Times & TranscripT: section G

Editor: Leigh Williams, 859-4978 Saturday, July 5, 2014 E-mail: life@timestranscript.com Fax: 859-4904

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For those of a certain age, iconic imagesof California’s “City by the Bay”are for-ever etched in the brain thanks to that’70s policedramaTheStreets of SanFran-cisco.A dapper Karl Malden (Mike Stone)

and a dashing Michael Douglas (SteveKeller) played homicide detectives con-stantly chasing bad guys over the city’ssteep terrain in an unmarked brownFord LTD.Filmed entirely on location inSanFrancisco,the showusually involvedat least one vehicle practically takingflight after cresting a ridge at breakneckspeed.Along with extremely hilly roads, the

city’s iconic cable cars also seemed ever-present in the show.And therewere at least a few glimpses

of Alcatraz, the infamous federal prisonlocated on an island just offshore.Decades have passed since the TV

show aired but those who market thecity appear happy topreserve SanFran’ssymbolic appeal. A recent tourism cam-paign pegs the city as “Never the same.Always San Francisco.”During my family’s inaugural visit to

“Frisco” earlier this year, I sensed thejuxtaposition of an intriguing past andvibrant present at every turn.Themix is working.The San Francisco Travel Association

reports that the city welcomed 16.9mil-lion visitors in 2013, an increase of 2.3per cent over the previous year. Goodnews for a place where tourism is thekey industry.With all “SF”has to offer, it’s not sur-

prising tourists flock in droves.Dubbed“Everybody’s FavoriteCity,”SanFrancis-co oozes scenic beauty, cultural attrac-tions, diverse communities and world-class cuisine.In addition to icons mentioned, this

very walk-able metropolis is dottedwith landmarks like the Golden GateBridge, the largest Chinatown in theUnited States, Union Square and a hostof 40-plus neighbourhoods to discover.One of those neighbourhoods – Nob

Hill –was the central base for our stay.Once the home of silver kings and

railroad barons, Nob Hill is graced byGrace Cathedral, a replica of NotreDame in Paris; Huntington Park, siteof many art shows and a replica of a16th-centuryRomafountain; andseveral

grand hotels.We unpacked our bags at one of those

magnificent hotels – the Ritz-Carlton,San Francisco.The property’s neo-classical architec-

ture – making it arguably the best-look-ing accommodation in the city – datesback to 1909. Designers have since cre-ated a modern, inviting and stylish set-ting for guests.My family was definitely impressed.

Marble buffed to a high sheen through-out the lobby area. Crystal chandeliersdraped fashionably in fabric. An ul-tra-chic lounge with a large, glowing,white marble bar featuring a burgundyacrylic front and LED backlighting. The“wows!”were non-stop.

Leave your heart in SanFrancisco■ It’s easy to fall in lovewith northern California’scity by the bay

CATHY DONALDSONTimes & TranscripT

Fog City, a cosy yet sophisticated restaurant near San Fran’s Embarcadero, serves up a delicious variety of creative dishes –many of which are meant to be shared. PHOTO: CATHY DONALDSON/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

Constructed between 1933 and 1937, the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge links San Francisco to California’s northern counties. PHOTO: SIDNEY DONALDSON

If you go...

•For information on hotel packagesand reservations, events, activitiesand transportation in San Francisco,visit sanfrancisco.travel. For lodgingreservations by phone, call (888)782-9673 toll free within North Amer-ica.

For a sweet stop, try a sea salt caramelsundae at the Ghirardelli Soda Foun-tain and Chocolate Shop in GhirardelliSquare. Yum!PHOTO: CATHY DONALDSON

A historic cable car crests a San Fran hill while the famed island of Alcatraz liesin the distance. PHOTO: CATHY DONALDSON/TIMES & TRANSCRIPTplease seeCITY’S, G2

A162465

1-888-720-5600

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G2 Saturday, July 5, 2014 Leisure & TraveL Times & TranscripT

From the time we left our rental withone of the Ritz-Carlton’s top-hat-sport-ing valets until we collapsed onto super-comfy beds in a luxurious, beautiful-ly-appointed room (with lovely viewsof San Francisco Bay), our foursomefelt spoiled to bits. The Ritz-Carlton cer-tainly lives up to its reputation for qual-ity and high-end customer service. (Theproperty earned a AAA Five Diamondaward for the 20th consecutive year in2014.)

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, isthe perfect starting point to city explor-ing. Courteous and friendly hotel staff(many of whom have an uncanny knackfor remembering names) are happy topoint you in the right direction.

To make things easy, climb aboard ahistoric cable car, which makes a stopright outside the doors of the Ritz-Carl-ton. San Francisco’s cable cars are theworld’s last permanently operational,manually operated cable car system, atleast in the sense of a tram whose carsare pulled along by cables embedded inthe street.

Despite being refurbished andequipped with new tracks, cables andthe like, they apparently operate prettymuch as they did in 1873 when AndrewS. Hallidie guided the first car down thecity’s Clay Street grade.

For our big sightseeing day, my familychose an open-top, hop-on/hop-off busto tour the city.

As we meandered from neighbour-hood to neighbourhood, our guide de-scribed San Francisco’s colourful past,beginning with its founding in 1776when Spanish colonists established thefirst European settlement.

What was a small community becamea major city after California’s gold rushin the mid-1800s.The event transformedSan Francisco into the principal bankingand finance centre of the west coast.

Our guide also conveyed in dramat-ic detail the massive earthquake (esti-mated at 8.1 on the Richter scale) thatrocked San Fran in 1906 and the subse-quent“Great Fire”that burned for threedays.Much of the city was destroyed butthe rebuilding plan was so successfulthat the city hosted a world’s fair in 1915.Talk about resilience!

Of course, our guide also touched onmore recent developments; from the“beat” generation,to the hippies of thelate 1960s, to the region’s large gay andlesbian population, all of whom havecontributed to making San Francisco thefascinating place it is today, a city boast-ing a population of more than 825,000.

When it comes to arts and culture,youname it and you’ve got it. Take in the-atre, opera, symphony, ballet, museumsor any of a multitude of other world-class choices.

San Francisco is also considered one ofAmerica’s greatest dining meccas. Wide-spread cultural influences, a proxim-ity to fresh ingredients and a plethoraof creative chefs result in unforgettabledining experiences.

One of our favourite eateries wasthe aptly named Fog City, a cosy, eclec-tic restaurant on the Embarcadero, theeastern waterfront and roadway of the

Port of San Francisco. A former diner,it was re-imagined by chef and ownerBruce Hill along with the restaurant’sfounders and now offers innovativemenus in a sophisticated, warm en-vironment.

Menu options – many of which aremeant to be shared – are varied.Our toppick was the whole chicken, roasted toperfection in a wood oven and servedpiping hot in a cast-iron frying pan withpotatoes and a finger-licking sauce. Af-ter a day of touring,we were hungry; ourtummies were more than pleased.

If seafood is your thing, check outitems like clam chowder and Dungen-ess crab at San Francisco’s famed Fish-erman’s Wharf. The place gets its namefrom the city’s early days when Italianimmigrant fishermen hit the bay to takeadvantage of the population influx dueto the gold rush.

Fisherman’s Wharf is perhaps best

known as the locale of Pier 39, a popu-lar shopping and tourism venue, as wellas other attractions such as Ripley’s Be-lieve It or Not Museum, the Wax Mu-seum, the Aquarium of the Bay, a sea li-on colony adjacent to the pier and near-by Ghirardelli Square.

As a member of a family of chocohol-ics, a stop to the square’s GhirardelliSoda Fountain and Chocolate Shop fora sweet treat was a foregone conclusion.(If you go,grab a hot fudge sundae – pos-sibly the best ever created!)

Overindulged? Work off a few cal-ories by renting a bike and taking a jauntacross the Golden Gate Bridge. Con-structed between 1933 and 1937, the or-ange-coloured span with its 227-metre-tall towers, links San Francisco to Califor-nia’s northern counties. It’s an easy bikeride across the bridge, great for begin-ners and experienced riders. Take yourcamera – the views are spectacular.

For those keen on history, set sail onAlcatraz Cruises from Pier 33 and headfor “The Rock” (a.k.a. Alcatraz), whichoperated from 1934 to 1963. The shortcruise takes visitors to the island, now anational park, where you can walk thecell blocks where the Birdman of Alca-traz and Al Capone spent time, learnabout notorious escapees, and also hearabout Alcatraz’s period as a military pris-on.

With its rich history and lively present,it’s easy to be swept up by all that SanFrancisco has to offer.

We left our hearts there – we’ll beback.

CathyDonaldsonAtravelwriter andcommunicationsconsultant,CathyDonaldson isbased inMoncton.Watch formorearticles inherseriesonCalifornia family travel inupcom-ingeditionsof theTimes&Transcript.

City’s cable cars form theworld’s lastmanual system still in full-time operationCity’s G1

The modern and inviting Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is a perfect, central base for city exploring. Courteous and ultra-friend-ly staff are happy to help visitors plan their expeditions. PHOTO: CATHY DONALDSON/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

Fisherman’s Wharf is a neighbourhood known for its fresh seafood, and is home to popular tourist attractions like an aquarium and wax museum. PHOTO: CATHY DONALDSON

The Russian Hill neighbourhood is home to Lombard Street, considered ‘thecrookedest street in the world.’ PHOTO: CATHY DONALDSON/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

�TheMcCrea Family holds its 75thReunion continuingSaturday andSunday,July5-6atMcCreaFarms,Route 705,Shannon,N.B.Activities are plannedovertheweekend. The familymeeting is at 1:30p.m. at theShannonChurch, followedatthe lakeby fun, games, treats, andahayride.Bring food for thepotluck supper.A registration feeof$25per family isrequested to help cover costs. Formoreinformation, call the reunion committeeat 506-485-5600or check the ‘Events’pageatmccreafarms.com.

�École Clément-Cormier Class of1984will hold their 30th high schoolclass reuniononSaturday, July 12, from8p.m. to2a.m. at theKentCountyGunClub inBouctouche. Formore information,call ShirleyMaillet Collette at 506-855-7161 orDannyCollette au506-382-5735.

�MonctonHighSchool Class of1964will hold their 50th year reuniononFriday, July 18, from5:30p.m.-12midnight atCurlMoncton. Enjoy a fullbuffet dinner andmusic byEddieChaseandGraffiti4. Cost is$30per person. Formore information, visitmhs1964.caor call

506-536-0506or506-536-0164.

�Harrison TrimbleHighSchoolClass of 1969will hold their 45th yearreuniononSaturday,Aug. 2,with aMeet&Greet at 6p.m. atCheers, 63BrandonSt. To register, callWendyat 384-5504orDianeat 382-8708.

�PlumeFamily reunion and potlucksupperwill be held onSunday,Aug. 10,from2-8p.m., at the homeofDennis andDonnaHalliday, 261RiverGladeRd. Formore information, call Danny at 372-5618.

Reunions

Moncton High SchoolPHOTO: TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

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