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san francisco is a spectacular fun city
on the central coast of california about
350 miles from la
it's bursting with a youthful energy
that will guarantee you have an amazing
and unforgettable adventure
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on the northern end of the san francisco
peninsula the city invites you to
explore hip neighborhoods elegant
buildings beautiful parks and gardens
and enjoy a liberal relaxed atmosphere
and there's no end of things to see
union square in the heart of downtown is
san francisco's finest shopping region
the neighborhood is famous for wide
streets clanging cable cars and some
amazing shopping
and don't forget about the square itself
which is a great place to sit back relax
and do some serious people watching
a few minutes north san francisco's
chinatown is eight blocks of bustling
activity with storefronts and alleyways
selling all manner of strange and exotic
goods
one of the largest chinese communities
in the u.s san francisco's chinatown is
filled with exotic sights and sounds and
a little bit of eastern mystique
less than a mile to the east the
embarcadero is a busy waterfront roadway
that runs right around the port area
with some of san francisco's most famous
landmarks including market street the
bay ridge and the san francisco ferry
building
fisherman's wharf is at the northern end
of the embarcadero and has a great
assortment of shops bars and restaurants
and is right on the bay here you can
grab a relaxed meal and a cool drink and
be entertained by colorful street
performers or just enjoy the views along
the waterfront
a short stroll away is pier 39 which has
some of the best views of san francisco
bay and a resident sea lion community
that has been basking in the sun at the
pier for more than 20 years
the island fortress of alcatraz sits
ominously in the bay and is now a
popular attraction with tours departing
from fisherman's wharf several times a
day
up until 1963 the rock was home to
america's hardest prisoners but where
there was once only concrete steel and
barbed wire there are now gardens and
wildflowers
if you listen carefully the eerie
passages and cramped cells still echo
with footsteps from the past
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not far from downtown is the hate
ashbury district where victorian style
buildings echo with memories of the
hippie days of the 60s
there are still many pockets of
counterculture where the summer of love
lives on and cafes smoke shops and music
stores still sell peace and love
halfway between fisherman's wharf and
the golden gate bridge is the palace of
fine arts a survivor from the 1915
panama pacific expo and built in the
beau art style it's covered in greenery
and surrounded by a peaceful lagoon it's
a perfect place for a quiet afternoon
stroll
at more than a thousand acres golden
gate park stretches almost halfway
across the peninsula and contains the
conservatory of flowers and the tranquil
japanese tea garden
the park is the perfect place to enjoy
the outdoors or just relax and recharge
in some peaceful surroundings
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the golden gate bridge sits majestically
over the mouth of the bay and invites
millions of visitors to the city each
year
almost two miles long and 750 feet high
the golden gate bridge connects san
francisco to the nearby marin headlands
the pedestrian walkway spanning the
length of the bridge is a superb way to
see sweeping views across the bay and
out over the pacific ocean
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baker beach is located just to the west
of the golden gate bridge and has
spectacular views across the mouth of
the bay to the distant marin headlands
it enjoys reputation as san francisco's
best sandy beach but the views alone are
worth the trip
just north of san francisco in marin
county the ancient redwoods of muir
woods national monument tower up to 260
feet high with some dating back almost
800 years
local rangers can provide guided tours
along pathways that loop through the
forest or visitors can enjoy the hush
sounds of nature and explore one of
america's natural treasures at their own
pace
on the eastern side of marin county is
the charming bayside hamlet of sausalito
in its early days it was a small artist
colony but now it's a relaxed bayside
community filled with cafes and art
galleries a short stroll down any street
will bring you to some of the most
beautiful views across the bay
and over there
in the distance beckoning like a siren
song is dazzling san francisco tempting
you back for another taste
a temptation you'll find hard to resist
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