnished with period pieces (though all of the original furniture has long since disappeared). There are many beautiful examples of doors and windows still remaining as is some of the damage caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. She had construction being done everyday of her life from 1884 until her death in 1922. What remains is the sole purpose of her life--her mystery house.