5 places to get nautical in California
Written by Susan Fornoff
San Francisco Chronical - Travel Section - Sunday, February 1, 2009Plenty of folks love boats from afar because they just don't want to be on them while they're moving. Here are five destinations where one can say "ahoy" without any chance of feeling the need to say "Dramamine."
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1. USS Hornet Museum: Tour the retired aircraft carrier at its dock in Alameda, where four times a year families can overnight with the ghosts of astronauts and military heroes. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free for kids 4 and younger, $6 youth (5-17), $12 students, military and seniors, $14 adults. 707 W. Hornet Ave., Alameda. (510) 521-8448, http://www.uss-hornet.org/.
2. Queen Mary: Launched in 1934 and retired in 1967, the Queen Mary today offers oceanside luxury at the south end of Interstate 710 in Long Beach. Staterooms start at $119 a night, but there are also six restaurants and a Saturday night "Dining With the Spirits" that explores the ship's paranormal hot spots. (562) 435-3511, http://www.queenmary.com/.
3. San Diego Maritime Museum: Seven historic vessels - including the Star of India and the Californian - keep the joint jumping with tours, which aren't confined to land. There's also a steady flow of events year-round. Opens at 9 a.m. every day of the year, with tickets ranging from free for kids younger than 5 to $14 for adults with no discounts. 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego. (619) 234-9153, http://www.sdmaritime.org/.
4. Sausalito Floating Homes: Last year the Floating Homes Association suspended its annual tour of the insides of these charming houseboats, some of which have been featured in high-end design magazines. Watch the Web site http://www.floatinghomes.org/ to see if it returns this spring - or take the three-hour, $50 Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour with Victoria Colella, who walks her guests around the floating homes and other historical nautical craft. (415) 332-6608, http://www.sausalitowoodenboattour.com/.
5. USS Pampanito: San Francisco's own Maritime Museum, at the foot of Polk Street, is scheduled to reopen sometime this year, after three years of renovations. But the USS Pampanito, a World War II submarine museum and memorial, is open for tours 24/7 at http://www.maritime.org/. That's the virtual tour, of course - the real sub opens daily May through October at Pier 45, $20 per family of four. (415) 775-1943.
- Susan Fornoff
This article appeared on page G - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle
