Things to do / Travel Guide
The central California coast has a rich history that includes Native American tribes, Franciscan monks, Spanish explorers, Gold Rush pioneers, beatniks, hippies, and most recently, techies. Many of the larger towns and cities, such as San Simeon, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco, have Spanish colonial-era missions and feature various sites that have played important roles in the history of this region. For instance, San Francisco is home to Alcatraz Island, which is famous all over the world as the “escape-proof prison.” Meanwhile, just across the bay, in Berkeley, there is the beautiful college campus of the University of California at Berkeley where, during the 1960s, there were many student protests and riots. Down in San Simeon there's also the massive Hearst Castle, a legacy to the era of yellow journalism, built by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst.
Alcatraz Island in San Francisco
One of the most popular attractions in the region is Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. It was first discovered by Juan Manuel Ayala, a European explorer, and it served as a military post until 1933 when the U.S. government turned the island into a maximum-security prison. The hope was that the steep cliffs, treacherous tides, and frigid waters would keep criminals like Al Capone, “Machine Gun” Kelly, Alvin Karpis, and Robert Stroud (the famous “Birdman of Alcatraz”) from attempting escape. The blockbuster, “The Rock,” starring Sean Connery, Ed Harris, and Nicholas Cage, was filmed here. Alcatraz, as a prison, was extremely expensive to maintain and in 1963 the prison was finally shut down after yet another escape was attempted. A Native American group, calling themselves the “United Indians of All Tribes,” then squatted upon the island until 1971, when they were forcibly removed by the government. The island was then acquired by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Today the native wildlife of the island, which was driven away during the prison years, has begun to return; black-crested night heron and other seabirds now call Alcatraz home. Today there are also tours given by the park's rangers that tell entertaining and interesting anecdotes to guests who enjoy a 2½-hour boat ride and tour to the island. Tours to Alcatraz are extremely popular and space is limited, so it is highly recommended that guests purchase tickets in advance. Tickets to the island can be purchased at Pier 41 from the Blue and Gold Fleet, and cost roughly $20 per adult and $10 per child.
Beatnik Hangouts in San Francisco
The North Beach area of San Francisco is anchored by Washington Square, which is not a square (it's got five sides) and isn't on Washington Street. Be that as it may, the area immediately adjacent to Washington Square in San Francisco, just like Washington Square Park in New York, was a popular gathering place for “intellectuals” during the 1950s and 1960s. San Francisco has spawned many writers and cultural critics, such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs. Many of these folks hung out in their heyday in European-inspired Bohemian-styled coffeehouses, such as the Vesuvio Café, located on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Broadway. It was popular with beatnik Allen Ginsberg and the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Rumor has it that Francis Ford Coppola came to sip coffee here while working on the script treatment for “The Godfather.”
Barbary Coast Trail
This roughly four-mile-long trail preserves over 50 sites from the region's more rambunctious days during the California Gold Rush. It was home to one of the most notorious red-light districts ever with saloons, bordellos, gambling halls, and dance halls on every corner. This little city of sin managed to escape the wrath of the 1906 earthquake and is now the site of the oldest commercial buildings still remaining in San Francisco.
Berkeley, California
The city of Berkeley is located on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay and is the famous home of the University of California at Berkeley. Berkeley has been known as a bastion of intellectual liberalism and has spawned 18 Nobel Prize winners and a long, history of student activism. Berkeley has also been known for hippies and “flower children;” at least that's the kind of people one might expect to see around Telegraph Avenue, the main drag just off the UC Berkeley campus, but times have changed dramatically. Although there are still a handful of hippies sitting around, for the most part, Berkeley, along with the San Francisco area as a whole, has evolved from hippies to yuppies. Nevertheless, Berkeley is a popular historical attraction in the area and is well worth the trip across the bay. One site of particular historic interest in Berkeley is Fourth Street, which is characteristic of the city's fine craftsmanship and taste. Many of the buildings in this area date back to the early days of the city and are often trimmed with stained-glass windows.
Silicon Valley
The Computer History Museum claims to be “the world's largest and most significant history museum for preserving and presenting the computing revolution.” The museum strives to highlight the accomplishments of Silicon Valley's companies and pioneers. The museum is only open four days a week, so call ahead to make sure they're open. Admission is free.
The spirit of Silicon Valley is captured in the Tech Museum of Innovation. It features an IMAX Dome Theater with 44 speaker surround-sound. The museum also includes four different themed galleries: Exploration, Communication, Life Tech, and Innovation. Exploring this museum is possible everyday of the week but Mondays.
Semiconductor chips made from silicon (not to be confused with Silicone!) were invented at Fairchild Semiconductor and are now everywhere - from the tips of you fingers to billions of miles beyond Pluto. Menlo Park is home to the Stanford Research Institute where the first computer mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963.
Mission San Jose
This Mission San Jose was founded at the very end of the 18th century by Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén, it was the 14th mission in the California chain. The building was restored in the mid-1980s at a cost of over five million dollars. This stunning example of a Spanish Mission was once the center of an extensive cattle-ranching enterprise.
John Steinbeck of Salinas
In Salinas and Monterey, literary enthusiasts can visit the birthplace of John Steinbeck, the author of such American literary masterpieces as “The Grapes of Wrath,” “East of Eden,” “Cannery Row,” and “Of Mice and Men.” The multi-generational family epic “East of Eden” was written while Steinbeck was living in Salinas (where visitors can check out the National Steinbeck Center down at 1 Main Street), and the local scenery was used as the backdrop of the novel. In addition, Steinbeck's novels “Cannery Row” and “Sweet Thursday” were based on the experiences and observations of the people he met working in the fishing and cannery industry in Monterey. Literary experts agree that you can't appreciate the novel “Cannery Row” until you actually visit Cannery Row in Monterey.
Robert Louis Stevenson House in Monterey, California
Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of the literary classic “Treasure Island,” lived in the French Hotel for several months in 1879 while working on various writing projects, such as “Amateur Immigrant,” “The Old Pacific,” “Capital,” and “Vendetta of the West.” Today, fans of Stevenson's body of work can check out the house, which is located at 530 Houston Street. Many rooms now display various bric-a-brac and knickknacks that once belonged to the penniless writer. Rumor has it that the Robert Louis Stevenson House is haunted by the spirit of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Monterey Presidio
California's second Catholic mission was established at the Monterey Presidio in 1770 and is famous for many of its architectural designs, such as the vine-draped cathedral and the Baroque stone church. Also of particular eye-catching interest are the four-bell Moorish tower, the central star-shaped window, and the arched roof, all of which come from Baroque architectural origins.
Hearst Castle
Built by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, Hearst Castle is a testament to opulence and over the top indulgence on a truly massive scale. Built in stages over a 28-year period, the Hearst Castle embodies Spanish architecture, Gothic architecture, Italianate architecture, and features lots of historic pieces of art and ornate furniture.
Historical Sites in San Francisco Bay Area, Carmel, Napa Valley, Central California Coast
Historical-Sites
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