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US Airways Flights from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on US Airways, which operates 6 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO), departing between 6:00am and 5:40pm, and one additional non-stop flight regularly scheduled to depart at 7:55pm and arrive at 11:42pm, everyday except Saturday. Usually a Boeing 757 is flown for this route. Generally, a movie is offered on this route. The average travel time from New York, NY to San Francisco, CA is 6 hours and 35 minutes.
During your San Francisco vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Cable Cars
Although they may not be San Francisco's most practical means of transportation, cable cars are certainly the best loved and are a must-experience when visiting the city. Designated official historic landmarks by the National Park Service in 1964, they clank up and down the city's steep hills like mobile museum pieces, tirelessly hauling thousands of tourists each day to nowhere in particular.London-born engineer Andrew Hallidie invented San Francisco's cable cars in 1869. He got the idea by serendipity. As the story goes, Hallidie was watching a team of overworked horses haul a heavily laden carriage up a steep San Francisco slope. As he watched, one horse slipped and the car rolled back, dragging the other tired beasts with it. At that moment, Hallidie resolved that he would invent a mechanical contraption to replace such horses, and just 4 years later, in 1873, the first cable car made its maiden run from the top of Clay Street. Promptly ridiculed as "Hallidie's Folly," the cars were slow to gain acceptance. One early onlooker voiced the general opinion by exclaiming, "I don't believe it -- the damned thing works!"Even today, many visitors have difficulty believing that these vehicles, which have no engines, actually work. The cars, each weighing about 6 tons, run along a steel cable, enclosed under the street in a center rail. You can't see the cable unless you peer straight down into the crack, but you'll hear its characteristic clickity-clanking sound whenever you're nearby. The cars move when the gripper (not the driver) pulls back a lever that closes a pincerlike "grip" on the cable. The speed of the car, therefore, is determined by the speed of the cable, which is a constant 9 1/2 mph -- never more, never less.The two types of cable cars in use hold a maximum of 90 and 100 passengers, and the limits are rigidly enforced. The best views are from the outer running boards, where you have to hold on tightly when taking curves.Hallidie's cable cars have been imitated and used throughout the world, but all have been replaced by more efficient means of transportation. San Francisco planned to do so, too, but the proposal met with so much opposition that the cable cars' perpetuation was actually written into the city charter in 1955. The mandate cannot be revoked without the approval of a majority of the city's voters -- a distant and doubtful prospect.San Francisco's three existing cable car lines form the world's only surviving system of cable cars, which you can experience for yourself should you choose to wait in the endless boarding line (up to a 2-hr. wait in summer).
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Designed as a memorial to California's World War I casualties, this neoclassical structure is an exact replica of the Legion of Honor Palace in Paris, right down to the inscription HONNEUR ET PATRIE above the portal.The Legion of Honor reopened in late 1995, after a 2-year, $35-million renovation and seismic upgrading. The exterior's grassy expanses, cliff-side paths, and incredible view of the Golden Gate and downtown make this an absolute must-visit attraction before you even get in the door. The inside is equally impressive. The museum's permanent collection covers 4,000 years of art and includes paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from Europe, as well as international tapestries, prints, and drawings. The chronological display of 4,000 years of ancient and European art includes one of the world's finest collections of Rodin's sculptures. The sunlight Legion Café offers indoor and outdoor seating at moderate prices. Plan to spend 2 or 3 hours here.
Octagon House
This unusual, eight-sided, cupola-topped house of interest to architecture buffs dates from 1861 and is maintained by the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. The architectural features are extraordinary, and from the second floor it is possible to look up into the cupola, which is illuminated at night. In the small museum, you'll find Early American furniture, portraits, silver, pewter, looking glasses, and English and Chinese ceramics. There are also some historic documents, including signatures of 54 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Even if you're not able to visit the inside, this strange structure is worth a look.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
San Francisco area, including:
The Commodore Hotel
If you're looking to pump a little fun and fantasy into your vacation, this six-story downtown Art Deco building is the place to go. San Francisco hotelier Chip Conley of Joie de Vivre Hospitality is behind this groovy revamped hotel frequented by an eclectic mix of 20-somethings and everyday folks in search of reasonably priced accommodations. Stealing the show is the Red Room, a small New York-slick bar and lounge that reflects no other color of the spectrum but ruby red (you gotta see this one). The stylish lobby, which was renovated in 2000, comes in a close second, followed by the adjoining Titanic Café, a cute little diner that serves American fare for breakfast and lunch. The "Neo-Deco" rooms, all of which underwent upgrades through 2001, are simple but lively with bright colors, whimsical furnishings, pretty artwork, and small bathrooms refurbished in 1998.
King George Hotel
Built in 1914 for the Panama-Pacific Exhibition (when rooms went for $1 per night), the delightful boutique King George has fared well over the years with its mostly European clientele. The location -- surrounded by cable car lines, the Theater District, Union Square, and dozens of restaurants -- is superb, and the rooms, all of which were renovated in 1999 and received new textiles in 2002, are surprisingly quiet for such a busy spot. Although rooms can be small, the hotel makes the most of the space; and truth be told, with affordable prices, spiffy bathrooms, firm mattresses, desks, and a handsome studylike ambience, the smaller quarters come off pretty darned well. A big hit since it started a few years back is the hotel's English afternoon tea, served in the Windsor Tea Room Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 2 to 5 pm. Recent additions include a pub and 24-hour business center.
The Willows Inn
Right in the heart of the Castro, the all-nonsmoking Willows Inn employs a staff eager to greet and attend to visitors. The country and antique willow furnishings don't strictly suit a 1903 Edwardian home, but everything's quite comfortable -- especially considering the extras, which include an expanded continental breakfast (fresh fruit, yogurt, baked goods, gourmet coffee, assorted teas, and fresh orange juice), the morning paper, nightly cocktails, a sitting room, and a pantry with limited kitchen facilities. The homey rooms vary in size from large (queen-size bed) to smaller (double bed) and are priced accordingly. Each room has a vanity sink, and all the rooms share eight water closets and shower rooms.
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