San Francisco!

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Each time Diane and I are laid over near San Francisco we learn more about how to get into the city and enjoy its many attractions. We have a good teacher in Jack Dixon, a fellow FedEx Custom Critical contractor who calls the area home.

This time we parked our truck at the small truck stop in South San Francisco. Named "Flyers" it is located on the corner of East Grand Avenue and Gateway Blvd, across Gateway from the Embassy Suites hotel. Take exit 425A off U.S. 101.

Parking at the truck stop is free during the day. After 6:00 p.m. they charge $20 a night to park. We paid the $20, not so much for truck parking but for the peace of mind we gained as we left the truck behind and headed into town. We knew it was safely parked and that we were free to stay in town as long as we wished without fear of having the truck tagged or towed. There are no showers at this truck stop. There is a Starbucks and a Wendy's.

A Caltrain stop is a short walk from the truck stop. It is a short train ride into town. Use the sidewalk to walk over the Gateway Blvd. bridge. The bridge goes over the tracks. The stop is under the bridge. Pedestrian steps get you down from the bridge to the stop.

Once you are in the city, there are numerous ways to get around (walk, bike, bus, Go Car, Pedi Cab, trolly, cable car). Pick your mode depending on where you are going and what you want to do.

This trip in, Diane and I took the train into town, walked to a nearby bus stop and took the bus to Fisherman's Warf. We walked from there to a bike rental place, rode bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge, and returned to San Francisco via a ferry ride across the bay. This bike ride is billed as the ride of a lifetime and it is.

Fog comes and goes in San Francisco. Sometimes the bridge is visible. Sometimes it is cloaked. The weather was great everywhere we went yesterday with partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures (perfect for bike riding). But fog clouded the bridge and there were strong winds to deal with on the bridge itself. Otherwise the ride was spectacular and regardless of the weather, we added biking over the Golden Gate bridge to the many tourism memories we have accumulated as expediters.

San Francicso is a marveleous tourism town. There is no end to the attractions it has. An added bonus this trip was seeing Jack Dixon and his new wife Donna Dixon. They had a pick up in San Francisco. We saw their truck driving over the bridge as we biked over it. Theirs is a short run that keeps them in the area. We met them briefly this morning and will meet for coffee later tonight.

We are resting today as we have a long run that begins tomorrow, but we almost followed Jack and Donna back into town today. They went in to attend a bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park. Over 750,000 people will attend this free show over three days.

In this unique town and at the festival, free bike parking and pay valet bike parking is available for those who have the need. Alchohol is allowed in the park (and on the trains) but smoking in the park is prohibited.

If you get anywhere near San Francisco, I encourage you to figure out how to get into town and enjoy the city. It's one big party there and there is something for everyone. This is our third trip into the city and we will go back the first chance we get.

Diane and me taking a break during our ride

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On the bridge and in the fog.

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Jack and Donna Dixon by their truck

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dabluzman1

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
The town by the Bay is one of our favs as well.
We lived in San Jose a couple of years and enjoyed SF
many a time.
Check out Monterey. Great aquarium. Or Santa Cruz.......
you'll be a dude.....surfer that is.:D
 

Humble2drive

Expert Expediter
We have a good teacher in Jack Dixon, a fellow FedEx Custom Critical contractor who calls the area home.

That is just too funny! Everytime we get a run to the Bay area Mrs. Humble makes the suggestion:

"Why don't you give Jack a call and find out the best route,
best place to stay, place to eat, etc."

We thought we were the only ones using this valuable resource.:)
 
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