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San Francisco,
California |
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A popular tourist destination, San Francisco is known
for its steep rolling hills, its unique Mediterranean but foggy climate,
its expansive natural areas, and its eclectic mix of architecture and landmarks
including the iconic Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, the Coit
Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid.
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With 50 hills, there are many viewpoints from
which to see the waterfront, bridges, towers, steep alleys and
residential neighborhoods for which San Francisco is famous.
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The San Francisco Bay Area includes nine counties
and the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley,
Palo Alto, Santa Clara and San Mateo.
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As a result of the Gold Rush boom, about 48000
homes built in the Victorian or Edwardian styles were erected in
San Francisco between 1849 and 1915.
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A popular tourist activity is to ride one of the
restored cable cars that run along the Powell-Hyde, the
Powell-Mason or the California-Van Ness Lines which provide
views of the main scenic highlights of the city. |
The Transamerica Pyramid is 48 stories tall and
visible from all points of the city. At its base is a park with
a redwood trees, a pond and several bronze sculptures. |
During the Christmas season, remarkable art installations
were on
display, and an ice skating rink was set up in Union
Square. |
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San Francisco has one of the oldest and most
established
Chinatowns in North America with characteristic temples, shops,
and eateries.
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Fisherman's Wharf on San Francisco's
northern waterfront is the city's most popular tourist
area with its Pier 39 shopping and dining areas, Ghirardelli
Square, the historic ships at Hyde Street Pier and other
attractions.
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Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay was the
site of a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military
prison and a federal maximum security prison.
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A colony of boisterous sea lions resides at the
K-Dock of Pier 39, site of an interpretive center operated by
Aquarium of the Bay. |
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In one massive space,
Golden Gate Park features playgrounds, a Japanese Tea Garden, a
Victorian Conservatory, and tulip gardens.
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Within Golden Gate Park are impressive museums
such as the de Young Museum and the California Academy of
Science. |
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The San Francisco City Hall is a
Beaux-Arts monument epitomizing the American Renaissance
of 1880 to 1920.
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The restored 1898 Ferry Building on the
Embarcadero now houses gourmet food vendors. |
Coit Tower rising from Telegraph Hill has
been an emblem of San Francisco since it was built in
1933. |
San Francisco emblematic structures offer an enticing blend of
architectural styles with their associated cultural
significance.
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Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area,
the
Presidio is home to Fort Point, the National Cemetery and the Walt Disney Family
Museum. (Tobias Kleinlercher, Wikimedia Commons) |
The University of California
Berkeley is considered the birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech
movement. Surrounding the campus are a number of theaters,
museums and gardens.
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A scenic bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge or a ferry ride
across the Golden Gate Strait lies
Sausalito, a quaint town known for its houseboat enclaves and
artisanal offerings. |
About
an hour's drive north of San Francisco lies the Napa Valley,
known for its hundreds of vineyards and the Wine Train, a
vintage locomotive and travelling restaurant running through the
valley. (Brocken Inaglory, Wikimedia Commons)
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