Day Trips, San Francisco

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This often overlooked park is directly across the bay from San Francisco, just west of the Golden Gate. It offers stunning views of the city, as well as some great hiking. The lighthouse at Bonita Point is also worth a visit; guided tours are given daily.

For many years, coastal defense gun batteries guarded San Francisco bay. Later, Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries were installed here. The weapons are all gone now, but the emplacements, barracks, and other historic Army buildings are still here, along with historical markers. The Headlands are also home to a variety of wildlife, and a stop-over for many species of migratory birds.

Marin Headlands are about half an hour north of the city across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a great place to go for a hike or a bike ride. You can get some of the most amazing views of the city and the Pacific from the Marin. Make sure to check the weather forecast though, you don't want to waste your time on a foggy day!

More information, maps and directions can be found at the website below.

For those of us who are used to the ocean, the idea of traveling for access to water seems a silly idea. That was my thought when a family friend booked a day trip to the Central Valley to go rafting anyways. What I learned is that rivers are way different than oceans (duh!) and that rafting was a great way to get our whole family into the whole outdoor recreation thing.

Our trip started in Knights Ferry, CA, a small town that included ruins of old mills, an old ice cream shop, and other small historical monuments. After checking in, we got our paddles and life jackets, and got a safety talk from a young man about possible dangers on the river. While this talk freaked some of us out, it proved to be strictly cautionary, as the trip itself was very mellow.

The trip itself was self guided, and lasted about 4 hours. Sunshine Rafting told us to bring our own ice chest with food and drink, and we were glad we did. Halfway through the trip was a beautiful park that we had a picnic at (they had picnic tables and BBQ pits). Throughout the idea we swam, splashed around, talked with other rafters, and generally just enjoyed having access to a steady stream of sunshine as well as the cool water.

At the end of the trip the company shuttled us back to our cars and we explored Knights Ferry a bit more. All in all I felt tired but accomplished, and it was great to get the kids out and active in a way that they enjoyed. I would recommend this as a family trip for sure, as it provides an outlet to connect with your family in a semi-enclosed space while still being outside! Also it was only about $20 per person, which was reasonable for a full day activity.

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When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I read an article about the Winchester Mystery House and I always thought it would be really neat to visit this rather eccentric mansion. My trip to San Francisco being my first time out in California, I did a bit of research online to see if it was possible to book a trip from SF to San Jose to visit the Winchester Mystery House and when I found out that Super Sightseeing Tours could take us there, I immediately decided to book it (http://www.supersightseeing.com).

The shuttle picked us up at our hotel - they showed up 40 minutes late, so I was glad the lady at our hotel's tourist info desk could call them to make sure they were coming. We left San Francisco at 2:30 pm and made our way down to San Jose aboard a not-so-comfy shuttle bus, but at least the scenery was very nice. Once we got to the Winchester Mystery House, we were given some time to visit the firearms museum, which features a large collection of Winchester rifles, "The Gun that Won the West". Our guide Dzimitry then took us on an amazing 1h tour of Sarah Winchester's fantastic mansion. The tour goes through 110 of the house's 160 rooms, which are filled with weird architectural details. Sarah Winchester, the widow of William Winchester and heiress to the rifle maker's fortune, believed her family was being haunted by the spirits of men and women killed by the famous rifles. In order to appease the spirits, a medium recommended she built a house for them - construction began in 1884, and for the next 38 years (until Sarah Winchester died at the age of 83) carpenters worked on the house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mrs. Winchester would hold "seances" at night and give instructions to the crew the following day, many of which were down right bizarre: staircases leading to the ceiling, windows and doors opening up on a wall, chimneys that stop a few feet short of the ceiling... it all makes for a very entertaining tour!

Once we were done touring around the house, we were invited to do the garden tour on our own, and we also had a bit of time to visit the giftshop before it was time to head back to San Francisco (we got back at around 6:30 pm). I thought the price ($60) was fairly reasonable, especially considering that it costs $26 just to visit the house. For me, visiting the Winchester Mystery House was a bit of a dream come true and it definitely lived up to my expectations!

Uvas Canyon County Park is a fantastic getaway just 90 minutes south of The City. It’s great for camping any time of the year, but really shines in the spring when the park’s many waterfalls are at their fullest and the forest is covered in a lush carpet of moss and ferns.

Another nice thing about the place is the last 30 minutes of the drive to get there. After you get past San Jose (make sure to take 280 – not 101), the route goes along some beautiful roads through mercifully undeveloped ranch land and then through stands of redwoods before culminating in a single lane road to the park entrance.

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POint Reyes National Park is a great daytrip from SF. There are a number of different activities to particiapte in including horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, birdwatching and when in-season: whale watching. There are also a number of historical sites in the park including an old lighthouse.

The Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870, was operational until 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light.

Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent so make sure you bring a jacket as the fog can roll in unexpectedly.

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Just 30 minutes north of the city is Muir Woods. Named for John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club, the Woods are one of the few remaining groves of coastal redwoods. Coastal redwoods are taller than sequoias but not as large around. Walking through the woods is an awe-inspiring experience. There are a number of different trails within the park (which is a US National Park) and you can select your hike based on your ability and time available. The easiest trail is paved so even those with limited mobility can get into see these magnificent trees. If you're able to take the time and go off on one of the less crowded trails, you will be rewarded with great scenery.

The Park Service charges $5 for those 16 and above; free from those 15 and below. There is no picnicing in the park. The greatest challenge may be finding parking. The two parking lots are of limited size so you're well advised to try and arrive before noon. Obviously, week days are less crowded.

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Muni Passports are good for unlimited rides on Muni, including cable cars (plus pcc street cars, , hybrid trains, regular buses, trolley buses). 3-day and 7-day Passports are good for three or seven consecutive days. Passports may be purchased in advance. So if your on a Budget and Have all the time to Tour around San Francisco, I suggest you take this type of Passport as a budget tour!

Buy Your 1, 3, or 7 day Muni Passports at the following locations:

* SFMTA Customer Service Center, 11 South Van Ness Avenue at Market
* Muni Ticket Sales Location at Market & Powell Streets
* Muni Ticket Sales Location at Hyde & Beach Streets (near Ghirardelli Square)
* Muni Ticket Sales Location at Bay & Taylor Streets (near Fisherman's Wharf)
* Montgomery Station Sales Location at Montgomery Station (Mezzanine Level)
* Passports are also sold every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the information booths in the baggage claim areas at the San Francisco International Airport.

Cost: 1-day Passport $11
3-day Passport $18
7-day Passport $24