It’s always a good time to visit San Francisco, and now you can enjoy the modern city while gaining an appreciation for its history as it holds a variety of observances for the centennial of the devastating 1906 earthquake.
Look around and get acquainted with the city at Only in San Francisco, a guide to places to stay, eat and shop, and to things to do including touring Haight Ashbury and hooking up with guides who will take you through Chinatown or out to Alcatraz. Plan your visit by clicking on “What to Do” and picking out a category or looking for the “Pick an itinerary” heading for tips on personal tours. Once you have an idea of what you want to see, go back to the main page and check out “Special Offers” and then look for the “Only in S.F. Store” for to buy advance tickets to transportation and museums.
Yes, you need to be a typical tourist and ride the cable cars. Go to the San Francisco Municipal Railway to learn about the three remaining cable car lines, streetcars and other public transportation.
Get a broad view of the observances from the 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance which serves as a clearinghouse for events. Click on “Activities &Events” for lectures, performances, exhibits and ceremonies. Under that same category, peruse “Exhibits &Shows” for an array of exhibits of historic photos and manuscripts, including one exhibit dedicated to author Jack London’s experiences after the quake.
A little exploring under the alliance’s “Alliance Member Events” should turn up links to events such as “the Hayward Fault Exposed,” where you can get a close-up look at a fault line by walking through a trench cut across the Hayward Fault in Fremont. Then you could go back into the city to visit the Exploratorium museum and its “Faultline” exhibit.
Cross the Bay to Oakland to see the quake’s devastation through the eyes of its victims in the “Aftershock!” exhibit running through Aug. 13 at the Oakland Museum of California. The museum boasts that this is the largest exhibit in the state dedicated to the centennial.
Take your walking shoes along and hit San Francisco’s Barbary Coast Trail, a 3.8-mile route through the heart of the city. If sidewalk hiking doesn’t excite you, read up on the Bay Area Ridge Trail, which has dedicated nearly 300 miles of what is planned as a 500-mile ring of trails encircling the region.
The Barbary Coast Trail winds up at the Hyde Street Pier, an exhibit of historic ships that is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park at the end of Fisherman’s Wharf. Ships on display include the 1886 square-rigger Balclutha, which started out delivering English goods including Scotch whisky to San Francisco and returning to England with grain. Later, it was the last ship flying the flag of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
While you’re there, you’ll be able to explore the Fisherman’s Wharf complex full of restaurants and shops where you can load up chocolates, trendy clothes and every imaginable sort of San Francisco souvenir.
Roger Petterson, Associated Press
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