GET OUT:
UNION STREET FESTIVAL
When summer rolls around in San Francisco, and the sun shines on the bay, folks are itching to get out and enjoy their city. Right on time, the 42nd annual Union Street Music Festival is scheduled for June 2-3 (rain or shine), and will continue to operate as one of the city’s largest free events. Arts, crafts, exhibits, food trucks and
vendors, and community group representation is always part of the festival. The stretch of Union St. utilized for the function is a fantasti- cal strip of Victorian structures, most of which have been trans- formed into upscale restaurants and galleries. But it’s the music that drives the crowds into the streets, and this year’s festival will feature no fewer than 24 bands, playing on stages scattered throughout the five-block area. Jazz, Blues, Country, and Bluegrass will be featured prominently, along with a selection of local bands.
Union Street, between Gough and Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94123
www.unionstreetfestival.com
(800) 310-6563
EAT:
HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO.
The story of Hog Island oysters and shellfish begins at the Hog Island Oyster Farm in Marshall, and ends at its two restaurants. One is located in the historic Ferry Building Marketplace on the waterfront fringes of the financial district in San Francisco, the other in Napa at the Oxbow Public Market, some 50 miles from the farm and San Fran- cisco. The Marshall farm is a natural oyster bed in the Tomales Bay, and visitors are encouraged to visit the farm and take in the farm- fresh product onsite, just as they would at one of the nearby winer- ies. Guests may indulge on The Boat, the farm’s onsite oyster bar,
or have a picnic on the farm’s grounds. Tours are also available. For those who crave a more urban oyster experience, the same “hand- raised” oysters are available at the Ferry Building restaurant just off the Embarcadero, and at the Napa location, situated next to the Napa River in the town’s quaint-yet-bustling downtown area.
San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace One Ferry Building, #11
San Francisco, CA 94111 www.hogislandoysters.com
(415) 391-7117
PLAY:
HALF MOON BAY GOLF LINKS
There are other Bay Area golf courses – really famous ones – that spring to mind when golfers consider taking on a links course on the Northern California coast. It’s understand-able, but insiders know there’s another game in town – or at the very least, on the other side of the peninsula. Half Moon Bay offers 36 holes of golf, and the small matter of the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay looming behind the 18th green. The “new” course is the Ocean Course, opened in 1997 and designed by Arthur Hills; a links layout that runs golfers right along the cliffs high above the Pacific Ocean, and bagpip-ers play each evening as the sun sets. The “old” course is the Old Course, which also offers a par 72 championship challenge, but features a completely different atmosphere, replacing the open, breezy, ocean-y surroundings of the Ocean course with a sequestered, forested feel.
2 Miramontes Point Road
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
www.halfmoonbaygolf.com
(650) 532-9409
STAY:
FAIRMONT SAN FRANCISCO
Traveling is expensive. Particularly when you visit places known to be pricey. Therefore, sometimes it’s easy to try and cut a corner here with an economy car rental, or pinch a few pennies there
by staying at your old standby chain hotel. Then, there are times when you want to treat yourself the way you know you should be treated, the way you deserve to be treated. That’s when you stay at The Fairmont during your trip to San Francisco. Built in 1907, The Fairmont is one of the city’s grand dames, connecting generations to timeless elegance; just valet parking at The Fairmont makes one feel like they’ve made it where they’re going. All the fine five-star appointments highlight each of the 591 guest rooms, and the Laurel Court Restaurant and Bar handles high tea in the afternoon and cocktails at night. The cherry on top is the hotel’s location at Washington and Gough, the only spot in San Francisco where all five cable car lines meet.
950 Mason St
San Francisco, CA 94108
www.fairmont.com/san-francisco
(415) 772-5000
