 |
Alaska Airlines Flights from Vancouver, Canada (YVR) to San Francisco (SFO)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Alaska Airlines, which operates 3 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Vancouver, Canada (YVR) to San Francisco (SFO), departing between 7:25am and 6:51pm. Usually a Boeing 737-400 or Boeing 737-700 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Vancouver, Canada to San Francisco, CA is 2 hours and 27 minutes.
During your San Francisco vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Lombard Street
Known (erroneously) as the "crookedest street in the world," this whimsically winding block of Lombard Street draws thousands of visitors each year (much to the chagrin of neighborhood residents, most of whom would prefer to block off the street to tourists). The angle of the street is so steep that the road has to snake back and forth to make a descent possible. The brick-lined street zigzags around the residences' bright flower gardens, which explode with color during warmer months. This short stretch of Lombard Street is one-way, downhill, and fun to drive. Take the curves slowly and in low gear, and expect a wait during the weekend. Save your film for the bottom where, if you're lucky, you can find a parking space and take a few snapshots of the silly spectacle. You can also take staircases (without curves) up or down on either side of the street. In truth, most locals don't understand what the fuss is all about. I'm guessing the draw is the combination of a classic, unusually steep San Francisco street and a great photo op. FYI: Vermont Street, between 20th and 22nd streets in Potrero Hill, is even more crooked, but not nearly as picturesque.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
Swiss architect Mario Botta, in association with Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum, designed this $65-million museum, which has made SoMa one of the more popular areas to visit, for tourists and residents alike. The museum's permanent collection consists of more than 23,000 works, including close to 5,000 paintings and sculptures by artists such as Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning. Other artists represented are Diego Rivera, Georgia O'Keeffe, Paul Klee, the Fauvists, and exceptional holdings of Richard Diebenkorn. MOMA was one of the first museums to recognize photography as a major art form; its extensive collection includes more than 12,000 photographs by such notables as Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Unfortunately, few works are on display at one time, and for the money the experience can be disappointing -- especially compared to the finer museums of New York. Docent-led tours take place daily. Times are posted at the admission desk. Phone for current details of upcoming special events and exhibitions or check MOMA's website.The Caffé Museo, to the right of the museum entrance, offers very good-quality fresh soups, sandwiches, and salads.No matter what, don't miss the MuseumStore, which carries a wonderful array of architectural gifts, books, and trinkets. It's one of the best shops in town.
Ghiradelli Square
This National Historic Landmark property dates from 1864, when it served as a factory making Civil War uniforms, but it's best known as the former chocolate and spice factory of Domingo Ghirardelli (pronounced "Gear-a-deli"), who purchased it in 1984. The factory has since been converted into a three-level mall containing 50-plus stores and 11 dining establishments. Scheduled street performers entertain regularly in the West Plaza and fountain area. Incidentally, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company still makes chocolate, but its factory is in a lower-rent district in the East Bay. Still, if you have a sweet tooth, you won't be disappointed at the mall's fantastic old-fashioned soda fountain.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
San Francisco area, including:
The Cornell Hotel de France
Its quirks make this old hotel more charming than many others in its price range. Resident pooch, Noel, greets you when you enter the small French-style hotel. Pass the office, where a few faces will glance in your direction and smile, and embark on a ride in the old-fashioned elevator (we're talking seriously old-school here) to get to your very basic room. Each floor is dedicated to a French painter and decorated with reproductions. Rooms are all plain and comfortable, with desks and chairs, and are individually and simply decorated. Smoking is not allowed. Breakfast, which is included in the rate, is served in the very cool cavernlike provincial basement restaurant, Jeanne d'Arc. Union Square is just a few blocks away.
The Laurel Inn
If you don't mind being out of the downtown area, this lovely hotel, renovated in 1999, is one of the most tranquil, affordable places to rest your head. Tucked just beyond the southernmost tip of the Presidio and Pacific Heights, the outside is nothing impressive -- just another motor inn. And that's what it was until the hotel group Joie de Vivre breathed new life into the place. Now decor is très chic and modern, with Zen-like influences (think W Hotel at half the price). Some rooms have excellent city views; all have spiffy bathrooms. The continental breakfast is fine, but why bother when you're across the street from Ella's, which serves San Francisco's best breakfast? Other thoughtful touches: 24-hour coffee and tea service, pet-friendly rooms, and free parking! Add the great shopping 1 block away at Sacramento Street and the new and very hip bar, G, which serves libations and a surprisingly active slice of glamorous young Pacific Heights-style revelry, and there are plenty of reasons to stay here.
The San Remo Hotel
This small, European-style pensione is one of the best budget hotels in San Francisco. In a quiet North Beach neighborhood, within walking distance of Fisherman's Wharf, the Italianate Victorian structure originally served as a boardinghouse for dockworkers displaced by the great fire of 1906. As a result, the rooms are small and bathrooms are shared, but all is forgiven when it comes time to pay the bill. Rooms are decorated in cozy country style, with brass and iron beds; oak, maple, or pine armoires; and wicker furnishings. The immaculate shared bathrooms feature tubs and brass pull-chain toilets with oak tanks and brass fixtures. If the penthouse is available, book it: You won't find a more romantic place to stay in San Francisco for so little money. It has its own bathroom, TV, fridge, and patio.
|
|

|