Golden Gate, Muir Woods & Alcatraz Cruise

Departing the heart of Union square, the coach makes its way to the Golden Gate Bridge.

On your way to the Golden Gate Bridge, travelers will see:

Union Square: Theatres, shopping, hotels

Van Ness Avenue:

Famous for being used as a firebreak, by the US Army during the 1906 earthquake and fire.

Cow Hollow District & Marina District:

Two affluent neighborhoods, attracting young professionals. Chic fashion boutiques, Pilates studios, juice shops, beauty salons. Many fine dining restaurants ranging from French Bistros to American Fusion Cuisine.

Designed by Bernard Maybeck

Built as one of the 11 great exhibits in the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, this fictional Greek-Roman inspired ruin was a crowd favorite.

Built to be a temporary structure, when it came time to deconstruct the fair and demolish the exhibits, Phoebe Apperson Hearst stepped in and saved the colonnade and rotunda. The Palace stands as one of the fairs few surviving structures, and one of only two buildings remaining in the original location.

The most prominent structure of the complex is the 162-foot high open rotunda, with a lagoon curving around one side. Many forms of wildlife have made their home near the lagoon, swans, ducks, geese, turtles, frogs and the ever present, racoon.

Golden Gate Bridge:

On a clear day, the Golden gate Bridge offers a panoramic view of the bay and the San Francisco skyline. “What Nature rent asunder long ago, man has joined today,” said chief engineer Joseph Strauss at the opening ceremonies in May 1937.

Construction started: January 5, 1933 and was completed April 19, 1937. Total cost of construction rounded out to be 35 million dollars, equivalent to 798 million today.

The Golden Gate Bridge runs 1.7 miles in length, its highest point stands 746-feet above the bay.

Designated a Californian historical landmark June 18, 1987.

At the time of its opening the Golden Gate Bridge was both the longest and tallest suspension bridge in the world.

The Presidio:

A 1500-acre park on a former military post. Baker Beach, hiking, historic buildings house the Walt Disney Family Museum, eateries, homes, and businesses like Lucasfilm, with its Yoda Fountain.

Land's End Ocean Beach:

Atop Sutro Heights at the Land’s End lookout, we can view the vast Pacific Ocean. On the Left, in the distance we see the famous Cliff House restaurant. Looking right we see the Lands’ end park and trails. The stairs lead down to where Sutro Baths once stood. Now only the ruins remain.

Lower-

Here, among the ruins of the Sutro Bath House. Adolph Sutro, San Franciscan mayor from 1895 to 1897, built his palatial Mansion and the Sutro Bath House.

Sutro Bath House opened 1896 and survived the 1906 catastrophe but succumbed to a fire in 1907.

Descending Point Lobos Ave we pass the Historic Restaurant, Cliff House. This restaurant has been rebuilt 4 times do to fires. The last reconstruction was in 2004, now equipped with fire alarms.

Making our way towards the Golden Gate Park we get a great elevated view of Ocean Beach.

Golden Gate Park:

Entering the west side of Golden Gate Park, we pass one of two windmills, designed by San Franciscan Alpheus Bull Junior, built in 1902 for $25,000, utilized as a h20 pump.

Bison Paddock:

Further in the park, we drive by the Bison Paddock. Home to authentic bison. Over the last 120 years more than 500 bison have been born in Golden Gate Park, helping to keep the species from extinction.

Golden Gate Park opened in 1870, it is 1017 acres and 3miles long, averaging ½ mile in width. This park is 20% larger than NY’s Central Park.

Architects:

William Hammond Hall, John Mclaren, Calvert Vaux all played roles in creating the third most visited park in the United states.

Haight Street:

The birth of the hippie movement or counterculture began in the 1960's, this district of San Francisco is where cultures and eras meld together.

Haight Street was once home to revolutionaries, famous singers (Jimi Hendricks, Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Jefferson Airplane).

Twin Peaks:

Named for a pair of 922-foot-high summits, is a remote residential neighborhood with modern homes along winding streets. At the summit is “Sutro Tower”, a 977-foot tall TV and radio tower.

Once you disembark bus, you will have ample opportunity to take photos of San Francisco, from one of the highest vantages the city has to offer.

* San Francisco has unpredictable weather and at times fog will impede the viewing of San Francisco from atop Twin Peaks.

The Castro District:

Located in Eureka Valley, The Castro, is synonymous with the gay community (LGBT).

The U.S. military had discharged thousands of gay servicemen from the Pacific theatre in San Francisco during World War II (early 1940's). Because of their sexuality many stayed in San Francisco

The first gay bar in the Castro was called "Missouri Mule", opened in 1963.

Castro St. was name after Jose Castro, a Californian leader of Mexican opposition to U.S. rule in California in the 19th century.

Market Street:

This is a major thoroughfare in San Francisco. We drive east from the Castro towards the Ferry Building.

3 miles in length this main artery of city transit has seen horse-drawn streetcars, cable cars, electric streetcars, electric trolleybuses etc. Antique Heritage Streetcars from all over the world transport passengers from The Castro to Fisherman's Wharf, connecting to the electrical line above and riding the tracks.

Market Street runs through many districts:

Castro, Noe Valley, Civic Center, Union Square, Financial District.

Financial District:

Among the skyscrapers that dominate the skyline (Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower), there is a wealth of tech business that coincides with, happy-hour hot spots and elegant late-night, date-night destinations.

The Jackson Square Historic District features remnants of the Barbary Coast.

Chinatown:

North on Grant Avenue, on the right, Old St. Mary’s Cathedral built in 1854 oldest Catholic cathedral west of the Rockies.

Chinatown’s roots began in the 1849, during California’s “Gold Rush”. Word spread to China of the mythical “Gold Mountain” Gum Sahn.

Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco seeking a new start. Many left the city proper to prospect for gold, while others remained in the city, creating a tight-knit community.

Racial and cultural tensions separated Chinatown from the rest of the city. Chinatown became known as the City-Within-a-City.

The 1906 catastrophe saw immigration records destroyed, many of the Chinese community aptly claimed citizenship and were able to bring their families from China.

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest and one of the largest in the U.S.

North Beach:

Steeped in history, The Beat Movement in the 50’s saw popular poet Jack Kerouac frequent the streets of North Beach. Adler Place was renamed Jack Kerouac Alley, Kerouac frequented a pub and café that was adjacent to the alley. North Beach has scores of Italian Restaurants and cafes to enjoy.

At Broadway and Columbus, we see two beautiful buildings:

The Sentinel Building, This, distinctive copper green Flatiron style building, was completed in 1907. Home to American Zoetrope film studio since 1972, cofounded by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas.

The distinct shape of the Transamerica Pyramid can be seen throughout the city, it is prominently displayed here in North Beach. Construction began in 1969, completed 1972. 853-feet tall or 48-stories. Tallest building in San Francisco until the completion of the Salesforce tower in 2018.

The bus transportation portion of the tour will end at Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf and your Escape from the Rock adventure will begin. Once you disembark the bus the driver will direct you to The Escape from the Rock Cruise landing where you can board the boat (Departure times are seasonal).

“The Escape from the Rock Cruise”, will bring you close to the infamous prison island (Please note this tour does NOT land on Alcatraz Island or include the prison interior), that many have tried to escape from. You will circle the island twice, seeing it from all angles as well as the beautiful city skyline.