Google is now offering a page that allows you to search all Microsoft websites using the Google search engine. Not surprisingly – Google monetizes the page with Adwords advertising.
Recent incidents involving both San Francisco and Seattle ferries have raised some thought provoking questions on how safe ferry travel really may be. Although the issues in the two West Coast cities were very different – your safety hung in the balance for both situations. We’re going to take a close look at these two ferry issues and let you judge for yourself.
San Francisco:
An Alcatraz-bound ferry boat struck large rocks on December 6th. The crew was tested for both drugs and alcohol, but tested negative for both. The "Royal Prince" hit the rocks around 3pm, and both passengers and crew were safely removed from the ferry after the incident. The Coast Guard combed the area for environmental damage with both boats and helicopters, but found none. The Royal Prince ferry (photo above) is operated by the Red and White ferry company – one of two major ferry companies serving San Francisco since 1892.
San Francisco’s Coast Guard has been criticized for a November accident that spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel after a cargo boat accident. The November 7th crash closed both beaches and impacted fishing in San Francisco Bay.
Three Port Townsend bound ferries were removed from service in November due to severe pitting on the hulls. Ferry service to Port Townsend (near Seattle) was severely curtailed during that period. The boats were deemed so damaged that repairs were not viable. Temporary ferry service is being provided by private contractors until replacement boats can be permanently put into service. During the ferry service break – businesses in Port Townsend were devastated. Originally, a newer 144 car boat was planned – but was shelved due to traffic concerns in earlier years. Approximate cost will be close to $64 million to put the new boats into service.
I’m in Las Vegas for a conference of web publishers. Las Vegas has to be one of the driest; most barren; and sometimes smoggy places you can imagine. With all the focus on money and greed – I thought I’d try to see just how little environmental impact my vacation in Las Vegas could have. Here are 5 ways I "left no footprint" in Las Vegas… These methods worked on this trip – but they could be applied to almost any city — including Seattle or San Francisco even more easily.
1.) I used public transit constantly. Las Vegas is actually a very compact city for most of the hotels, restaurants, and shows you will visit. Even more importantly – the huge number of people who come for conferences and conventions end up at the massive Las Vegas Convention Center. The Las Vegas Monorail is incredible. It’s cheap, convenient, and fast. The people waiting for cabs are wasting time and spewing smog the world just doesn’t need. Use public transit and the Las Vegas Monorail is world-class in its speed, efficiency, cost, and cleanliness.
2.) I stayed in a hotel near public transit. My hotel – Bally’s — was chosen specifically for its convenience to public transit (Las Vegas Monorail). I spent a lot of time picking the hotel – and transit convenience was a top priority. Bally’s is a major stop on the Monorail route – and also in easy walking distance of a lot of other cool hotels (like Bellagio).
3.) I shared a cab from the airport and back to the airport. By a little friendly encouragement – several other travelers were going exactly where I was — the Las Vegas Convention Center. With a little organization – we saved money and environmental impact – by ride sharing. Not only that – it was a fun way to make friends.
4.) I hang up my towels in the hotel bathroom. Remember all those signs about the cost and energy to wash sheets and towels? The funny thing on this is that the maids ignore what the signs say. Even when you hang them up – they wash them anyways. I tried at least.
5.) Dinner and Entertainment – I ate at the adjoining Paris hotel. That way I didn’t use any carbon emitting transport — even the monorail.
It was a great and educational trip to Las Vegas. If you visit here – or anywhere else – these are some clever ways to have fun; save money; and help our earth.
New Las Vegas hotels from MGM Grand are planning for a green footprint from the ground up and Reno hotels are getting greener by the day.
San Francisco’s Hotel Drisco has been voted one of America’s Top 10 boutique hotels by Sunset Magazine. While we love a good recommendation at SFTravel – we’ve been featuring Hotel Drisco (formerly the "El Drisco") since the 1990’s.
It’s a hotel in the Pacific Heights neighborhood where the locals love to live. The hotel comes in an unexpected area – near beautiful mansions; trendy apartments; and sweeping views. Pacific Heights has been glamorized for centuries – but a hotel in the area is a true rarity.
Sunset emphasizes our comments on the excellent neighborhood – with boutique shopping nearby. The hotel is also near the hiking trails of the beautiful bay-front Presidio National Park (home of George Lucas animation and CGI studios!).
Our readers are a bit more specific – raving about the beautiful rooms; cool location; and abundance of seeming San Francisco "locals" staying overnight in the City.
The Hotel Drisco isn’t your normal San Francisco hotel – you need to be ready to enjoy the life of a true local in the City.
Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s most popular attractions – with over 1.3 million visitors per year to the island’s former prison. But the occupants of Alcatraz have another – more beautiful history – of working to landscape the island’s rocky cliffs.
Since the 1800’s – plants have grown on Alcatraz. During its life as a military prison and a federal penitentiary for the "worst criminals in the USA" — the flowers continued to grow. In the 1960’s – when the prison closed – the garden tenders left too. Until 2003, when the Garden Conservancy; National Park Service; and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy banded together to bring the flowers back.
Landscaper Carola Ashford is devoted to the island’s garden restoration. She found the island overgrown in ivy and blackberry bushes. With Carola’s team’s work – the incredible dormant gardens began to return.
Other gardeners at Alcatraz are famous (and notorious). Freddie Reichel was the secretary to the warden in the 1940’s. Freddie strove to find plants that could survive the harsh wind and fog of Alcatraz. Planting bush poppies, succulents, and blue-flowered price of Madeira – Freddie created some of the most amazing gardens on the island.
Elliott Michener was a convicted counterfeiter who created amazing terraced plantings; birdbaths; and greenhouses. Michener’s gardens are one of the focuses of restoration today. The gardens provided solace to Michener during his imprisonment and hope to provide that comfort today.
As we ponder holiday shopping, our minds go to more fun vacation times around San Francisco. There’s no better time to get incredible deals on top-quality, historic hotels – and hit the POST-Christmas sales when the real prices come out. Christmas-time in San Francisco is mild weather and a great time to get in the better restaurants on short notice.
Us – we’ll be spending Christmas in San Francisco — not recycling piles of toy boxes and wrapping. If you can’t resist the lure – here’s our favorite post-Thanksgiving Black Friday sale intel.
We’d like to open the floor to our readers – how have you enjoyed the Golden Gate Bridge, and what are your favorite special spots to enjoy the bridge’s beauty?
