- 3,915
- California
- gdwest1
For all the car nuts, who know nothing about the Bay, heres an easy one for you:
Which car should we take on a 300+ mile road trip?
2001 Toyota Camry I4 Manual- My car, I would drive- I'm fairly comfortable in most driving situations.
-or-
First Gen Ford Edge- Her car, she would likely have to drive. She doesnt have very much experience driving in big cities.
Consider: Passing Power, Safety, Comfort, Fuel Efficiency, Ability to accommodate 2 bicycles, ride quality
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a snipit of a telephone conversation I had with my long time friend Amanda last night.
Me: "Yeah, pretty much all I did this summer is go to the bay area... I've been there tons of times in my life, and I love it each and every time"
(More than 20 times, Im sure.)
Her: "Really! I've only been once, it rained and all we did was go to Pier 39"
Me: "Thats a bummer. That certainly isn't a proper look 'round San Fran... We should go sometime!"
Her: "We should!"
"When... wait, like would sometime this summer work?"
"Uh, yeah! Lets do it, and even if it doesnt work, we'll go on a weekend or something!"
Yes! A day trip to the Bay sounds lovely! However, we are both freshly 17, and we have parents to please.
So Please, Bear with me as I attempt to ask for help, and express some of our desires about the trip! Any help, experienced or not, would be greatly appreciated.
We each have a budget of $70
We may only stay ONE day. No overnight anything, aside from driving home.
We'd like to:
Walk on the Golden Gate bridge
go to Golden Gate Park
visit Ikea of Emmryville
visit Union Square
perhaps go to a Museum?
Ideas appreciated!
TASK ONE- Getting to the Bay Area Part 1: Leaving the Small Town
We both live in Redding, California; about 160 Miles north of Sacramento. This makes the general Freeway journey look like this-
Interstate 5 South, turn to Interstate 505 West, merge with Interstate 80 West(It puts me on 80 around Vacaville/Fairfield).
Now, I have physically driven this route (Actually driven, in the drivers seat) 3 times. I should have no problems with this, and it checks out with our parents.
Part 2: To the Bay!
This is where it gets iffy. I have, as I see it, about 3 options.
Option 1: Blow Through! Keep right on driving through the Bay Bridge!
This seems to be the cheapest option. However, that puts me IN San Francisco (With all of the insane hill stops) in a manual car. I've done this once, and very nearly had an aneurism. The traffic... The streets...
In addition, my parents aren't happy about the thought of their son taking their car to a big city with little experience. But, if I elect to park as soon as I get off the Freeway, I can use public transit (Explained later)
Option 2: Ahoy! Take the Ferry!
This is preferred, apart from the cost. $23 per person, each way would hack through half of our money. But, I also feel that the Ferry could be cool as an attraction, looking at the Bay and such. Where to get on? West Oakland? Vallejo?
Also, what happens when we miss the last ferry back? We then take the Subway, and have to find a way to get to our car...
Option 3: Meh. Take the BART(Subway System).
Pretty much the least attractive option apart from cost- $6.50 round trip. Again, where to park? Where to get on and off the subway?
TASK 2- Getting around town
This is for when we actually arrive in SF.
if Car:
A. Drive- Not really a option.
B. Park in SF, and then one of the following options
if Ferry/Subway:
A. As I recall, bikes are allowed on the BART. Thus, would it be practical to ride our bikes around SF? Worth risking a flat on the opposite side of the city from our Subway/Ferry terminal?
B. Purchase Municipal Transit Day Pass- $14 per person, gets us access to Bus and Rail system. Except neither of us know how to use public transit.
C. Walk! Takes quite alot of time... Pretty annoying...
D. Taxis! Really out of our price range....
------------------------------------
Itinerary!
As stated, we want to go to Ikea, in Emmryville (Oakland). Should we do that before or after we do SF?
GG Bridge, We'd like to walk across, and go to the Vista Point at the north end. Is this easy to drive to? Is there Muni transit nearby?
Food? Whats a good, non-expensive place to eat?
Museums? Hip or Hype? Which ones are nice? Which ones are FREE?!
Union Square presents no problems... (Planning to walk into the Ferrari Store sporting my Vodafone McLaren Mercedes "Lewis" cap. See if I can get any sort of comment at all.)
Any other places?
Any and all help, all levels, would be highly appreciated.
Which car should we take on a 300+ mile road trip?
2001 Toyota Camry I4 Manual- My car, I would drive- I'm fairly comfortable in most driving situations.
-or-
First Gen Ford Edge- Her car, she would likely have to drive. She doesnt have very much experience driving in big cities.
Consider: Passing Power, Safety, Comfort, Fuel Efficiency, Ability to accommodate 2 bicycles, ride quality
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a snipit of a telephone conversation I had with my long time friend Amanda last night.
Me: "Yeah, pretty much all I did this summer is go to the bay area... I've been there tons of times in my life, and I love it each and every time"
(More than 20 times, Im sure.)
Her: "Really! I've only been once, it rained and all we did was go to Pier 39"
Me: "Thats a bummer. That certainly isn't a proper look 'round San Fran... We should go sometime!"
Her: "We should!"
"When... wait, like would sometime this summer work?"
"Uh, yeah! Lets do it, and even if it doesnt work, we'll go on a weekend or something!"
Yes! A day trip to the Bay sounds lovely! However, we are both freshly 17, and we have parents to please.
So Please, Bear with me as I attempt to ask for help, and express some of our desires about the trip! Any help, experienced or not, would be greatly appreciated.
We each have a budget of $70
We may only stay ONE day. No overnight anything, aside from driving home.
We'd like to:
Walk on the Golden Gate bridge
go to Golden Gate Park
visit Ikea of Emmryville
visit Union Square
perhaps go to a Museum?
Ideas appreciated!
TASK ONE- Getting to the Bay Area Part 1: Leaving the Small Town
We both live in Redding, California; about 160 Miles north of Sacramento. This makes the general Freeway journey look like this-
Interstate 5 South, turn to Interstate 505 West, merge with Interstate 80 West(It puts me on 80 around Vacaville/Fairfield).
Now, I have physically driven this route (Actually driven, in the drivers seat) 3 times. I should have no problems with this, and it checks out with our parents.
Part 2: To the Bay!
This is where it gets iffy. I have, as I see it, about 3 options.
Option 1: Blow Through! Keep right on driving through the Bay Bridge!
This seems to be the cheapest option. However, that puts me IN San Francisco (With all of the insane hill stops) in a manual car. I've done this once, and very nearly had an aneurism. The traffic... The streets...
In addition, my parents aren't happy about the thought of their son taking their car to a big city with little experience. But, if I elect to park as soon as I get off the Freeway, I can use public transit (Explained later)
Option 2: Ahoy! Take the Ferry!
This is preferred, apart from the cost. $23 per person, each way would hack through half of our money. But, I also feel that the Ferry could be cool as an attraction, looking at the Bay and such. Where to get on? West Oakland? Vallejo?
Also, what happens when we miss the last ferry back? We then take the Subway, and have to find a way to get to our car...
Option 3: Meh. Take the BART(Subway System).
Pretty much the least attractive option apart from cost- $6.50 round trip. Again, where to park? Where to get on and off the subway?
TASK 2- Getting around town
This is for when we actually arrive in SF.
if Car:
A. Drive- Not really a option.
B. Park in SF, and then one of the following options
if Ferry/Subway:
A. As I recall, bikes are allowed on the BART. Thus, would it be practical to ride our bikes around SF? Worth risking a flat on the opposite side of the city from our Subway/Ferry terminal?
B. Purchase Municipal Transit Day Pass- $14 per person, gets us access to Bus and Rail system. Except neither of us know how to use public transit.
C. Walk! Takes quite alot of time... Pretty annoying...
D. Taxis! Really out of our price range....
------------------------------------
Itinerary!
As stated, we want to go to Ikea, in Emmryville (Oakland). Should we do that before or after we do SF?
GG Bridge, We'd like to walk across, and go to the Vista Point at the north end. Is this easy to drive to? Is there Muni transit nearby?
Food? Whats a good, non-expensive place to eat?
Museums? Hip or Hype? Which ones are nice? Which ones are FREE?!
Union Square presents no problems... (Planning to walk into the Ferrari Store sporting my Vodafone McLaren Mercedes "Lewis" cap. See if I can get any sort of comment at all.)
Any other places?
Any and all help, all levels, would be highly appreciated.
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