The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit
Authority (WTA) has announced the launch of its new website,
which you can visit at:
www.watertransit.org.
This website, always good for basics–like
when you want the latest ferry schedules but don’t want to
look up each and every individual ferry operator–has just
gotten better. Apart from superficial changes, including a
brand-new look with fresh photos, the site features the
newest information on proposed new ferry routes, with
detailed informational fact sheets on these routes,
including Antioch/Martinez, Berkeley, Hercules, Redwood
City, Richmond, South San Francisco, and Treasure Island.
Whether you want meeting information, staff contact and
biographies, easy access to public documents, or background
information on the agency, the WTA’s website is a one-stop
shop.
Summer outings just got easier to plan, too! Using the
existing ferry service, the WTA has crafted some special
summertime outings for families, cyclists, and for tourists
or locals who need a vacation here at home. Here are some
samples:
![](bike.jpg)
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Bike across the Bay: From
San Francisco to Marin County, ferries cut the
distance for you. |
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Fun Trips on Ferries–Bike Across the
Bay
From San Francisco to Marin County, ferries cut the
distance for you
This Fun Trip, broken into three biking jaunts, shows you
how to effectively use ferries to supplement your summer
tours. You can choose a trip for the absolute novice
cyclist, or a longer trip for the more competent cyclist. It
all depends on your energy and skill level. Bottom line:
this is your chance to enjoy the Bay Area via bike and boat
with sightseeing and suggested stops for sustenance to keep
you going.
Fun Trips on Ferries–Kids Play on the Bay
Avoid the traffic: start your family outing on a ferry. With
the guidance offered by the WTA’s Fun Trips, your kids are
virtually guaranteed a good time; and you will benefit from
a reduction in your stress-level that can be attributed to
leaving the driving to professionals.
What
could be more promising in your search for amusement than
visiting a place that calls itself an “amusement park?” One
destination within the WTA’s Fun Trips for kids instructs
you on the easiest way to access Six Flags Marine World in
Vallejo, where you and your family can sing along to new
musicals, watch colorful fish, and choose from tame rides
such as go-carts or more adventurous rides like roller
coasters.
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Why not kick off the trip
to Marine World by riding the ferry? Trying to
spot “dolphins” from the boat beats sitting in
traffic with a car-load of tired kids! |
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For the ultimate tourist experience,
families will want to visit the remote island of Alcatraz.
This tour is so popular that it requires at least a week’s
advance booking during the summer months. The WTA website
will give you the insight you need to get there hassle-free.
Fun
Trips on Ferries–Shoreline Snacking and Shopping
If San Francisco’s summer fog has got you down, what better
place to flee than to picturesque Marin County, typically
ten or more degrees warmer and sunnier than San Francisco?
When the quaint towns of Sausalito and Tiburon are only a
half hour
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When the quaint towns of
Sausalito and Tiburon are only a half hour away
by ferry, it’s a wonder there’s room on the
boats for more passengers. |
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away by ferry, it’s a wonder there’s room
on the boats for more passengers. Once in Sausalito or
Tiburon, you can cheer yourself further with a dose of
retail shopping therapy at one of the specialty shops where
the selection ranges from toffee to original art with much
in between. To keep you going, of course you’ll want to
pause frequently to enjoy the views, but you may also
require readily available sustenance such as Italian sodas,
international cuisine, coffee or tea.
How do you find out
more about Fun on Ferries?
•
VISIT THE WEBSITE
(the easiest way!) at
www.watertransit.org
•
GO TO THE BAY
CROSSINGS SHOP, located within San Francisco’s
newly renovated Downtown Ferry Terminal
•
OR JUST PHONE THE WTA at 415-291-3377 to request
copies” |
A visit to the San Francisco Ferry
Terminal via Ferry (of course)
Whether starting or returning from your trip via ferry, no
ride is complete without a tour of San Francisco’s newly
refurbished downtown ferry terminal. Of special note: visit
on a Saturday morning, when the outdoor Farmers’ Market is
in full swing, perfuming the air with tantalizing scents and
tempting you with delicious seasonal produce and samples of
sundries served on toothpicks.
The WTA website: not just another tool for updates; it can
also help to bring fun into your life!