Re: [RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Jeremy Till]

Just to add some clarity to your plans, from an adopted resident of 
Sacramento: it's a wonderful city, with a lot of neat stuff to see 
(including the Train museum!), but if I had a day to kill in late July, I 
wouldn't want to spend it here.  Chances are that outside temps for most of 
the day will make most outdoor activities unpleasant, at least compared to 
the bay area, so I think spending your extra time down there is the way to 
go, and the Amtrak is a wonderful way to get there.  That being said, I'd 
encourage you to explore Sacramento during the evening hours of your week 
here, when temps generally cool down and make being outside more pleasant. 
 The American River Trail is awesome, one of the best resources for 
cyclists around here, nothing like being able to do a 60+ mile ride with 
zero cars.  Definitely fun to explore, you can make it an out-and-back for 
whatever distance feels good to you.  Around Sacramento there's tons of 
good places to eat, and the craft brewing scene is exploding here, if 
you're into that kind of thing.  The "Midtown" area (basically anything 
between 16th and 28th, and C and T streets) is the happening neighborhood 
these days.

On Monday, June 6, 2016 at 7:09:59 PM UTC-7, SeanMac wrote:
>
> Thank you all so much for your suggestions.  What a great group of 
> friends!  I managed to pick up a few travel guidebooks at my library the 
> other day.  So, with your suggestions in mind, I will spend some time 
> pouring through the books, studying various maps, trying to make some sense 
> of how I should spend my time in the big city.
>
> I appreciate the layering suggestions.  I live in Buffalo, NY, so cold 
> weather is not really a concern.  However, if I leave Sacramento and its 
> 100 degrees (I really hope that will not be the case), I'll be sure to 
> carry a nice, cozy Ibex top with me.  
>
> Speaking of Sacramento, I recently read something about the American River 
> Trail.  Anyone familiar with this trail?  My hotel is pretty near the 
> trail, and it does appear that bike rentals are available.  Perhaps I can 
> manage a ride on the trail while I am in Sacramento.
>
> So far, I'm somewhat sold on the idea of riding the ferry from Oakland to 
> San Francisco.  Richard, thanks for your suggestions for things to do in 
> Oakland.  When I eventually do get to San Francisco, I do want to do a bit 
> of walking in the heart of the city.  David - I like your suggestions.  
> Blue Bottle Coffee at the ferry station along with some walking / eating / 
> shopping sounds like some fun.  If time allows, a walk / ride across the 
> Golden Gate Bridge and some time in the park sounds like fun.
>
> At this point, I have moved away from a Giants game.  As much as I would 
> like to see the park, I hate to tie up so much time watching a game.  
> However, it is good to know that I can sneak a peak inside the stadium for 
> free.  That sounds do-able.
>
> A trip to Rivendell still intrigues me.  I'll have to look at the train 
> schedules to see if I can catch a train that will get me to Walnut Creek 
> early in the morning.  I don't own a Rivendell.  In fact, I've only 
> seen/ridden one once - a test ride of a Rambouillet approximately 9 years 
> ago at a dealership in Burlington Vt. (the Alpine Shop, I believe).  I 
> ended up not buying that bike (a mistake, I now realize - I bought a custom 
> frame from Bob Brown Cycles instead).  Hence, I would love the chance to 
> see a few frames, get my PBH measured, go for a ride or two and soak up 
> some Riv atmosphere.  However, I need to decide how much time I can devote 
> to such a visit.  
>
> Another variable is that my seminar group is heading to San Francisco on a 
> Thursday to view the San Francisco Maritime National Park.  I don't know 
> how long we will be there, but my schedule says that we will also have some 
> free time in San Francisco that day.  Perhaps that trip will allow me to 
> experience a few of the "to do's" on my list, leaving me time to visit 
> Rivendell.  
>
> Thank goodness I have some time to think about the possibilities!
>
> Evan - thanks for your suggestion of contacting you / the list again as I 
> get closer to my trip.  I'll definitely do that!  
>
> Thanks again everyone.
>
> Sean
>
> On Monday, June 6, 2016 at 2:09:18 AM UTC-4, Evan E. wrote:
>>
>> Sean,
>>
>> I won't add to your confusion by piling on more suggestions, but I will 
>> say that if you decide to ride a bike in SF, let us know. With a few weeks' 
>> notice, a few of us could maybe arrange to meet you at the Ferry Building 
>> in SF and take you on a ride to the Marin Headlands (yes, the GG Bridge 
>> ride can be crowded but it's also beautiful). Or if you prefer to walk, per 
>> dstein's suggestion, I live in North Beach and could give you some local 
>> tips. Reply off list, or on it if you like.
>>
>> Evan
>>
>>
>>
>>

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Re: [RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[SeanMac]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions.  What a great group of 
friends!  I managed to pick up a few travel guidebooks at my library the 
other day.  So, with your suggestions in mind, I will spend some time 
pouring through the books, studying various maps, trying to make some sense 
of how I should spend my time in the big city.

I appreciate the layering suggestions.  I live in Buffalo, NY, so cold 
weather is not really a concern.  However, if I leave Sacramento and its 
100 degrees (I really hope that will not be the case), I'll be sure to 
carry a nice, cozy Ibex top with me.  

Speaking of Sacramento, I recently read something about the American River 
Trail.  Anyone familiar with this trail?  My hotel is pretty near the 
trail, and it does appear that bike rentals are available.  Perhaps I can 
manage a ride on the trail while I am in Sacramento.

So far, I'm somewhat sold on the idea of riding the ferry from Oakland to 
San Francisco.  Richard, thanks for your suggestions for things to do in 
Oakland.  When I eventually do get to San Francisco, I do want to do a bit 
of walking in the heart of the city.  David - I like your suggestions.  
Blue Bottle Coffee at the ferry station along with some walking / eating / 
shopping sounds like some fun.  If time allows, a walk / ride across the 
Golden Gate Bridge and some time in the park sounds like fun.

At this point, I have moved away from a Giants game.  As much as I would 
like to see the park, I hate to tie up so much time watching a game.  
However, it is good to know that I can sneak a peak inside the stadium for 
free.  That sounds do-able.

A trip to Rivendell still intrigues me.  I'll have to look at the train 
schedules to see if I can catch a train that will get me to Walnut Creek 
early in the morning.  I don't own a Rivendell.  In fact, I've only 
seen/ridden one once - a test ride of a Rambouillet approximately 9 years 
ago at a dealership in Burlington Vt. (the Alpine Shop, I believe).  I 
ended up not buying that bike (a mistake, I now realize - I bought a custom 
frame from Bob Brown Cycles instead).  Hence, I would love the chance to 
see a few frames, get my PBH measured, go for a ride or two and soak up 
some Riv atmosphere.  However, I need to decide how much time I can devote 
to such a visit.  

Another variable is that my seminar group is heading to San Francisco on a 
Thursday to view the San Francisco Maritime National Park.  I don't know 
how long we will be there, but my schedule says that we will also have some 
free time in San Francisco that day.  Perhaps that trip will allow me to 
experience a few of the "to do's" on my list, leaving me time to visit 
Rivendell.  

Thank goodness I have some time to think about the possibilities!

Evan - thanks for your suggestion of contacting you / the list again as I 
get closer to my trip.  I'll definitely do that!  

Thanks again everyone.

Sean

On Monday, June 6, 2016 at 2:09:18 AM UTC-4, Evan E. wrote:
>
> Sean,
>
> I won't add to your confusion by piling on more suggestions, but I will 
> say that if you decide to ride a bike in SF, let us know. With a few weeks' 
> notice, a few of us could maybe arrange to meet you at the Ferry Building 
> in SF and take you on a ride to the Marin Headlands (yes, the GG Bridge 
> ride can be crowded but it's also beautiful). Or if you prefer to walk, per 
> dstein's suggestion, I live in North Beach and could give you some local 
> tips. Reply off list, or on it if you like.
>
> Evan
>
>
>
>

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Re: [RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Evan E.]

Sean,

I won't add to your confusion by piling on more suggestions, but I will say 
that if you decide to ride a bike in SF, let us know. With a few weeks' 
notice, a few of us could maybe arrange to meet you at the Ferry Building 
in SF and take you on a ride to the Marin Headlands (yes, the GG Bridge 
ride can be crowded but it's also beautiful). Or if you prefer to walk, per 
dstein's suggestion, I live in North Beach and could give you some local 
tips. Reply off list, or on it if you like.

Evan



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Re: [RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Patrick Moore]

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Mark Twain.

Patrick Moore, who recalls (weeping nostalgic tears into his grizzled
beard) a romantic summer with a lovely blonde in the SF area, oh, almost 40
years ago.

On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 10:57 AM, Lungimsam  wrote:

> My brother-in-law said you can tell who the tourists are in SF because
> they are in shorts and t-shirts!  Brrr!!
>
> He used to live in San Bruno.
>
> I remember the mornings where the fog would be in. Looked like the kind of
> weather that indicates an all day rainy day where I come from. But after
> 9am it blew off and was sunny and beautiful all day!
>
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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Surlyprof]

+1 on the layering.  I remember leaving Palo Alto once when it was nearing 
100.  I spent a miserable 6 hours at an SF bbq freezing in a pair of shorts 
and a t shirt. I think it went down to 45 but with the wind and dampness it 
felt like 25.  And that's coming from an Akron, Ohio native!  I was going 
to look up the exact wording of the famous Twain quote only to find out it 
wasn't Mark Twain who said it.  Interesting post on the Anchor Steam blog: 
https://www.anchorbrewing.com/blog/the-coldest-winter-i-ever-spent-was-a-summer-in-san-francisco-say-what-says-who/

John

On Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 9:57:31 AM UTC-7, Lungimsam wrote:
>
> My brother-in-law said you can tell who the tourists are in SF because 
> they are in shorts and t-shirts!  Brrr!!
>
> He used to live in San Bruno.
>
> I remember the mornings where the fog would be in. Looked like the kind of 
> weather that indicates an all day rainy day where I come from. But after 
> 9am it blew off and was sunny and beautiful all day!
>

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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Lungimsam]

My brother-in-law said you can tell who the tourists are in SF because they 
are in shorts and t-shirts!  Brrr!!

He used to live in San Bruno.

I remember the mornings where the fog would be in. Looked like the kind of 
weather that indicates an all day rainy day where I come from. But after 
9am it blew off and was sunny and beautiful all day!

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Re: [RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[ted]

Unless you really like big cities, and or touristy stuff, I suggest you take 
the ferry to Angel island instead of SF.
You should get a better view of more of the bay, and the island is very nice. 
Bikes are available for rental there too.

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Re: [RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Daniel D.]

I agree and I ride it frequently.  Least enjoyable part of a ride headed 
north from SF.  Kinda feel it's the most dangerous part of my ride too. 
 Just be mentally prepared for an especially crappy and crowded MUP 
experience.  But there are some nice routes on the other side that are 
worth it, kinda :p.

On Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 5:02:08 PM UTC-7, Richard Lawrence wrote:
>
> Surlyprof  writes: 
>
> I guess if this is your only time in SF, you should probably also see 
> the Golden Gate Bridge.  Personally, I would skip the bike, though.  I 
> have ridden over the bridge a few times but I always find it unpleasant, 
> between the roadies who want to go super fast, and all the pedestrian 
> and bicycle tourist traffic, all sharing the same strip of sidewalk...I 
> would recommend walking, or simply taking it in from a distance. 
>
> Best, 
> Richard 
>

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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Neil Doran]

Another recommendo for SF walking or biking tour. Suggestions by dstein and 
Kurt are spot on. You will love the ferry ride from Oakland, and SF is 
truly a walkable town. 

I'm one of the few (former) locals that still really digs riding across the 
GG bridge. If you rented a bike, you could do that, ride through Golden 
Gate park, part of the Marin Headlands, lunch in Sausalito...you will get 
all of the million-dollar views that way.

If the Giants are playing at home, don't forget that visitors can view the 
playing field for free, from the waterfront side. You could soak up a 
little SF baseball atmosphere that way. Short ride from the Ferry Building.

As much as it pains me, I would skip Riv. I think most first-time visitors 
find the warehouse a bit underwhelming (sacrilege!), and BBH is cool and 
all, but spend your time in SF. You will not regret it.

Final thoughts: skip Alcatraz and Fishermans Wharf. Too many damn people. 
You will have the tailored experience you seek by getting off on your own. 
And definitely skip Muir Woods, Napa wine country, etc...way too much 
driving, and again, Bay Area traffic is the suk.

More final thoughts...bring a warm layer and hat to SF. Sacramento will be 
somewhere around 100 degrees in July, while SF and environs can be in the 
upper 50s with a stiff wind and fog rolling in. No joke, you will be cold, 
especially if you are walking.

On Monday, May 30, 2016 at 1:32:42 PM UTC-7, SeanMac wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm hoping for some advice for a trip that I will be taking in late July.  
> I will be spending a bit more than a week in Sacramento participating in a 
> seminar for teachers on the Transcontinental Railroad.  The seminar ends on 
> a Friday evening, but I decided to extend my visit a bit so that I have a 
> day to play / explore before getting on a train to head home (to Buffalo, 
> NY) on Sunday morning.
>
> I'm a Midwestern boy - never having ventured west beyond St. Louis, 
> Missouri.  It is possible that this will be the only time that I will ever 
> be in California, so I am looking for advice about what I should do on a 
> Saturday in late July.
>
> One option, of course, is to visit Riv headquarters in Walnut Creek.  I 
> certainly am considering doing just that.  I'd love comments regarding how 
> high this should be on my list of things to do (yes, I know that this list 
> is pretty biased).  I've also thought about attending a Giants baseball 
> game, or simply walking around Fisherman's Wharf / Ghiradelli Square in 
> downtown San Francisco.  A few friends have also suggested a visit to 
> Alcatraz.
>
> The only real constraint that I have is that I will need to rely on public 
> transportation to get from Sacramento to wherever I decide to go.  I also 
> would love to be back in Sacramento before it gets too late on Saturday so 
> that I can make my train home on Sunday morning.
>
> Thanks for your suggestions.  Please respond off list to :  
> sean...@gmail.com 
>
> Sean
>

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Re: [RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Richard Lawrence]

Surlyprof  writes:

> I'd second Dave's suggestion.  The ferry rides are nice.  If Amtrak gets 
> you to Oakland, that would be a nice day.

Like John and Dave, I'd also recommend the Amtrak/ferry trip.  The
ferry is a nice way to see the Bay from a perspective you won't get any
other way.  (If the ferry is not your thing, though, you can get off
Amtrak in Berkeley or Oakland and take BART to SF instead.)

As an Oaklander, I feel I must plug for some sights on the sunny side of
the Bay.  These are things within walking distance of the Amtrak station:
  - lunch in Oakland's China Town (I quite like Shan Dong)
  - the Oakland Museum of California is a neat, eclectic museum near China Town
  - have a beer on the waterfront at Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon
before you get back on the train 

> If you want to venture an Uber, I'd also suggest the view from the
> observation tower at the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park.  Great
> place to see the city.

I also second John's suggestion for Golden Gate Park!  Besides the
DeYoung, the Academy of Science is awesome, and the Japanese tea garden
is a nice little retreat.

I guess if this is your only time in SF, you should probably also see
the Golden Gate Bridge.  Personally, I would skip the bike, though.  I
have ridden over the bridge a few times but I always find it unpleasant,
between the roadies who want to go super fast, and all the pedestrian
and bicycle tourist traffic, all sharing the same strip of sidewalk...I
would recommend walking, or simply taking it in from a distance.

Best,
Richard

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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Surlyprof]

I'd second Dave's suggestion.  The ferry rides are nice.  If Amtrak gets 
you to Oakland, that would be a nice day.  City Lights is a must see if you 
are a book lover.  Be sure to check out the upstairs and downstairs and 
check out the alley next to it where they've put beat poet quotes in the 
sidewalk.  If you are there at night, there is a nice installation piece of 
lights above the street corner.  They are books flying above the sidewalk. 
 Caffe Trieste, where the beat poets used to hang out, is close by when you 
get to Washington Square.  Yelp a good place to eat in whatever area you 
are in.  Whatever you are in the mood for at that moment, there is a good 
chance you'll find it.  If you want to venture an Uber, I'd also suggest 
the view from the observation tower at the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate 
Park.  Great place to see the city.  That is also walking distance up 
Stanyan to Haight Ashbury (kinda grungy) and American Cyclery at the 
corners of Frederick and Stanyan.  A backup option, if you are sticking 
close to Dave's route, is to hike up the hill to Coit Tower.  Great views 
of the city and the Public Works Art Project murals inside the ground floor 
are impressive.

Enjoy your trip.
John



On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 9:50:24 PM UTC-7, dstein wrote:
>
> Here's my suggestion to the pile. This is a walk I recommend for one day 
> sightseeing. Starts off at the Ferry Building (which the ferry will drop 
> you off at if you choose to do that, also right by Embarcadero BART if you 
> take BART in, and a great place to start off with some coffee and food, I 
> can't recommend the waffles at blue bottle enough!), then walks down Market 
> (which kind of sucks), heads up Grant through Chinatown (you gotta hit 
> Grant from Market to get the full effect), into North Beach and Washington 
> Square Park (lots of food options there including an already mentioned 
> pizza option, plus there is Vesuvio for beer, and City Lights for books, 
> all the important things), and then up to Fisherman's Wharf (this last part 
> of the walk also kinda sucks), and catches another Ferry which you can take 
> back to Oakland. 
>
> I like it because I like walking and exploring by foot. It hits some main 
> tourist areas while avoiding the main shopping artery of Union Square. 
> Fisherman's Wharf can be mostly skipped, I do recommend stopping to see the 
> sea lions, it always makes my day. 
>
> Golden gate bridge, trolley rides, alcatraz, wine country, golden gate 
> park, etc are all good options but better to devote a day too for each one 
> on a return trip sometime. Wine Country and Muir Woods are heavy traffic on 
> the summer weekends, you can spend a lot more time in a car and looking for 
> parking some times (especially at Muir Woods) than its worth if your time 
> is limited.
>
> Strolling through downtown/chinatown/north beach is non-committal and you 
> can move at your own pace. If you want to combine that with a ball game all 
> the power to you, AT park is one of the better venues in the country. 
>
> https://goo.gl/maps/jZmxxcDXWAm
>
>
>

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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[dstein]

Here's my suggestion to the pile. This is a walk I recommend for one day 
sightseeing. Starts off at the Ferry Building (which the ferry will drop 
you off at if you choose to do that, also right by Embarcadero BART if you 
take BART in, and a great place to start off with some coffee and food, I 
can't recommend the waffles at blue bottle enough!), then walks down Market 
(which kind of sucks), heads up Grant through Chinatown (you gotta hit 
Grant from Market to get the full effect), into North Beach and Washington 
Square Park (lots of food options there including an already mentioned 
pizza option, plus there is Vesuvio for beer, and City Lights for books, 
all the important things), and then up to Fisherman's Wharf (this last part 
of the walk also kinda sucks), and catches another Ferry which you can take 
back to Oakland. 

I like it because I like walking and exploring by foot. It hits some main 
tourist areas while avoiding the main shopping artery of Union Square. 
Fisherman's Wharf can be mostly skipped, I do recommend stopping to see the 
sea lions, it always makes my day. 

Golden gate bridge, trolley rides, alcatraz, wine country, golden gate 
park, etc are all good options but better to devote a day too for each one 
on a return trip sometime. Wine Country and Muir Woods are heavy traffic on 
the summer weekends, you can spend a lot more time in a car and looking for 
parking some times (especially at Muir Woods) than its worth if your time 
is limited.

Strolling through downtown/chinatown/north beach is non-committal and you 
can move at your own pace. If you want to combine that with a ball game all 
the power to you, AT park is one of the better venues in the country. 

https://goo.gl/maps/jZmxxcDXWAm


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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[masmojo]

I would duggest looking up the BART map on the Internet.  A ferry from Oakland 
to SF sounds fun, but also time consuming. The BART goes there and yoi can jump 
off anywhere along market. The ferries are cool my kids wanted to ride one the 
last time we were there,  but we kept "just missing" them all of one morning 
and wasted so much time that we really burned half a day running back & forth. 
Great thing with the Bart is that if you miss it, there will be another one in 
15 minutes or so.
I used to stop over in SF on my way to the Philippines, fly in early morning, 
take the express bus from the airport to downtown,  hang out all day, then 
catch the express bus back to the airport in the evening and wait for my flight 
to leave. It's a cool way to see the city without the expense of a hotel or 
fussing with a car. Good times!

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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[SeanMac]

I'm really enjoying these suggestions.  Thank you all for taking the time 
to respond.

I'll be in Sacramento the last week of July.  My day to play is Saturday, 
July 30.  I assume this puts me right in the heart of busy tourist time.

A few of my friends suggested renting a car and traveling to the Napa wine 
country or to Muir's Woods, but the idea of driving at all - much less on a 
Saturday - has absolutely no appeal.  I'm pretty happy to use public 
transportation. 

I do really like Kurt's suggestion to take the ferry from Oakland to San 
Francisco.  That in itself should be an enjoyable experience.  The idea of 
renting a bike (bike share program, I assume) and then wheeling around the 
city sounds cool - especially going over the Golden Gate Bridge.  This 
seems like a very fun-filled, human-speed approach to seeing what the city 
has to offer.  

If I follow Kurt's suggestion, do you still think it would be possible to 
visit Rivendell?  If I get up really early and take an early train from 
Sacramento, I probably could arrive in Walnut Creek around the time that 
the store opens.  From my google-mapping (is that a real term), it looks 
like I should be able to walk from the BART station to both the 
headquarters building and to the new Bike, Book and Hatchet store.  If I 
got back on the train sometime between 12 - 1 and headed for Oakland, it 
would seem to me that I would still have a lot of time to explore San 
Francisco by bike.  Am I crazy to think this way?

Would I really be able to borrow a bike at Riv that I could ride to Mt. 
Diablo?  That seems really cool?  I assume that I would need to contact 
them ahead of time to see if a bike was available.  I couldn't possibly 
just show up, say hello, and then ask to borrow a bike for a few hours, 
could I?  

Obviously I have a lot more thinking, and reading to do.  Obviously I have 
a lot of time before I need to decide what to do.  I've paged though some 
tourism web site and will likely pick up a guidebook for the region as 
well.  However, given all of the local knowledge in this group, I knew that 
you would have tremendous suggestions.

Thanks again.  Keep the good ideas coming!

Sean


On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 8:24:41 PM UTC-4, Jim M. wrote:
>
> One day with the need to make public transit connections will be a big 
> time constraint. The Giants play in a great stadium, and because it's an 
> even year, you'll be seeing them on their way to another world series. If 
> you really want to visit RBW, you could make that a day by borrowing a bike 
> from them (or from a local lister), and taking a ride in the foothills of 
> Mt. Diablo, or all the way up if you're in good shape. It might be a 100 
> degree day in late July, but, hey, it's a dry heat. There are plenty of 
> listers who would volunteer as tour guide should you choose that option. 
> Alcatraz, meh, watch *The Rock* and you'll see most of it. 
>
> jim m
> wc, ca
>
> On Monday, May 30, 2016 at 1:32:42 PM UTC-7, SeanMac wrote:
>>
>> Hi folks,
>>
>> I'm hoping for some advice for a trip that I will be taking in late 
>> July.  I will be spending a bit more than a week in Sacramento 
>> participating in a seminar for teachers on the Transcontinental Railroad.  
>> The seminar ends on a Friday evening, but I decided to extend my visit a 
>> bit so that I have a day to play / explore before getting on a train to 
>> head home (to Buffalo, NY) on Sunday morning.
>>
>> I'm a Midwestern boy - never having ventured west beyond St. Louis, 
>> Missouri.  It is possible that this will be the only time that I will ever 
>> be in California, so I am looking for advice about what I should do on a 
>> Saturday in late July.
>>
>> One option, of course, is to visit Riv headquarters in Walnut Creek.  I 
>> certainly am considering doing just that.  I'd love comments regarding how 
>> high this should be on my list of things to do (yes, I know that this list 
>> is pretty biased).  I've also thought about attending a Giants baseball 
>> game, or simply walking around Fisherman's Wharf / Ghiradelli Square in 
>> downtown San Francisco.  A few friends have also suggested a visit to 
>> Alcatraz.
>>
>> The only real constraint that I have is that I will need to rely on 
>> public transportation to get from Sacramento to wherever I decide to go.  I 
>> also would love to be back in Sacramento before it gets too late on 
>> Saturday so that I can make my train home on Sunday morning.
>>
>> Thanks for your suggestions.  Please respond off list to :  
>> sean...@gmail.com
>>
>> Sean
>>
>

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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Jim M.]

One day with the need to make public transit connections will be a big time 
constraint. The Giants play in a great stadium, and because it's an even 
year, you'll be seeing them on their way to another world series. If you 
really want to visit RBW, you could make that a day by borrowing a bike 
from them (or from a local lister), and taking a ride in the foothills of 
Mt. Diablo, or all the way up if you're in good shape. It might be a 100 
degree day in late July, but, hey, it's a dry heat. There are plenty of 
listers who would volunteer as tour guide should you choose that option. 
Alcatraz, meh, watch *The Rock* and you'll see most of it. 

jim m
wc, ca

On Monday, May 30, 2016 at 1:32:42 PM UTC-7, SeanMac wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm hoping for some advice for a trip that I will be taking in late July.  
> I will be spending a bit more than a week in Sacramento participating in a 
> seminar for teachers on the Transcontinental Railroad.  The seminar ends on 
> a Friday evening, but I decided to extend my visit a bit so that I have a 
> day to play / explore before getting on a train to head home (to Buffalo, 
> NY) on Sunday morning.
>
> I'm a Midwestern boy - never having ventured west beyond St. Louis, 
> Missouri.  It is possible that this will be the only time that I will ever 
> be in California, so I am looking for advice about what I should do on a 
> Saturday in late July.
>
> One option, of course, is to visit Riv headquarters in Walnut Creek.  I 
> certainly am considering doing just that.  I'd love comments regarding how 
> high this should be on my list of things to do (yes, I know that this list 
> is pretty biased).  I've also thought about attending a Giants baseball 
> game, or simply walking around Fisherman's Wharf / Ghiradelli Square in 
> downtown San Francisco.  A few friends have also suggested a visit to 
> Alcatraz.
>
> The only real constraint that I have is that I will need to rely on public 
> transportation to get from Sacramento to wherever I decide to go.  I also 
> would love to be back in Sacramento before it gets too late on Saturday so 
> that I can make my train home on Sunday morning.
>
> Thanks for your suggestions.  Please respond off list to :  
> sean...@gmail.com 
>
> Sean
>

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[RBW] Re: OT - Help me decide how to spend a day in Sacramento /San Francisco

[Kurt Manley]

Take the train from Sac to Jack London Square in Oakland. Take the ferry 
into SF, it's a beautiful ride and it's only a couple hundred yards from 
the train station. It will drop you at the ferry building in SF, a 
beautiful spot. You can rent a mediocre but serviceable bike and ride along 
the water to the golden gate bridge. Ride across the bridge. You'll pass by 
pier 39 and fishermans wharf but don't stop at either, they are as un-SF as 
it gets. Detour into North Beach along the way back and get a slice at 
golden boy pizza. You can then drop trough downtown and back to the ferry 
building and ride back to Oakland.

On Monday, May 30, 2016 at 1:32:42 PM UTC-7, SeanMac wrote:
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm hoping for some advice for a trip that I will be taking in late July.  
> I will be spending a bit more than a week in Sacramento participating in a 
> seminar for teachers on the Transcontinental Railroad.  The seminar ends on 
> a Friday evening, but I decided to extend my visit a bit so that I have a 
> day to play / explore before getting on a train to head home (to Buffalo, 
> NY) on Sunday morning.
>
> I'm a Midwestern boy - never having ventured west beyond St. Louis, 
> Missouri.  It is possible that this will be the only time that I will ever 
> be in California, so I am looking for advice about what I should do on a 
> Saturday in late July.
>
> One option, of course, is to visit Riv headquarters in Walnut Creek.  I 
> certainly am considering doing just that.  I'd love comments regarding how 
> high this should be on my list of things to do (yes, I know that this list 
> is pretty biased).  I've also thought about attending a Giants baseball 
> game, or simply walking around Fisherman's Wharf / Ghiradelli Square in 
> downtown San Francisco.  A few friends have also suggested a visit to 
> Alcatraz.
>
> The only real constraint that I have is that I will need to rely on public 
> transportation to get from Sacramento to wherever I decide to go.  I also 
> would love to be back in Sacramento before it gets too late on Saturday so 
> that I can make my train home on Sunday morning.
>
> Thanks for your suggestions.  Please respond off list to :  
> sean...@gmail.com 
>
> Sean
>

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