The Aquarium of the Bay is open 364-days, and is closed on December 25th. Summer hours are 9:00 am -

Founded by the Spaniards in 1776, San Francisco, population of around 750,000, has been a city of excitement ever since the California airlines tickets cheap gold rush days in 1848. The City by the Bay with its distinctive Golden Gate Bridge landmark has been wooing visitors with the promise of romance with its historic cable cars, stunning views, culture, gastronomy, and architecture, most notably San Francisco's painted ladies, which are the colorful Victorian mansions.
Winter temperatures on the east coast were a rollercoaster ride rocketing from lows in the single digits to highs in the teens, Fahrenheit not Celsius, the sky was bleak and gray, and Edward and I were ready for a warm weather respite. Sunny San Francisco with temperatures at 58 F and warmer (+14 C) was the perfect weekend getaway.
We stayed at the 110-room (9 are suites) luxury boutique hotel, Campton Place - A Taj Hotel , a glistening airlines tickets cheap historic gem located in the heart of Union Square, which should come with the warning, Shoppers' Paradise, as the streets are lined with famous designer boutiques and well-known department stores including Nordstrom, Saks, and Macy's.
From our opulent corner airlines tickets cheap room, we had a perfect birds' eye view of Union Square, which was a surreal setting with its annual holiday ice-skating rink where skaters glided over the ice, while palm trees gently swayed in the park.
The hotel may be small in stature, but it is large on amenities, including its elegant fine dining restaurant, the Campton Place Restaurant , where Executive Chef Srijith Gopinathan creates culinary masterpieces to pair with Master Sommelier Richard Dean's wine selections from a wine cellar boasting 20,000 wines; Campton Place Bar and Bistro , an intimate space for casual dining as well as inspired cocktails; a well-equipped Fitness Center; a Business Center; and even a special complimentary car service in the early morning and afternoon that is perfect for business travelers.
San Francisco has so much to offer visitors, and from the hotel's convenient location, and using the CityPass (valid for 7-days includes Muni and Cable Car transportation, and admission to 5 attractions) and the Go San Francisco Card (includes admission to dozens airlines tickets cheap of attractions as well as discounts on shopping and dining) we were able to explore a great deal of the city. These days when time, as well as value, are more important than ever for travelers, the passes offer not only excellent value, but also include entrance admissions or discount admission, and not having to wait in long entrance lines.
The neighborhoods of San Francisco are culturally diverse, and we enjoyed strolling through Chinatown , the oldest Chinatown in the United States, and the largest Chinese airlines tickets cheap community outside of Asia. We entered through the landmark Dragon's Gate on Grant Avenue and absorbed the culture and the architecture as we browsed in the shops.
Using our CityPass, we rode the famous historic cable cars , which have been operating since the late 19th century, daily during our stay to not only see the city, but also as a way to avoid walking up and down the steep hills. We rode the Powell-Mason line, which took us down to Fisherman's Wharf; and the Powell-Hyde line to Ghirardelli Square where one of the stops is Lombard Street. Historic Cable Car Fare for Adults is $5.00 one-way. airlines tickets cheap The CityPass provides visitors with unlimited rides on the Historic Cable Cars.
Riding the cable cars also gave us an opportunity to see the varying architecture of the city, including San Francisco's famous Victorian houses , colorfully referenced as Painted Ladies which are Victorian houses painted three or more colors to highlight their ornate embellishments. There are three distinct Victorian styles in San Francisco: Queen Anne, popular from 1885 - 1905, the most ornate, with steeply pitched roofs, stained glass windows, turrets, gingerbread, airlines tickets cheap and asymmetric design; Italianate, popular between 1845-1860, distinguished by rectangular, symmetrical designs, airlines tickets cheap and elaborate details; and Stick-Style, popular from 1905-1920, which are the plainest of the Victorians.
It was beautifully warm and sunny during our trip, and we took a 1-hour Blue Gold Fleet Bay Cruise , which provided us with the opportunity to see the famous Pier 39 sea lions basking in the sun on floating docks, airlines tickets cheap the infamous Alcatraz Prison , nicknamed The Rock, set on a 22-acre island, which during its 29-years of operation as a federal prison held such infamous notables as Al Scarface Capone, George Machine Gun Kelly, and Robert airlines tickets cheap Franklin Stroud - the Birdman of Alcatraz.
We passed Coit Tower , the 48-story Transamerica Pyramid , which is the tallest structure in San Francisco, and of course, San Francisco's most iconic landmark, the 1.2 mile Golden Gate Bridge , which took 4 years to build and opened in May 1937. Contrary to its name, the suspension airlines tickets cheap bridge is actually painted international orange.
The Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39 was also of great interest, where one of the highlights was walking through 300 feet of acrylic tunnels under San Francisco Bay where we were fascinated as we watched the leopard sharks, big skates, bat rays, and sevengill sharks, swimming over and around us. For non-divers, the tunnel provides visitors with the opportunity to see what scuba divers experience, without ever getting wet.
The Aquarium of the Bay is open 364-days, and is closed on December 25th. Summer hours are 9:00 am - 8:00 pm daily; Fall through winter hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, and extended hours until 7:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is charged; Adults: $14.95, Seniors airlines tickets cheap age 65+: $8.00, Children ages 3-11: $8.00, Children under 3 are free, Family Rate: $37.95 (2 adults and 2 children. Admission is included with the CityPass and also with the Go San Francisco airlines tickets cheap Card.
We also visited the Hyde Street Pier , where the historic steam and sailing vessels are part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park . The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is open daily. Although entrance airlines tickets cheap to the park is free, there is a small admission fee to tour the ships.
Always looking for exciting new adventures, we drove the GoCar , which are bright yellow, three-wheel open cars that are GPS Guided airlines tickets cheap Storytelling cars that have been entertaining visitors since 2004. With Edward behind the wheel, and me strapped in beside him with my camera in hand, we drove through the streets of San Francisco, guided by GPS and our recorded tour guide that is available in 5 languages, passing San Francisco's most famous airlines tickets cheap highlights including Lombard Street, known as the crooked street.
What we liked about the GoCar is that we could stop whenever we wanted to take photographs, and the guided tour would pick back up when we put the car in gear. Discounted rental fees are available with the CityPass and the Go San Francisco card.
We also took a narrated tour of San Francisco onboard the Gray Line Trolley , a 1-hour 15-minute tour, which provided us with the opportunity to get on and off to experience different sights of the city. Riding in a motorized trolley, our driver airlines tickets cheap provided us with an interesting airlines tickets cheap view of the city, where a few of the many highlights of the tour included Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, North Beach, Union Square, and seeing the mansions in prestigious Nob Hill.
San Francisco is a city committed to the arts, and boarding the 74X CultureBus that makes stops at the Asian Art Museum , the de Young Museum , the California Academy of Sciences , the Contemporary airlines tickets cheap Jewish Museum , and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) was a great way to make the most of our time. Fare for Adults is $7 per day, Seniors $5 per day, and $3 per day for CityPass holders, is good for unlimited travel in any direction between 8:40 am - 5:50 pm, with the ability to hop on and off throughout the day. Busses run every 20 minutes.
We visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) , which is an architectural stunner focused on modern and contemporary art. During airlines tickets cheap our visit we saw the exhibition Matisse and Beyond - The Photography Collection.
The museum is open Monday, airlines tickets cheap Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11:00 am - 5:45 pm; Thursday from 11:00 am - 8:45 pm; and is closed on Wednesday. Admission is charged, Adults $12, Seniors (62+ years) $8.00, Students with current ID $7.00, Children under 12 free; Thursday evenings half-price admission from 6:00 pm - 8:45 pm; and First Tuesday of the month free admission. Admission is included with the CityPass and Go San Francisco Card.
Another interesting museum that we visited was the California Academy of Sciences , which opened in September 2008, and was designed by the internationally acclaimed architect, Renzo Piano, and houses the Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium, Kimball Natural History Museum, and research airlines tickets cheap facility. Especially interesting was touring the 2.5-acre living roof which utilizes innovative energy-saving materials and technology.
San Francisco offers visitors many cultural experiences including ballet, opera, symphony, and theatre, and during our visit, we had the opportunity to see John Guare's play, Rich and Famous , directed by John Rando and starring Brooks Ashmanskas , Mary Birdsong , Gregory Wallace , and Stephen DeRosa at the American Conservatory Theatre . The play runs until February 8, 2009.
The culinary scene is richly diverse from casual restaurants to elegant fine dining experiences, however, sourdough bread, Dungeness crab, and Ghirardelli Chocolate are three of San Francisco's famous culinary signatures. When it comes to sourdough bread, that tangy, flavorful, crisp crust bread, one should go directly to the source, Boudin Bakery , which began making its famous French sourdough bread back in 1849. Whenever we travel to San Francisco, Edward and I always make a special trip to the bakery located at Fisherman's Wharf to indulge in loaves of sourdough bread, airlines tickets cheap crab cake sandwiches on sourdough brea