
Handicap Accessible - Unless otherwise noted, all programs are accessible for wheelchairs, walkers, etc. Transportation to the site is provided for some programs. See descriptions below for details. Some sites are within easy walking distance from the hotel.
See right hand column for evening programs.
FRIDAY MORNING TOURS:
San Francisco Cable Car Museum, San Francisco, CA (seeking additional tour leaders)
Join a tour of this museum and an informal discussion on urban transit and urban planning. Cable cars started operating in San Francisco in 1873, and the museum houses a collection of historic cable cars, photographs, and mechanical displays. Learn about the inventor and the technologies, the expansion of service and near closure in 1947 due to the lower operational costs of bus service, and the ongoing efforts to save and rebuild the cable cars of San Francisco. Participants of our tour will gain a deeper understanding of public transit and urban transportation infrastructure. Located at 1201 Mason St, the museum is an 8-10 minute walk from the Hilton Hotel. (Open 10-5, free)
For more information: www.cablecarmuseum.org
Wells Fargo History Museum, San Francisco, CA (seeking additional tour leaders)
Join a tour of of the Museum and an informal discussion on economics, finance and sustainable development in rural areas. The Museum is on the site where Wells Fargo first opened for business in 1852 and features a Concord Coach used by Wells Fargo in the 1860s as well as an impressive display of gold dust and ore from California’s Gold Country. Participants of our tour will gain a deeper understanding of the role of banking in sustainable economic development. Located at 420 Montgomery Street, the museum is an 5-7 minute walk from the Hilton Hotel. (Open 9-5, free)
For more information: www.wellsfargohistory.com/museums/museums_sf.htm
An Energy Efficiency Walking Tour of San Francisco, CA
The tour will end at the PG&E’s Pacific Energy Center, which offers educational programs, design tools, advice, and support to create energy efficient buildings and comfortable indoor environments. Most PG&E efforts are focused around commercial buildings; however, other departments offer advice and information for residential buildings. For example, PG&E is currently planning a series of webinars on a range of solar subjects including Permitting, California Solar Initiative Program Updates, the Solar Interconnection Process, and others. Located at 851 Howard Street, the Center is a 20 minute walk from the Hilton Hotel (Open 8-5, free)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON TOURS:
Bike Tour of San Francisco Shore
The San Francisco Bike Coalition is very active in making the city a
better place to live; the head of the organization’s board is
Fulbrighter. She has sketched out a nice 10-mile, 2-hour ride. A group
of Fulbrighters will meet at 1:30 for a bike ride. Bikes can be
rented for about $7/hour or $23 for the day (we need a group of at
least eight people to get this rate). The tour will end at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. (see below)
Crissy Field Center - Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Working in partnership with the National Park Service, The Presidio Trust and Bay Area communities, the Crissy Field Center actively engages young people with their environments by focusing on the convergence of the urban and natural environment through multicultural perspectives. Since its opening in May 2001, the Center has served over 750,000 people through youth leadership programs, school field trips, public workshops, after school programs, summer camps, and more. This program will start off with a tour of The Presidio, a national park and former military base strategically based at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. This will include brief presentations about several of the extraordinary sustainability practices and scientific efforts occurring throughout this area. The second half of our program will focus on cutting-edge opportunities and best practices that engage urban youth and include a tour of a new (temporary) green modular facility that will be LEED certified at completion.
Travel to the Presidio: Important to note is that riding the bus is an important aspect of this experience as professionals from these sites will be with the group to talk about the Presidio, the NPS and the Crissy Field along the way with points to off-load and learn about different areas. For anyone who will drive themselves to the Presidio, we will start the tour at the Presidio Officers’ Club. Note that road maps may be inaccurate; the Doyle Drive Improvement Project was fast-tracked by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and construction has begun. Limited to 35 people. A bus will leave the hotel at 1:00 pm and return at 5:30 pm. (free)
More information: www.crissyfieldcenter.org www.nps.gov www.presidio.gov
California Academy of Sciences -
The California Academy of Sciences is a multifaceted scientific institution committed to leading-edge research, to educational outreach, and to finding new and innovative ways to engage and inspire the public. The California Academy's mission - to explore, explain and protect the natural world - extends to all corners of the institution; from a research expedition in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, to a teacher training program in a California classroom, to an interactive game on the museum exhibit floor. The 412,000 square foot structure is not only physically impressive, but it just may be the greenest museum on the planet, with a 2 ½ acre Living Roof, an expansive solar canopy, an extensive water reclamation system, and walls insulated with recycled blue jeans. It also has the deepest coral reef exhibit in the world, a 4-story tropical rainforest, a towering T-Rex skeleton, a colony of African penguins, and many other exciting exhibits and animals. To get there from the Hotel it's $25-30 for a taxi. By public transit, it is a 25 minute ride on the Muni ($2), with a 10-12 minute walk on each end. General admission is $25/person (Note dated December 2009 - FAST is seeking a discount on admission). (open 9:30-5)
More information: www.calacademy.org
Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA (seeking additional tour leaders)
Join an informal visit to this museum, which focuses on descendants of slaves. Participants of our tour may also discuss more recent economic migration, retention of cultural heritage and other social issues. One possible outcome from the tour is a greater effort to link Fulbright alumni in lower-income countries Africa with Fulbrighters in other parts of the world. Located at 685 Mission St, the museum is an 12-15 minute walk from the Hilton Hotel. (Open 11-5, $10 fee)
For more information: www.moadsf.org
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