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« Previous Edition | This California Travel Edition Posted on 01/11/12 | Next Edition »

Visiting San Francisco Bay Area

2012 is a new year and you’re in San Francisco. Can‘t get a better start to the year than California’s San Francisco Bay area. From the tried and true Fisherman’s Wharf and a ride on the Cable Cars to a tour of Alcatraz and visit to Chinatown, San Francisco is an ideal place to visit. It's always the “Summer of Love” in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood; the sight of the Golden Gate Bridge never gets old; and the shopping around Union Square is always fabulous. A flight into San Francisco International Airport and a quick 15-mile drive up US-101 and you’re in the heart of the city.

Sample the best of San Francisco culinary offerings and Bay Area wine’s at the 11th Annual Wine and Wishes. The 2012 event held February 4 benefits the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation with the city’s top epicurean talents. Held at City View at Metreon, featured chefs include students from the California Culinary Academy and local chefs from Poggio, One Market and Lafolie among the favorites.

Joggers, runners and serious athletes join the fun of the 29th Annual Kaiser Half Marathon and 5K Fun Run for a morning jaunt February 5, 2012. The early morning start is 6:30 am for a run through Golden Gate Park and a finish across from the Pacific Ocean on Martin Luther King Drive at the west end of Golden Gate Park.

Fans of A Cappella vocals mark March 10 on the calendar for the 2012 Bay Area Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival. The Festival features the best vocal harmonies from San Francisco, Northern California and the surrounding regions. Hosted by Brass Farthing, the 2011 Bay Area Champions, the festival takes place at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts.

Basketball fans are just a hop across San Francisco Bay for Oakland’s Golden State Warriors action. Take I-80 across the Bay Bridge and down the Nimitz Freeway for the 20-mile drive to Oracle Arena. Northeast of Oakland International Airport, Oracle Arena hosts Golden State games through the 2012 season, ending in April with the Warrior’s hosting the Hornets on the 24 and the Spurs on the 26.

Escape the hustle and bustle of San Francisco and Oakland with a getaway to Pacifica. Just 15 minutes south of San Francisco on California Highway 1 south, Pacifica is west of SFO on California’s Pacific coast. The Pacifica Municipal Pier is a wonderful fishing pier, however winter is the season for crabbing – and no fishing license is required.

Pacifica offers amazing hiking trails, including the seven-mile waterfront trail linking Sharp Park Beach, Rockaway Beach and Pacifica State Beach. Golden Gate National Recreation Area also extends into San Mateo County around Pacifica. Destinations like Milagra Ridge, Mori Point and the Phleger Estate offer excellent opportunities for outdoor adventure and sightseeing.