Page 5 - Travel Advisors of Los Gatos – Spring 2016

G CITIES OF THE WORLD
By Dorothy Crouch
Hong Kong San Francisco, California New York City, New York
NG 2016
shopping, take a leisurely ride on the Star Ferry, which connects the Kowloon Peninsula with Hong Kong Island and affords picturesque views of Victoria Harbour and the city’s tall buildings framed against green, mountainous terrain. For an unforgettable experience, make the voyage across the harbor at sunset. If time allows, hop on a junk for a twilight cruise to the other side of the island – Aberdeen, the city’s second most famous harbor, with its floating restaurants.
Ride an antique tram along the north shore of Hong Kong Island and catch Hong Kong’s other tramway, the Peak Tram, for a trip to the top of Victoria Peak where a full panorama of the harbor is visible. The scene is most spectacular at night when brightly lit skyscrapers and the brilliant profusion of neon lights ignite the sky.
SAN FRANCISCO’S NOR-CAL COOL
With its fog-enshrouded hills, grand Victorian architecture, mesmerizing ocean bays and sweeping bridges, San Francisco possesses one of the most stunning cityscapes in the world. The city’s charms do not stop there. Clamoring cable cars lumber up and down steep streets; Fisherman’s Wharf bustles with excitement over the fresh catches of the day; sea lions bark harmoniously while sunning them- selves at famous Pier 39; and at every turn there are those spectacular views.
For a view of the city’s eccentric side, set out for an insider’s experience of Haight-Ashbury with a
guided walk in the footsteps of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead to learn about the impact of the alternative rock culture on San Francisco and the world.
Be sure to also take some time to stroll the gardens of Golden Gate Park, with more than 1,000 acres to explore. Located within one of the first buildings situated in Golden Gate Park, is the oldest remaining municipal wooden conservatory in the United States. Highly praised in the world of history, architecture, engineering and nature, the Conservatory of Flowers has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is considered an intensely valued landmark in San Francisco. One of the highlights of the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is the Steinhart Aquarium, which not only celebrates the significant part that water plays in the world, but also houses a living collection of animals and marine creatures from across the globe.
Walk the streets of Chinatown and sample fortune
Hong Kong is one of the easiest destinations in the world to see and enjoy, thanks to its compact size, superb transportation systems, and the pervasiveness of the English language.
cookies on a tour at the Golden Gate Cookie Factory. Shop at Union Square. Visit the Cable Car Museum, a celebration of San Francisco’s rail transit history, and walk along the famed Golden Gate Bridge – but be sure to take along a jacket!
NEVER SLEEP IN NEW YORK
Many first time visitors to New York are concerned that they will be unable to see it all. Visitors can, with a bit of guidance, see many of the attractions offered in this exciting city, leaving them satisfied with their New York experience.
One of the city’s most well-known shopping areas, Madison Avenue, is within walking distance to Midtown hotels. It is along this strip where visitors
can become lost in a haze of fashion’s largest names including Barney’s, Hermes, Calvin Klein and DKNY. For visitors whose tastes are a bit less mainstream, New York City’s Greenwich Village is a necessary stop.
Built in 1869, the Brooklyn Bridge is intricately designed to accommodate vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Walking across the bridge affords spectacular views of New York Harbor, the west side of Brooklyn and east side of Manhattan.
Whether visiting the Dominican community on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Hasidic community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn or Little Italy and Chinatown on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, travelers will gain a thorough understanding of how these distinct backgrounds combine to form one, unified New York culture.
56 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95030 • (408) 354-6531 • (800) 446-8644 • FAX: (408) 354-3871
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