Weekend Getaway to San Francisco

(1) Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito

(2) Watch the Blue Angels perform over the Bay during Fleet Week (early October)

(3) Drinking a good microbrew(s) on the deck at Horizons in Sausalitio overlooking the Bay, the Rock and the City

Quick Tips:

Parking in San Fransico can be a pain. Open parking spaces on the streets are few and far between on weekends. Some people drive around for up to an hour trying to find a spot. Bite the bullet and park in a garage or lot - how much is your time worth?. If you are driving/renting a car, make sure your hotel has adequate parking facilities.

Best Way To Get Around:

One of the nicer motels along Lombard. Walking distance to Palace of Fine Arts, as well as the restaurants, cafes and shops on Union and Chestnut streets. Next to Start-to-Finish bike shop (convienient if you want to rent a bike to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge).

Like most lodging in this area, prices are higher on weekends. Free onsite parking and private bathrooms.

www.marinahotel.com

Reservation recommended for Dinner or Sunday Brunch, not necessary for Lunch.
Located on the water, Horizons has outside deck seating with awesome views of the Bay and downtown San Francisco. I often stop here after biking across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco for a bowl of creamy clam chowder ($5.75 and quite good) and a few beers (usually Sierra Nevada). You can't beat a waterfront location, good food, cold beer and a great view.

Weekend Brunch and Sandwhich menu prices range from $9.95 to $13.95. Weekend Brunch is served until 2:30pm, sandwiches are served until 5pm. Horizons offers live Jazz on Friday and Saturday night although I have not eaten dinner here (yet).

www.calcafe.com/horizons/

One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco. A great way to get some exercise while getting some great vistas of the most beautiful city in the United States. Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito and take the ferry back to San Francisco.

I have rented bikes from both Blazing Saddles and Start to Finish and recommend both (Note: Start to Finish ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy in May, 2001). However, one may be a better choice over the other depending on your situation. Blazing Saddles is a rental-only shop and takes reservations; Start-to-Finish is a full-service bike shop and does not accept reservations and will often run out of rentals by 12pm on weekends if there's nice weather. Location wise, Blazing Saddles is within walking distant of Fisherman's Wharf; Start-to-Finish (Marina) is w/in walking distance of many of the Hotels on the west end of Lombard. Blazing Saddles includes U-locks with their rentals.

If you are in good shape and make no stops to take in the sites along the way, you can make it into Sausalito in about an hour. But where's the fun in that? If you're renting from Blazzing Saddles, head towards the Bay and bike through Ft. Mason. Then proceed along Marina Blvd. towards the bridge. If you're renting from Start-to-Finish, head north on Divisadero or Broderick until you hit Marina Blvd. You may want to make a stop at the Palace of Fine Arts. Once you make up the bridge, it is literally all down hill to Sausalito.

Sausalito is an elegant Mediterranean-like community with a picturesque waterfront, galleries, shops, streetside cafes, and, most importantly, a waterfront restaurant (Horizons) with an outside deck where you can enjoy some well deserved microbrews and an awesome view of the Bay. Do some site seeing in Sausalito then catch the ferry back to San Francisco.

Skyline Drive is a twisty, heavily wooded and breathtakingly scenic road that runs along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains that form the spine of the San Francisco peninsula. The road Drive runs parallel to Insterstate 280 between Highway 92 near Half Moon Bay in the North to Springs Road in the South near Saratoga. Skyline Drive is a favorite of local motorcycle riders and sports car drivers. On some stretchs you look out one side and see Silicon Valley and on the other the Pacific Ocean. Even when the fog hampers visability, the ride remains eerily beautiful.

Highway 84 intersects Skyline Drive at its midpoint. At this intersection you can stop off for quick bite to eat and/or some coffee at Alice's (NW corner).

If you are driving between San Francisco and San Jose and you are not pressed for time, I highly recommend this slight detour.

Gretting There:
From San Francisco: - Head south on I280 towards San Jose
- Exit onto Hwy 92 heading west towards Half Moon Bay
- Stay on Hwy 92 for about 2 miles
- Make a left turn onto Hwy 35 heading south. You are now on Skyline Drive.

From San Jose: - Head south (west?) on I880 towards Los Gatos / Santa Cruz
- Exit onto Hwy 85 heading north (east) towards Saratoga / Cupertino
- Exit onto Saratoga Ave (Hwy 9) heading southwest through downtown Saratoga towards the hills
- Saratoga Ave will turn into Springs Road, a windy road heading up the side of the Santa Cruz Mountains to Skyline Drive
- Bear right onto Skyline Drive heading north

Two of my favorite places to get great views of the City and its surroundings are Twin Peaks and the Marin Headlands.

Twin Peaks:
The two hills that make up Twin Peaks lie at the heart of San Francisco and reach a height of 900 feet. There is a parking lot and viewing point that overlooks the City. See my photos below. As you will see, on a clear day the view is quite amazing. These pictures were taken on a crisp December day in 1999. Twin Peaks can be accessed via Twin Peaks Blvd. off Market St. / Portola Dr.

Marin Headlands:
From serveral vantage points there are spectacular views of San Francisco and the Bay. Make sure you drive all the way to the top to get the most encompassing view. Head north across the Golden Gate Bridge. Take the Alexander Ave. exit. Turn under the freeway following signs for the Headlands.