Sunday, August 22, 2010

Baseball Road Trips - San Francisco

If you are considering a baseball road trip this summer, consider San Francisco. In addition to attending a game or two at AT+T Park to see the Giants play your favorite team, there are literally dozens of other sightseeing attractions. Here is our top ten list of things to see and do in San Francisco on a baseball road trip...

#1: See A Game At AT+T Park

This beautiful decade old ballpark is located along a sheltered portion of San Francisco's waterfront. The area is called China Basin, and home run balls frequently land in the water adjacent to the right field stands.

We recommend getting tickets in advance, but you can usually find a few available on the day of the game.

#2: Tour The Ballpark

Get a behind the scenes tour of AT+T Park by signing up for a guided tour. These tours are offered daily and explore all areas of the ballpark, including the dugout, press area, and locker room.

#3: Tour The Anchor Brewery

One of America's best known and most beloved breweries is right here in San Francisco. It's the Anchor Brewing Company, and the historic brewery complex is only a mile or so away from the ballpark. Be sure to arrange your tour well in advance (at least a month). Only one tour a day is offered and they fill up fast.

#4: Take A Trip To Alcatraz Island

Sightseeing boats leave hourly to this small island located a mile off the shore. This island was home to a famous federal prison bearing the same name. Tours of the former prison are offered and it is a once in a lifetime experience. Visitors describe the experience as educational, fascinating, and sobering. This is a tour not to be missed.

#5: Ride A Cable Car

There are two street car lines in San Francisco, the California line and the Powell line. Each takes you to different sections of the town, and both travel up and down the city's hilly terrain. These cable cars are probably one of the most unique forms of public transportation in America.

#6: Visit The Haight

That's short for the famous Haight-Ashbury district, on the western edge of the city. This several block historic district saw its peak in the late 1960's and much of that culture still exists. It is a wonderful district for a stroll, with several friendly restaurants beckoning along the way. For architecture buffs, some of the historic homes in the district are one of a kind.

#7: See A Ball Game Across The Bay

Since it's a baseball road trip we are talking about, why not ride across the bay to Oakland to see a game? The Oakland Athletics play about a half hour from downtown San Francisco via public transportation. The metro area's main public transportation system, BART, will drop you off right at the stadium.

#8: Check Out The Waterfront

Play tourist and spend an afternoon at Pier 39 and Pier 41, which is brimming with restaurants and shops. If you are looking for t-shirts or other gifts to bring home, this is where you'll find them!

#9: Dinner In Chinatown

San Francisco's Chinatown is one of the best known in the world. Located centrally to just about everything, it is several square blocks of small restaurants, businesses, street vendors, and more. It is best experienced by simply strolling through, peeking at a menu posted outside, and choosing your destination for dinner.

#10: Visiting Baseball History

About a mile south of downtown and not far from the Anchor Brewery, the intersection of 16th and Bryant houses a large supermarket and chain retailers. This is the former site of Seals Stadium, the first home of the Giants in 1958 and 1959. The ballpark is long gone, but a new plaque denoting the historical significance was installed in 2008 to mark the 50th year of the franchise.

Across the street is one of San Francisco's oldest restaurants, the Double Play Cafe. It has stood here since 1909, and it's a great place for breakfast or lunch. It also houses numerous memorabilia from Seals Stadium, including part of the original flag pole and a few stadium seats.

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