About Amy C
When not studying for an English and Journalism degree at Boston University or pursuing a career as a writer, Amy soaks up the city, literally dancing her way through Boston with her Hip-hop troupe and exploring the hidden gems of Boston. She moved from Northern California, just outside of San Francisco, for college, and loves every bit of Boston's charm and character, except perhaps the frigid winters. She loves the beach, fall foliage, learning about food and wine, and funny friends. Amy hopes to continue to expand her traveling horizons, savoring the culinary creations and cultures from around the world. Still, she suspects her favorite cities will always be colorful Boston and San Francisco.
Blog posts written by Amy C
October 30th, 2007 by amy c
Muir Woods
photo uploaded by genewolf
Part of what makes San Francisco so unique is the proximity of the city to incredible natural beauty. A bustling metropolis just steps away from hiking trails, state parks, beaches, and sweeping views can satisfy both the urban enthusiast and outdoorsy nature lover. Whether you crave a heart-pumping hike, a leisurely stroll, or a lounge chair, the San Francisco area can quench your thirst for fresh, sea air.
- Marin Headlands: While still in view of the city, you can lose yourself in the natural beauty that combines beaches, rolling hills, dramatic cliffs, and unique animal and plant life. The Wolf Ridge Loop is an excellent hike for the outdoorsy visitor looking for great views, a taste of history, and some exercise. The hike takes you on a vertical climb of 880 feet from sea level at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge into the heart of the headlands where you will discover remnants of Army forts. For a more relaxing adventure, have a picnic on Rodeo Beach and watch the surfers expertly navigate crashing waves against rocky cliffs.
- Muir Woods: Home to one of the few virgin Coastal Redwoods still in existence, Muir Woods has some of the tallest and oldest trees in the country. The trees serve as subjects in several famous Ansel Adams photographs. You can also enjoy a guided tour through Muir Woods.
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Angel Island: Though getting to this state park requires a short ferry ride, Angel Island is far from secluded. Lush greenery meets hiking and bike trails and provides the perfect location to soak up views of the city on a natural plateau above the bay. Rent bikes from Bay City Bike Rentals and take to the hiker and biker friendly trails for an invigorating afternoon. (more…)
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 26th, 2007 by amy c
Blue Heron on a Marin Headland hiking trail
photo uploaded by dbaron
Not only is the San Francisco area home to extraordinary natural beauty, but business owners have grown more environmentally friendly. Visitors and locals can choose from over 1,000 certified “Green Businesses,” which hold themselves to higher standards of environmental regulations.
By choosing restaurants, shops, and hotels that are considered a green, you can help make sure that the air stays fresh, the ocean clean, and the animal and plant life diverse…And what better way to exude San Francisco style than to match the Green craze sweeping the Bay Area?
Choosing Green Businesses can even enhance your vacation. Here are my picks for the restaurants, hotels, and attractions that don’t compromise taste, fun, comfort, or the environment:
- Elixir may be San Francisco’s oldest running saloon, but this award-winning watering hole’s thinking, innovation, and scene is anything but dated. The Victorian style saloon offers a dog friendly happy hour (your pup should probably stick with water) and transforms into a swanky cocktail lounge as the sun goes down, satiating your thirst for a look into history with saloon memorabilia on the walls and a trendy, but eco-friendly nightlife.
- Aquarium of the Bay will give you an inside look to the bay’s unique life and possibly new enthusiasm for staying Green to help preserve it.
- Bay City Bike Rentals: There is no better way to see all the sights, beat traffic, and assuage any possible guilt about your personal carbon emission than renting bikes to explore the city. Plus, you’ll get some major quad-burning exercise on those San Francisco hills.
- Marin Headlands Hostel: Affordable accommodations in a beautiful, convenient setting and environmentally conscious, you can stay in historical homes in the scenic rolling hills of the Marin Headlands, located just a ferry ride away from the city or a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Nearby attractions also include Muir Woods, numerous hiking trails, and the Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Whether you’re a visitor or local, check the Green Business Listings to choose from a variety of businesses in every service.
It is now easier than ever to be environmentally friendly when you travel with the Terrapass, which is an affordable way to balance your environmental impact of carbon emission when you fly or drive. Check back for hiking trails and more ways to enjoy nature in and around San Francisco!
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 25th, 2007 by amy c
Wednesday, October 24- Sunday, October 28
2007 Fall Antiques Show: Seventy dealers from across the U.S. and Europe will feature high-end antiques ranging from home decor to jewelry.
Friday, October 26- Sunday, October 28
nternational Vintage Poster Fair: Browse more than 10,000 original posters on sale from dealers from 20 different countries also at the Fort Mason Center.
Friday, October 26
Second Annual Organic Beer and Wine Tasting: Get a taste of local organic wine and beer from more than 25 vendors. The event also includes a silent auction on the Embarcadero.
Saturday, October 27
Goblins, Ghouls, and Ghosts: Fisherman Wharf’s famous Wax Museum presents its premier Halloween party for the over 21 crowd. Come in your most outrageous costume and dance to the live DJ at this spooky museum hot spot.
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 24th, 2007 by amy c
Now that you’ve explored the classic art museums that double as San Francisco monuments, get a less traditional glimpse of SF’s unique and fun art scene that blends fine art with the eccentric, the exciting, and the surprising, exemplifying the beauty of San Francisco culture. You can get a dose of chic nightlife, experience the spacious galleries that draw artists and collectors, and get out and about in one of the city’s most exciting neighborhoods by browsing some of these must-see galleries.
HANG Art: Located in the art and shopping-infused Union Square, HANG Art provides a wide variety of contemporary original artwork from exceptional Bay Area artists. If you are looking to purchase art, this trendy and friendly gallery is sure to deliver unique pieces
The Fraenkel Gallery: one of the many galleries to be found on trendy Geary Street, the Fraenkel Gallery is also conveniently located just off Union Square. The gallery focuses on photography and offers museum-quality exhibits in a fresh and spacious setting.
John Pence Gallery: The largest gallery in San Francisco, the John Pence Gallery showcases classic works from the 19th and 20th century. It is also one of the premier academic realist galleries in the U.S., which still permeates the ambiance of the spacious and elegant gallery today.
111 Minna Gallery: Forget experiencing art in a stodgy, stuffy gallery. Captivating art meets intoxicating house music meets trendy happy hour in this unique scene that fuses a downtown nightclub with local and international fine art. The gallery offers a variety of events and performances to fit your partying and artistic style.
What better way to explore some of the finest galleries of San Francisco, primarily located in bustling Union Square or on quirky Geary Street than by the historical cable cars! Trendy art browsing may inspire the need for trendy fashions. Check out the Westfield Shopping Center in Union Square to complete your San Francisco shopping excursion.
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 23rd, 2007 by amy c
Photo uploaded by Kim Scarborough
Brunch is my favorite meal of the weekend, especially in the city where the location is as much a feast for the eyes as the food is for the mouth. Indulge in classic San Francisco fare, local hot spots, and elegant views before embarking on a day of sightseeing. Here are some of my picks:
Town’s End Restaurant and Bakery starts each meal with a basket of homemade scones and mini-muffins from the in-house bakery. You can enjoy the homemade breads further with the French Toast Sampler, made with a piece of each of the breads. Expansive windows showcase views of the Embarcadero in this family-owned restaurant. After a delicious breakfast to jump start your sightseeing, walk two blocks to the famous SF Giant’s Stadium for a guided tour.
Cliff House: Soaring Pelicans over the Pacific, Sea Lions napping on rocks, and scraggily cliffs that jut dramatically out of tumultuous ocean spray make the views reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The Champagne Brunch and magnificent spread in the Terrace Room of this cliff-side chateau, however, will make you forget that this beautifully dramatic location would be perfect for a murder mystery film. After a sumptuous meal, check out the Legion of Honor for more sweeping views of the coast and marvels in architecture, and fine art.
2223 Restaurant and Bar offers hip Californian cuisine with tastes of Asian and Mediterranean flair. The menu changes seasonally, insuring the freshest produce and unique tastes to match the season. Its famous sourdough spiced apple French toast puts a San Francisco twist on the breakfast classic. And the house-made chorizo and pepper jack scramble is a favorite among brunchers. Located in the trendy Castro, this restaurant attracts nightlife-crazed, hip locals and visitors.
Top of the Mark boasts a 360 degree view of the city and a 100 Martini Menu. It’s the perfect place to get a delicious breakfast as well as a taste of history. The restaurant dates back to WWII where soldiers gathered for a last toast to the Golden Gate Bridge before shipping out and families tearfully watched as the soldiers sailed under the bridge out to see. Located at the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in Nob Hill, its central location would be the perfect spot to start your day in San Francisco. Perhaps take a historic cable car ride of the area.
Kate’s Kitchen serves home-cooked comfort food that matches the inviting and funky decor, characteristic of Haight Street. Locals consider the delicious, inexpensive soul food on par with mom’s cooking as the place is routinely packed on the weekends. However, that is possibly part of the appeal. Stroll the Haight’s many quirky shops and trendy urban clothing stores. At the end of the Haight-Ashbury experience is Golden Gate Park where you can visit the idyllic Botanical Gardens or take a ride on the vintage carousel.
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 19th, 2007 by amy c
Fairmont Hotel
photo uploaded by luisvilla
Whether you’re traveling with a pet or child, looking for a taste of history or want to stay eco-conscious on your vacation (or all of the above), San Francisco is home to a variety of exciting, comfortable, and convenient hotels to suit your travel needs. Here are a few of our picks to enhance your San Francisco excursion:
The Fairmont Hotel isn’t just a 4-star luxury hotel; it is an experience in San Francisco elegance and old-Hollywood glamour. Tony Bennett first crooned “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in one of the Fairmont’s lavish banquet rooms. The romantic hotel has also been host to countless classic celebrities and political elite for over a century who must have been taken with the grandeur of its gilded ball rooms and panoramic views of the city. The hotel’s prime Nob Hill location brings you to the only place in the city where all cable car lines meet, offering easy access to the famous mode of transportation to take you anywhere you want to go. In addition, the hotel is both pet and environmentally friendly. It is possible (and perhaps tempting) to never leave the hotel as it offers a health club and spa, as well as two unique restaurants. The Tonga Room, for instance, a Polynesian-inspired restaurant-bar, transports you to a rain forest with feigned downpours, dispensing water into a “pond” in the middle of the restaurant, adventurous Asian cuisine, and the city’s best Mai Tai.
A less traditional stay may be fitting for the city with such personality and cultural diversity. Try The Red Victorian Bed and Breakfast for funky and hip, yet comfortable accommodations. The 1960’s décor and colorful art matches that of Haight-Ashbury where notions of peace, love, social justice, and ecology resound in a palpable feeling of goodwill. Choose from 18 themed suites that celebrate the Summer of Love to begin your immersion into San Francisco hippie culture. Besides the quirky, trendy, and historical shops near the hotel, you can enjoy the serenity of nearby Golden Gate Park. Soak up nature with the Botanical Gardens and the Conservatory of Flowers or excite your inner-child with the vintage Golden Gate Park Carousel. (more…)
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 18th, 2007 by amy c
Thursday, October 18
SF Weekly Music Awards: Support local musicians while you party at San Francisco night club, Ruby Skye. Proceeds from the night will go to Our Conservatory, a non-profit organization that helps young, local aspiring musicians.
Friday, October 19
Suite Jesus: Hip art gallery, 111 Minna, is hosting a night full of dancing, art, fashion, and music with six artists showcasing their pieces, three live painters showcasing their art, and DJs mixing the city’s hottest dancing beats.
Saturday, October 20
Lights Out San Francisco: Not only can you enjoy a romantic candlelight dinner at a variety of top restaurants around the city, but you’ll feel extra good knowing that you helped the environment and supported this city-wide energy conservation event which encourages to turn off all non-essential lighting for one hour. Check out contributing restaurants here!
Saturday, October 20- Sunday, October 21
Goblin Jamboree Fundraiser: Explore the Bay Area Discovery Museum in your costume, as it is transformed into a spooky Halloween wonderland.
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 11th, 2007 by amy c
Thursday, October 11- Sunday, October 14:
9th Annual Oktoberfest-by-the-bay: Enjoy the largest festival of its kind in California at the Festival Pavillion, Fort Mason, and Buchanon Streets. All day activities, performances, food, and drink as Germanic culture invades the city-by-the-bay.
Monday, October 8- Saturday, October 13:
8th Annual Litquake: Don’t miss the last weekend to experience a one-of-a-kind showcase of hundreds of authors, many of which come from the bay area. Celebrate the bay area’s literary past as well as its present and future with talented writers of a variety of genres. Check the website for specific events and readings to take place at various locations around the city.
Saturday, October 13- Sunday, October 14:
37th Annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival:Autumn and Halloween spirit will be brewing in this charming seaside town, known as the “World Pumpkin Capitol,” this weekend as thousands of pumpkins decorate the rolling hills, pumpkin carving demonstrations take jack-o-lanterns to whole new fright heights, and non-stop live entertainment takes to 3 different stages.
Saturday, October 13- Sunday, October 14:
32nd Annual San Francisco Open Studios: An event no art-enthusiast should miss! Artspan, located at 934 Brannon Street, invites the public to watch local artist work every weekend from October 6- October 28.
Planning a trip to San Francisco? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go San Francisco Card.
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October 10th, 2007 by amy c
Legion of Honor Museum
photo uploaded by Jose C Silva
Art is everywhere you look in San Francisco–from the many famous art museums that draw tourists and aspiring artists for a taste of history, to the unique architecture, to the unrecognized street artists who decorate the city with chalk murals and paintings. Whether you’re looking to lose yourself in a museum where the beauty of the architecture matches that of the exhibits, browse local art shows, or experience where art meets nightlife in a very different type of gallery, San Francisco has all the destinations that may inspire the artist or collector in you. Here are some of our picks of famous museums to quench your artistic thirst, whether it be for ancient, modern, contemporary, or surprising art.
Legion of Honor: Rodin’s Thinker statue proudly greets visitors in the Court of Honor at the Legion, a preview of the 4,000 pieces of ancient and European art in the most beautiful museum in San Francisco. Overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, the sweeping views and spacious building, reminiscent of 18th century French architecture, only add to the beauty of the fine art inside. Built to commemorate the California soldiers who died in World War I, the Legion has been a San Francisco icon since 1924. (more…)
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October 8th, 2007 by amy c
View of San Francisco skyline from Sausalito
uploaded by hsivonen
The major art museums of San Francisco like the Legion of Honor or de Young Museum are excellent ways to get a hearty helping of fine art. But for the art lover looking for a unique visual experience in a charming seaside town, Sausalito is the place to stroll as it is chalked full of blocks and blocks of inspiration.
A short, delightful ferry ride across San Francisco Bay, historical Sausalito is gaining recognition as the “art mecca” of the Bay Area. The small, visitor-friendly town oozes European charm with its crowded waterfront sidewalks and patio cafes—perfect for the art collector, artist, or casual viewer looking to experience art outside of a stuffy museum.
Local and international artists alike showcase photography, paintings, sculptures, and glass works at the 15 plus galleries that decorate the waterfront. Much of the art includes images of the bay area, offering an insight into the locations that captivate artists’ brushes, chisels, or lenses. Take in the Mediterranean flair and gorgeous views of the Bay Area as you visit some of these must-see galleries. (more…)
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