Part III: Northern California: Redwoods, Wind, and Wonder in VS .NET

Encoder Data Matrix 2d barcode in VS .NET Part III: Northern California: Redwoods, Wind, and Wonder

The N-Judah Muni Metro streetcar drops you off on Ninth Avenue and Judah Street; walk 3 blocks to the park from there Numerous bus lines drive close to or into the park, including the 44-O Shaughnessy, which you can catch on Ninth Avenue; the 21-Hayes; and the 5-Fulton Golden Gate Park houses the following museums and attractions

A fixture in guidebooks and tourist brochures, and nearly as recognizable as the Golden Gate Bridge, the postcard-perfect Victorian Conservatory of Flowers closed in 1995 after sustaining massive damage during a wild storm Prefabricated in Ireland in 1875 and erected in the park around 1878, reconstruction was finished in 2003, and the conservatory is back to its exquisite self, with lines of delighted visitors snaking past the entrance Rare orchids, ferns, tropical plants, and a 100-year-old philodendron rescued from the wreckage are among the exhibits See map p 122 Off John F Kennedy Drive (near the Stanyan Street entrance) % 415-666-7001 wwwconservatoryofflowersorg Admission: $5 adults, $3 seniors and youth 12 17, $150 kids 5 11, under 5 free Open: Tues Sun 9 am 4:30 pm

An eclectic permanent collection includes American paintings as well as sculpture, textiles, African and Oceanic objects, furniture, and contemporary crafts housed in a sprawling, copper-clad three-story complex that opened in October 2005 If you want to make some sense of the collection, consider taking one of the free docent tours offered daily at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 2 pm A highlight of the building is the 144-foot tower offering unobstructed views (if the sky is clear) of the neighborhoods beyond the park Access to the tower is free, even if you don t intend on touring the museum See map p 122 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr (off John F Kennedy Drive) % 415-8633330 wwwdeyoungmuseumorg Admission: $10 adults, $7 seniors, $6 students and kids 13 17, free for children under 13; $2 discount with Muni transfer Open: Tues Sun 9:30 am 5 pm, until 8:45 pm Fri

This tranquil spot includes colorful pagodas, koi ponds, bridges, and a giant bronze Buddha Young children find this piece of the park particularly memorable because they can climb over a steeply arched wooden bridge Passengers spill through the entry gate of this major tour-bus destination with alarming regularity To avoid the onslaught, arrive before 10 am or after 4 pm in summer Japanese tea, accompanied by a few paltry snacks, is served in the teahouse for $295 per person Although the garden is certainly worth the small admission fee, the food is not See map p 122 75 Tea Garden Dr (to the left of the de Young Museum) % 415-7524227 Admission: $350 adults, $125 seniors and children 6 12 Open: Oct Feb 8:30 am dusk; Mar Sept 8:30 am 6:30 pm

This splendid oasis contains more than 6,000 species of well-tended plants It s exceptionally lovely in late winter, when the rhododendrons blossom and wild irises poke up in corners, and no more peaceful a place exists when the skies are drizzling We recommend the guided tours offered daily at 1:30 pm for anyone who finds identifying any but the most basic of flowers and trees difficult Plan to spend at minimum a half-hour just wandering around See map p 122 Ninth Avenue at Lincoln Way (turn left out of the tour-bus parking lot by the Music Concourse) % 415-661-1316, ext 314 for guided-tour information wwwstrybingorg Admission: Free Open: Mon Fri 8 am 4:30 pm, Sat Sun 10 am 5 pm; free guided walks daily at 1:30 pm

Where once sat nothing but parking lots and derelicts, this 22-acre complex now stands as a micro-destination Interactive amusements include an ice-skating rink, a bowling alley, a children s garden and carousel, and an arts/technology studio for older kids (Zeum) An entertainment behemoth in a separate building across the street the Metreon houses restaurants, retail shops, an IMAX theater, and multiplex movie screens The center includes a collection of galleries showing a rotating exhibition of contemporary visual and performance art by local artists, lovely gardens, a stage for dance troupes including ODC/San Francisco and Smuin Ballets/SF, and a film/video theater If you take in all that Yerba Buena Center has to offer, you can easily spend the entire day here Parking s expensive; use public transportation, if possible See map p 122 701 Mission St (between Third and Fourth streets) % 415-978-2700, or 415-978-ARTS for the box office wwwyerbabuenaartsorg To get there: Muni Metro to Powell Street or Montgomery Street and walk 2 blocks east on Third Street; or 14-Mission or 15-Third bus Admission to the galleries: $6 adults and $3 seniors and students Open: Tues Sun 11 am 6 pm