Page 142 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

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CITIES

The pews and the altar in dimly lit Saints Peter and Paul
Catholic Church

Heavenly Highs

In a hedonistic city like San Francisco, cathedrals,
churches, and other places of worship may not top
your sightseeing list. But these establishments
reveal the city’s rich history and ethnic diversity.
Mission Dolores is the city’s oldest building,
founded by Spanish missionaries in 1776. Its adobe
walls, cemetery, and small chapel – which still has
its original timber beams and colonial statues and
altarpiece – are a tribute to the city’s origins. It
lends its name to the Mission District, home to a
largely Hispanic population to this day.
By contrast, Nob Hill’s Grace Cathedral was only
completed in 1964. Beneath its soaring spire, a
wealth of artworks create a spiritual retreat from
the urban buzz, including artist Charles Connick’s
TOP A Chinese Pavilion standing amid lush greenery at the Golden Gate Park ABOVE The beautiful greens and fairways of Lincoln Park Golf Course awash in stained-glass windows and an altarpiece by Keith
the first rays of the sun
Haring. Two medieval labyrinths from the floor of
Chartres Cathedral are replicated, while the gilded
Green Spaces Rock. When the wind is right you can even hear bronze doors are modeled after Ghiberti’s Gates of
the barking of the sea lions who inhabit these Paradise on the baptistery in Florence.
offshore outcrops. In Chinatown, burn some incense and make an
Covering more than 1,000 acres (405 ha), The last thing you might expect to see in the offering at the Kong Chow Temple, founded by
Golden Gate Park is the city’s most famous downtown Financial District is a grove of giant immigrants in 1851. The god is said to bring good
green space. You could spend days exploring its redwood trees, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at fortune in business, and you’ll see his image in
many attractions, from the Japanese Tea Garden the TransAmerica Redwood Park. The half-acre park restaurants and shops throughout the district.
and Botanical Gardens to the Conservatory of on the eastern side of the TransAmerica Pyramid is The ornate white-stone towers of Saints
Flowers. But there are plenty more alternatives a shady retreat, with playful fountains and statues. Peter and Paul Catholic Church are a North Beach
for getting away from it all. The redwoods are fitting green partners for the landmark. Built for Italian immigrants in 1924, it
Large areas of the northern and western pyramid, which is San Francisco’s tallest building. now says Mass in Italian, English, and Chinese.
shoreline are protected in the Golden Gate Another hidden green space is Ina Coolbrith Finally, for an uplifting experience in the
National Recreation Area. The Presidio encompasses Park in Russian Hill, which has terraces carved into downtrodden Tenderloin district, you can sing and
woodlands, beaches, dunes, marshlands, and a steep hillside and benches to enjoy the flowers, sway with the gospel choir at Glide Memorial
grasslands that shelter a wealth of birds and wildlife. trees and spectacular views. United Methodist Church.
There are plenty of walking and biking trails and
historic buildings to explore. PRACTICAL INFORMATION PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Lincoln Park, another part of the National Cliff House 1090 Point Lobos, Richmond; www.cliffhouse.com Glide Memorial United Methodist Church 330 Ellis St, Tenderloin;
Recreation Area, may have a golf course and major Ina Coolbrith Park Taylor and Vallejo streets, Russian Hill www.glide.org
art museum, the Legion of Honor, but it also has Lincoln Park Entrances off Clement Street at 34th and 48th avenues, Grace Cathedral 1100 California St, Nob Hill; www.gracecathedral.org
wild, windswept cliffs, and dramatic views, which Richmond Kong Chow Temple 855 Stockton St, Chinatown
you can see along the Coastal Trail. It adjoins Sutro The Presidio Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Building 201, Fort Mission Dolores 3321 Sixteenth St, Mission District; www.missiondolores.org
Heights Park, where there are more stunning views Mason, Marina District; www.nps.gov/prsf Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church 666 Filbert St, North Beach;
from Cliff House, a restaurant overlooking Seal TransAmerica Redwood Park 600 Montgomery Street, Financial District www.stspeterpaul.san-francisco.ca.us/church

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