One of the most popular tourist cities in America is San Francisco and some of the best attractions are found at San Francisco’s Pier 39. The atmosphere is upbeat with street performers, doing juggling, magic, comedy and mime acts. There are twelve restaurants with views of the Bay and over 110 stores, selling gifts, clothing and accessories, arts and crafts, leatherwear, and jewelry. There are also some lovely art gallery stores. You can take a stroll round the 300-berth Marina and cruise the Bay on a sailboat or powerboat tour.
Sightseeing is hungry work and the restaurants, mostly with a seafood menu, are first class. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant and Market takes its name from the movie character of Forest Gump and his best friend, Bubba. The restaurant displays memorabilia from the movie, including costumes, shoes, story boards and still photographs. The Crab House at Pier 39 offers crab in all its forms with crab chowder, crab caesar, crab enchilada, crab cakes and more. The Fog Harbor Fish House serves seafood, pasta and steaks and the North Beach Pizza serves an all-you-can-eat buffet with pizza, pasta and salads. San Francisco Pier 39 also has its own Hard Rock Café with more than 250 items of rock memorabilia.
Families love to visit the Aquarium of the Bay. It’s a fun experience and educational too, with 300 feet of see through tunnels where you can see marine animals such as Severgill Sharks, rays, skates and sea stars. The animal feeding times are posted and there are presentations by naturalists and behind the scenes tours.
A recent addition to the list of attractions at San Francisco Pier 39 is the San Francisco Carousel. More than a fairground ride, it is a work of art. It was hand crafted in Italy and the painted decorations depicts famous landmarks in the city. It’s illuminated with LED lights and traditional organ music plays.
Many people come just to see the resident sea lions at West Marina. Each winter, their population can grow to around 900. Volunteers are on duty at weekends to talk to visitors, explaining the animals’ behaviour and to answer any questions. The Players Arcade is very popular with children and teenagers coming to Pier 39, San Francisco. It is the largest games arcade in the city and players can choose from the latest video games, virtual reality units and more traditional entertainment, such as the Old West Shooting Gallery. There are prizes to be won and refreshments are sold at the delicatessen.
Thrill seekers enjoy the Turbo Ride, a special effects movie that makes you feel that you are right in the middle of the action. You will experience strobe lighting, wind, smoke and other effects. For a short while, you will enter a kind of parallel universe in San Francisco Pier 39!
- San Francisco Attractions The West Coast has much to offer the tourist and...
- How to make the most of a San Francisco weekend getaway San Francisco is, arguably, one of the most interesting and...
- San Francisco Events One of the most exciting cities in the world is...
- Enjoying King Crab Legs Almost everyone has a food that they love, but they...
- Coming Attractions One of my favorite part of going to the movie...