West Portal ----- Where Old S. F. Meets New Trends and other San Francisco, CA Off The Beaten Path Tips

West Portal Avenue is an old style commercial shopping area. It retains much of the feel and charm of a vintage 40's, 50's or 60's neighborhood shopping and commercial center, while welcoming several new era shops and restaurants.

Specialty shops offer much of what you may want from music, books, flowers, electronics, antiques, baked goods, hardware, toys, and candy. Two large drug store chains share the commercial environment with local markets like the Eazy Freezy. Coffee house are abundant. An old style movie theater (long ago converted to three screens) offers first run and art films.

This is a great place to eat. Many good restaurants line the streets here. They range from the casual Manor Coffee Shop, to the mid range El Toreador Mexican Restaurant, to the slightly higher end fare of Roti Indian Bistro. A short stroll down the street should reveal an eatery to satisfy any palate.

The street is served by the L, M, and K street car lines. The name "West Portal" derives from the fact that it is the western portal for the underground light rail cars that go underneath Market Street downtown. If you take the L to the Zoo, you could hop off at West Portal for dinner before heading back to your hotel. Before BART was constructed and the light rail placed underground in downtown, the tunnel was long in service connecting the surface rail between downtown and the western neighborhoods.

This area is located on West Portal Avenue between Ulloa Street and 15th Avenue.

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Excellent opportunities for wine tasting abound in nearby Napa and Sonoma Counties where some of the best tasting is available. One way to explore the wine country is to head north over the Golden Gate Bridge and up U.S. 101 from San Francisco to the River Road exist. River Road is just beyond the City of Santa Rosa. Head west (left) on River Road and look for the winery signs that resemble road signs. Then explore the wineries as your adventure unfolds. This will lead you into the Russian River Valley where some excellent Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay are produced.

Other fantastic places for tasting in the area surround the cities of Healdsburg, Sonoma, and Napa. Some wineries offer free tastings, others charge a small fee. Usually tasting rooms are located right at the vineyards. Cities like Sonoma and Healdsburg also have tasting rooms that may feature one winery or offer tastings from selected regional wineries. Be careful not to overdo the tastings if you are unlucky enough to be driving.

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A different kind of bay cruise is available in Martinez, in the East Bay region of San Francisco, that is well suited for those with historic or maritime interests. This is tour of the Mothball Fleet that is anchored in Suisun Bay off of nearby Benicia. The Mothball Fleet is officially known as The National Defense Reserve Fleet. It consists of retired ships in varying states of readiness that could be reactivated in times of a national emergency. However it contains some historic gems.

Most of the ships in the fleet are support vessels like cargo ships. However some specialty ships are among the collection like a submarine recovery ship, refuelers, a Coast Guard ice breaker, amphibious invasion landing ships, and ships that deploy large floating containers.

The flagship of the Mothball Fleet is the U.S.S. Iowa. This battleship, designated as BB-61, was commissioned in 1943 during World War Two and served in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Theaters. Its main armament is nine 16 inch guns. The Iowa carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference to meet with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. It is the only U.S. Navy Ship to be equipped with a bathtub. The bathtub was installed to accommodate the president who had a disability.

The ship was present for the Japanese surrender and played a role as a communications center during that event. After WWII the ship was briefly retired, but was soon reactivated for the Korean War. It was again reactivated in the 1980s. Unfortunately an accidental explosion in turret 2 killed 47 crewmembers in 1989. It was finally deactivated in 1990.

The Iowa is the center piece of the tour. The tour is run by an organization that will eventually turn the ship into a museum and relocate it to nearby Mare Island. The tour does not board any ships, but just cruises about the fleet while knowledgeable guides provide narration on the Iowa and other ships in the fleet.

The Mothball Fleet contains several World War II Victory Ships. These were rapidly constructed and inexpensive cargo ships that were the next generation after the Liberty Ships. Among the ships in the Mothball Fleet is the U.S.S. Hoga. The Hoga is an ocean going tug boat used in rescue efforts after the attack at Pearl Harbor. It later served the City of Oakland as a fire boat.

Another interesting ship in the fleet is the Hughes Mining Barge HMB-1. The HMB-1 was used in a Cold War scheme involving the CIA and millionaire Howard Hughes in a covert attempt to raise a sunken Soviet nuclear submarine in order to recover intelligence on its design and components.

The tour is open to the public on the last Saturday and Sunday of each month. Reservations are recommended. The tour lasts about an hour and a half. Lunch is provided. The lunch consists of hotdogs, chips, cookies, and soda served buffet style.

The cost is $29 ($25 for seniors and children).

The tour boards at the Martinez Marina located at 7 North Court Street in Martinez.

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Phone: (707) 747-5443
Website: http://www.bayviewcharters.com/Public_Tour.php

For a nice view of the San Francisco Skyline or the Bay Bridge construction, hop off the Bay Bridge at Treasure Island. With good lighting and weather, you should be able to capture a nice picture of the S.F. skyline. For the next few years, you can watch the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge being constructed adjacent to the existing "cantilever" section. This segment of the bridge is being replaced as the existing structure is not expected to be serviceable after a major earthquake.

Treasure Island was constructed for the 1939 World's Fair. (Adjacent hilly Yerba Buena Island is natural.) Treasure Island was intended to become the location for the San Francisco International Airport. However, with the outbreak of World War II, the U.S. Navy wanted the site and traded with the City for the land that the present day airport is located upon for the island. The Navy eventually abandoned the base. Currently, many of the old barracks are now used for housing. However, the U.S. Coast Guard retains a presence on Yerba Buena.

Take care exiting and entering the bridge traffic. The turns offs include sharp turns requiring reduced speed and the entrances to the bridge require rapid acceleration from a dead stop.

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Although Lombard Street is billed as the "crookedest street in the world", Vermont Street between 20th and 22nd Streets is actually crookeder than Lombard. That is, it has more turns per distance than Lombard. This portion of Vermont Street is located in the residential Potrero Hill District and is situated up above and behind General Hospital. It is a bit out of the way for most people. Vermont Street's pavement is neglected and its adjacent landscaping is overgrown. Whereas Lombard Street, with its manicured streetscape and nice brick paving, is located in touristy Telegraph Hill. Vermont Street gets few visitors. At Lombard, however, cars sometimes line up just to traverse the famous stretch.

The turns on these twisting streets serve as switchbacks. The turns help reduce the grade. These would otherwise be extremely steep streets. Note the use of stairs for sidewalk in some stretches.

If you are in the Potrero Hill District and want to check out this winding roadway, keep in mind that it is a one-way street heading southbound. That is, from 22nd Street to 20th Street.

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Most guidebooks mention the view from Twin Peaks, but several other hilltops are available to provide fantastic views of the City. One of which is higher than Twin Peaks. Rather than reveal a listing, I'll instead challenge you look around, explore, and find a great spot.

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Located across the Bay in nearby Alameda is the U.S.S. Hornet Museum. The Hornet is a historic aircraft carrier, constructed during World War Two, that has been converted into a museum. Visitors to San Francisco may want to hop over the Bay Bridge and explore this historic ship and its exhibits.

The Hornet served in World War Two and the Viet Nam War. During WWII her aircraft destroyed over fourteen hundred Japanese airplanes. She also has the distinction of having recovered the astronauts after the Apollo 11 Mission, which was the first manned flight to the moon.

The museum has exhibits pertaining to naval aviation, life aboard ship, and the Apollo Program. Historic aircraft and space capsules are among the museum’s displays. One exhibit is devoted to contributions of Americans with Japanese ancestry who served during WWII . Visitors can explore the flight deck which served as runways, as well as the hanger deck where aircraft were stored and serviced. Some of the lower decks can be explored on your own, but to gain access to many portions of the ship’s interior, including the tower, one must join a tour offered by the knowledgeable docents.

Some access requires going up and down ladders, so the museum is not for the non-ambulatory. I suggest allowing at least two to four hours to explore the museum.

There is a flight simulator on the flight deck which we did not have enough time to try when we visited.

Occasional parties and dances, typically with live big band music, are held on the hanger deck. Overnight family visits ate also available. Check their website for a schedule of events.

The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the gates closing at 4:00 pm. The adult admission price is $14. The admission is discounted for children seniors, and military.

This World War Two era Essex Class aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1943 and designated CV-12. It is the second aircraft carrier to be named Hornet. It was named after the carrier Hornet, designated CV-8. CV-8 was a veteran of the Battle of Midway and the Doolittle Raid. CV-8 was sunk on October 27, 1942 in the battle of Battle of Santa Cruz.

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Phone: (510) 521-8448
Website: http://www.uss-hornet.org
Other Contact: 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda

If you want to feel the heartbeat of one of San Francisco’s most desirable neighborhoods visit 24th Street. This commercial street is the vibrant. It is loaded with shops, restaurants, coffee houses, and a few bars. The restaurants range from inexpensive to fine dining and the quality of the food tends to be very good.

The shops should satisfy a variety of interests including boutique clothing, books, and even groceries. Several banks are present should you need an ATM. You can even grab an ice cream or a doughnut if you like.

Noe Valley surrounds 24th Street and is loaded with Victorian and Queen Ann Architecture. The weather is usually warmer and less windy than downtown and the western portion of the City. It is a pleasant neighborhood to stroll through.

The portion of 24th Street that serves Noe Valley is from Church to Diamond Streets. Visiting 24th Street near Mission would entail a completely different experience.

You can easily reach 24th Street by taking the MUNI J-Line Street Car from Downtown.

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Extending for about three miles along the Embarcadero is the Herb Caen Promenade. This wide promenade lines the water side of the Embarcadero and offers outstanding views of the Bay. Historic structures like the Ferry Building, the Agriculture Building, and numerous pier buildings are found along its path. The Herb Caen Promenade makes for a pleasant walk. Be sure not to miss the artwork along the way. The promenade is named after a long time local Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist whose daily columns in the Chronicle were, for decades, a San Francisco landmark in themselves .

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