Discover
Vacation Gold on San Francisco Bay
by Jerry
W. Bird
 Did
you know that the United Nations got its start in
San Francisco? That's just one of the little known
facts about this fascinating city, which is near
the top of my all time favorite places list. That
goes for both vacation getaways and business
travel. In fact, most of my working trips and
various video or public relations projects have
been such a blast, each one seems like a vacation.
An affluent, world-class city and financial center,
San Francisco attracts visitors from all over, who
each year leave behind around $2 billion in revenue
- and for good reason.
I've strolled its
streets and climbed its hills in every type of
weather, which to me is seldom a factor, since it's
so easy to get around.
What's
more, if you've read many of my travel items on
Adventure Rails, you'll know that streetcars
are my most beloved form of conveyance. In my
world, the Bay City is "Street Car Heaven, " where
all good trolleys go. As for scenic vistas and
interesting, historic architecture, Rev. Billy
Graham put it this way,"The Bay Area is so
beautiful, I hesitate to preach about heaven while
I'm here."
Last time I worked
on a Travel-Leisure section involving Northern
California, we covered the area like a blanket,
mainly by car, our own and the occasional rental
vehicle, and there was always something new and
exciting around every bend in the road. The city is
alive and vibrant, from Fisherman's Wharf,
Chinatown and Alcatraz Island, to Russian Hill, the
Golden Gate and dozens more great venues. I've
asked several others in our editorial team to give
their impressions of San Francisco, so between us
we expect some great moments and ideas to share
with you. At
San Francisco, you're in the center of everything,
from the Napa and Silicon Valleys to the historic
Sacramento River Delta.
Having
read every book by the two Johns (Steinbeck and
Jakes), visited Sutter's Mill, where the Gold Rush
of '49 began, and having harmonized with some
Barber Shop Quartet Conventioneers in Folsom, we
became Northern Californians at heart. Folsom is
one of the restored mining towns you'll find when
you drive along the "Golden Chain," which is
actually Highway 49 from Grass Valley in the North
to Tuolome Country in the South. Go there at the
right time of year and you may take in a
frog-leaping contest. Having family around the area
helps too. With my Dad living near Monterey, and
Sister Rosalie and family nestled in a neat little
community near Sacramento, it was never hard to
lure me to the Bay Area. Now that Alaska Airlines
has such great fares from Seattle and Vancouver,
it's getting easier than ever.
Watch
for "Vacation Gold on San Francisco Bay" a 24-page
Self Cover Section in the September Edition of Air
Highways Traveler, plus a Supermap of Airports and
Air Routes from Baja to Barrow.
This new
section will be previewed on line in installments
prior to publication. Thanks to friends in the
area, we will provide plenty of valuable
connections for our Travel Agent readers and their
clients. Here are some of the organizations we plan
to work with in building this exciting travel
section:
San Francisco Visitors Bureau .
http://www.sfvisitor.org/
California Office of Tourism .
www.gocalif.ca.gov
Bay Area World Trade Center / BayTrade
www.tradeport.org.
Black Chamber
of Commerce of Santa Clara County
www.netusa.com/sccbcc/.
California
Council for International Trade .
www.ccit.net
California
Trade and Commerce Agency:
Office of Export Development: www.commerce.ca.gov
Greater Oakland
International Trade Center: www.tradeport.org
San Francisco
Chamber of Commerce, International Department:
www.sfchamber.com/trade/trade.htm
San Francisco
Chronicle Daily Newspaper: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
San Jose Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.sjchamber.com/
San Rafael Chamber
of Commerce: http://www.sanrafael.org/
US Chamber of
Commerce: http://www.uschamber.org/default.htm
Oakland Chamber of
Commerce: http://www.oaklandchamber.com/
Silicon Valley
Chamber of Commerce
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