You're gonna love it!
 Northern California has something for everyone, and October is the best time to visit! With warm sunny days, rainfall virtually non-existant and the summer fog gone it's a tourists delight! It's so wonderful, it prompted The Rev. Billy Graham to say "The Bay Area is so beautiful, I hesitate to preach about heaven while I'm here." Here are some things Northern California will have waiting for you.
- San Francisco - Cable cars, the Palace of Fine Arts (left), The Presidio, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, the Giants and the 49ers! You are going to love visiting the city and taking in the sights.
- Fun for all! - Paramount Great America is just down the road and Pier 39 is adjacent to Fisherman's wharf. Both are great places to spend the day with the kids and grandkids.
- Science and Technology - Kids and adults alike will enjoy visiting the Exploritorium in San Francisco, The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose and the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland.
- The Arts - San Francisco is home to three world class art museums (The Legion of Honor, The DeYoung and the MOMA), and the San Francisco Symphony (with Michael Tilson Thomas) will be performing during the Symposium.
- Bring an appetite - Bay Area restaurants are world class and include such notables as Chez Panesse, Gary Danko, the French Laundry (make reservations at least 4 months in advance) and the new and exciting 5th Floor
- Wine Country - you can go sideways, go to Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley or just take a mud bath in Calastoga. Northern California is home to some of the world's finest wines and the winery tours are very popular. It's all good!
- The Northern California Coast - breathtaking views along Pacific Coast Highway where you can visit great lighthouses, beaches and swim with the seals. Want to go to Cabot Cove Maine? "Murder She Wrote" was actually filmed in Mendocino!
- Monterey and the Aquarium! Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach and the 17 Mile drive. John Steinbeck didn't and Clint Eastwood doesn't live here for nothing...
 Muir Woods National Monument - we don't just grow trees, we grow them big! More people from more places around the world come here.
- Yosemite Valley - It took John Muir 8 weeks to hike into it, but beautiful and majestic Yosemite National Park is only a three hour drive away.
- Pacificon will happen one week later - come for the Symposium and stay the biggest west coast ARRL event of the year!
Getting Around
Please see the Symposium Transportation page for additional information however here are some of the basics.
From the hotel to San Francisco you can take various means to go to the CalTrain station in either Hayward Park or Hillsdale. All northbound trains terminate at the CalTrain Station in San Francisco. Once there transfer to the "N-Judah" Muni light rail across from the train station and get off at the Embarcadero or continue along Market Street up to Powell Street (Cable Cars and Union Square.) You can also take the #30 bus from the train station directly to Union Square.
Most San Francisco tour operators are located at the Embarcadero and depart for City Tours, Muir Woods, Wine Country, Monterey and Yosemite.
An alternate route is to take the hotel shuttle to the airport BART station and take BART directly into the downtown area.
Cable Car Information
Basically, there are three cable car routes in operation, and it helps to know their respective destinations. At Powell and Market streets, there is a cable car turntable which serves as the beginning stop for two lines, the Powell-Mason (one block from Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39) and Powell- Hyde (Ghiradelli Square) lines. The Powell-Mason line runs up and over Nob Hill and down to Bay Street at Fisherman's Wharf. The Powell-Hyde line runs over Nob and Russian hills before ending at Aquatic Park about two blocks north of Fisherman's Wharf.
The third line is the California Street line, which runs East-West from the Financial District about a block west of the Embarcadero through Chinatown, over Nob Hill and ends at Van Ness Avenue. It crosses both other lines at Powell Street and you may be able to transfer, but don't count on it. Cable Car queues fill up the cars at the turntables, so getting on midway is somewhat of a challenge.
Group Tour Information
If you are less adventurous or if you would like to sign up for a group tour please see the Group Tour page.
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