AWAY: San Francisco

The must-visit places when you travel to San Francisco. Fly nonstop to San Francisco on United.
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PRESIDIO TUNNEL TOPS

210 Lincoln Blvd., San Francisco

Years in the making, the 14-acre Presidio Tunnel Tops park is an urban oasis built on top of the Presidio Parkway, a busy highway tunnel that connects San Francisco to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The highly anticipated space opened to the public in mid-July and is part of the Presidio of San Francisco, a former military base that was turned into a park. And the Presidio is one site in the sprawling Golden Gate National Recreation Area, made up of 80,000 acres of national parkland that stretches across numerous locations north and south of the landmark bridge.

Presidio Tunnel Tops is made up of several areas including Presidio Plaza, that serves as an arrival point where you can catch the free Presidio Go Shuttle; Cliff Walk, a 30-feet high path offering three overlooks with sculpted driftwood benches made from fallen Presidio Cypress trees; and the Outpost, a two-acre play space (the largest in the Bay Area) inspired by the Presidio’s nature and history. Children ages 2 to 12 can swing, crawl, and climb on huge play structures, such as a 75-foot-long tree trunk salvaged from a 250-year-old white oak that was cleaned, sanded, cut into three sections, and hollowed out to create a tunnel that kids likely won’t forget.

The Field Station is where young people can explore the Presidio’s natural and cultural environment “through the lens of science, art and imagination.” It offers a discovery area for young children, two art and science spaces with activities, and a place where kids can build with natural materials from the park. Art murals, picnic areas, a campfire circle and meadows for kite-flying also comprise Tunnel Tops.

“We’re thrilled Presidio Tunnel Tops will offer even more green space for relaxation, for reflection, and especially for play,” said Jean Fraser, CEO of the Presidio Trust. “We’ve added an amazing nature play area, many more picnic benches, food trucks, carts, and tents, rangers with campfire talks, and so much more.”

In 1993, Bay Area leaders, urban planners, and citizens were faced with the need to replace the seismically unsafe Doyle Drive, which cut the Presidio in two as it led to the Golden Gate Bridge. A vision to construct a portion of the highway into tunnels and reconnect the park by creating new land over their tops was put forth and the Presidio Tunnel Tops project was born. Hundreds of hours of community engagement with more than 10,000 participants helped shape the final design of the site. James Corner Field Operations, the firm behind New York’s High Line, was selected as the design partner.

PRESIDIOTUNNELTOPS.ORG

PIER 39

Beach Street & The Embarcadero, San Francisco

PIER 39 is the premiere entertainment destination in the heart of the San Francisco waterfront. Along with two levels of dining, entertainment, shopping and attractions both on The PIER and in the Bay, PIER 39 is home to the world-famous sea lions, who delight guests daily at K-Dock. The PIER is a gathering place for millions of guests annually offering amazing views of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Alcatraz and the city skyline at almost every turn. A visit to San Francisco starts at The PIER!”
PIER39.COM

LIGHT ART

Throughout San Francisco

San Francisco glows through the night brightening the earth and sky with site specific delights by world renowned artists. Olafur Eliasson, Jenny Holzer, Hank Willis Thomas, Leo Villareal, Jim Campbell and Johanna Grawunder are just a few art stars that light up the Bay, buildings, transit centers, elevators, parks and sidewalks. Explore over 50 San Francisco light art installations with an evening stroll through glowing streets and the legendary Golden Gate Park. (Pictured above: The Wind Baffles at 5M.)
ILLUMINATESF.COM