On Cruise Control

Websites and those in the travel industry have advised prospective SF travelers to see the city by the bay from the bay as the water offers spectacular sights of the city they referred to as Baghdad by the Bay.  Despite all the recommendations from tourism authorities, I stayed away from this touristy activity.

Until one day when an email from Travelzoo made me stop and say I'd like to see the city from the water.  Travelzoo is an online resource providing spectacular deals from the companies.  And in this case, the deal was for a cruise around the bay - skirting by Alcatraz, to the beautiful waterfront of the city, under the Bay Bridge and to the ballpark - the SF Giant's home, AT&T Park and then back to Pier 39.

The cruise started boarding at 6 pm on 9/03/11.  It was breezy and foggy as you can see.  It was called the HAPPY HOUR cruise.  A spread of appetizers - cheese and crackers and chips and dips - along with choice of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage was included in the price.
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Come and join me as we see this beautiful city peering through the fog that envelops it while cruising this charming bay.
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The boat leaving Pier 39.
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We passed by the sea lions.
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Got a close up look at Forbes Island, a restaurant where a water shuttle would ferry you from Pier 39 to the restaurant.  Pretty cool eh?
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Coit Tower.
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Fog makes Alcatraz mysterious.

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I really love how the fog enhances the eerie beauty of Alcatraz.
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The beautiful San Francisco waterfront.
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The Ferry Building Clock Tower.  It's the first thing that greets the visitor to the city who comes in from the water.  So picturesque.

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Sts Peter and Paul Church.
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The Transamerica Pyramid almost drowned by the fog.
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A typical sight.
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Crossing under the Bay Bridge.
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We are nearing AT&T ball park.  The Giants were playing that day.  We could hear the roar of the crowd from the bay.
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The water outside the ballpark is named McCovey Cove after Willie McCovey - first base Hall of Famer, very popular spots for kayakers and boaters.
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Time to go back. 

Comments

  1. San Francisco is such a beautiful city. One of my favorite cities, it is. It's great that you took up Travelzoo's offer.

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  2. Maria, these are really wonderful views, the fog adds beauty to the landscapes.
    San Francisco is so fascinating, it always makes me think of the famous Hitchcock movie "Vertigo".
    About your question, I haven't been anywhere, just very busy.
    Happy Sunday!

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  3. Wow thank you for such an excellent tour of SF from the bay. Glad you took the touristy route :D

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  4. Thanks for taking us along on the waterfront boat trip. Fine shots…one after another!

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  5. It's the first time I've heard/read about this bay cruise, Maria. WOW! Good for you to finally do it because it looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing it.

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  6. wow you had another cruise sarap naman. nice ride with you through your pictures :)

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  7. i only see san francisco from the bird's eye view (mostly from tv and movies), and it's nice to see it from another viewpoint.

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  8. OMG!! Let me say your colours were great and they got the drama necessary to impress me.

    Hugs

    Valery

    Barcelona Daily Photo

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  9. Wonderful shots of San Francisco from the water.

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  10. This series of photos brings back many memories. As you know, we visit SF nearly every spring - we love the city. We usually stay in Sausalito and take the ferry over. The fog adds a wonderful ambiance to your shots.

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  11. i love that misty look of buildngs as formed by the fog. reminded me of the mountain i trkeed just yesterday.

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  12. i always wish to do a cruise someday.
    youre lucky, you can do cruising anytime! bakit walang matinong cruise company dito sa pinas.. sayang.

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  13. Nice shots, I'm so jealous now hehehe, I've been to SF 4x but I never had nice shots of the golden gate bridge or any places in that city maybe I should go back there just for pictures lol. I remember I stayed in Fairmont Hotel during my business trip there and walked around the area just by myself. I never tried cruise tours when I lived in CA, HI and even here ;-) maybe I should try.

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  14. How much was this 'happy hour' deal? Been getting a lot of Groupon, Buywithme, Eversave e-mails lately and they're all tempting!

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  15. @ Nomadic Pinoy - $25 for 2. Normally 48 per person.

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  16. beautiful city by the bay. Alcatraz is ever famous - stories and movies about it. I've visited SFO but I'd like to see it one day.

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