AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2023 - 46

COLLIN CALLAHAN
BRIEFING
DEST INAT IONS /
Leave your heart
Flying to the 'City by the Bay'
BY COLLIN CALLAHAN
BOASTING AN ICONIC FOOD SCENE, a plethora of outdoor activities, exceptional
architecture, and nightlife and entertainment, San Francisco belongs on your travel
bucket list. The city's mild climate brings average temperatures in the 60s and
260 days of sunshine (if only briefly). Although the city has received its share of
bad press in recent years regarding increased crime and a growing population of
people living on its streets, the city still has its charms.
Fisherman's Wharf offers a quintessential San Francisco experience. Situated
on the waterfront, the wharf provides a scenic view of the city's recognizable landmarks:
the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Coit Tower, and the Trans America
Building. Turn-of-the-century Victorian homes-like the one the Tanners called
home in the television show Full House-line the steeply sloping streets to the
south. And restaurants and bars in Fisherman's Warf offer the fare San Francisco
is known for. Ghirardelli Chocolate Company has called Fisherman's Wharf home
since 1893, although the confectionaries are now produced across the Bay. A huge
lighted sign still shines the company's name over the wharf.
When it comes to baking, San Francisco is in a league of its own-in
fact, a common bacteria used in sourdough bread is named after the city
(Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis). Boudin's Bakery is one of the best-known
makers of San Francisco sourdough, and a visit to the bakery in Fisherman's Wharf
is a must. But if you can't make it to the City by the Bay, Boudin's ships its sourdough
via next-day or second-day air.
The Buena Vista, a 100-year-old bar, claims the Irish coffee was first created
here. During busy times, bartenders will line up dozens of glasses along the bar
46
AOPA PILOT / May 2023
Fisherman's Wharf is home to iconic California
scenes: Coit Tower, the pyramid-shaped Trans
America Building, In-N-Out Burger (a California
staple), and the Buena Vista's famous Irish coffee.
and make the drinks en masse, pouring coffee
and whiskey from one glass to the next, mixing
sugar, and topping the drinks with a dollop
of whipped cream.
Some of the city's most famous landmarks
are just a short trip from the Wharf, including
The Presidio, a 1,500-acre national park near
the Golden Gate Bridge. A former military
installation, the Presidio now boasts hundreds
of restored and renovated buildings, walking
trails, an unmatched view of the Golden Gate
bridge, and a golf course.
A mile offshore sits Alcatraz Island-The
Rock. From 1934 until 1963, the island served
as a federal penitentiary. During those 29 years,
1,500 prisoners whom the federal government
" deemed difficult to incarcerate elsewhere, "
including infamous members of organized
crime syndicates like Al Capone, were interned
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2023

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