2014 Update: Getting to Lake Tahoe from the Bay Area

When it is time to go to Lake Tahoe, how are Bay Area locals making the journey?

Gavin Newsom's old tweet about bringing the 2022 Winter Olympics to Lake Tahoe shows that there is a lot more than traveling to look forward to concerning the area. However, most people in the Bay Area are simply trying to find an affordable way to get to Lake Tahoe. On places like Facebook, there are suggestions such as, "Check out our flight to Lake Tahoe this weekend. $250 per person each way from San Jose. Avoid the traffic and get there in less than an hour from the S.F. Bay Area."

Despite offers like this, do you need to pay for skis, plane tickets in order to afford a trip to Lake Tahoe? Thankfully, with upcoming winter breaks and holiday vacations, there are many transportation alternatives for a Bay Area to Lake Tahoe adventure.

Zimride's ride share offers

Zimride private drivers are currently offering ride shares from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe for about $30 to $40 per seat (in 2011, when this article was originally published, the rate was $15 to $20 per seat). With some advance warning, you might get a seat for $20.  In general, this is the most economical way to travel to Tahoe.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of catches. On top of needing to be trusting of the drivers and their driving skills, the availability is hit or miss. In December, most rides will depart from San Francisco on a weekend day and do not guarantee a ride back to the Bay Area.

Taking the Amtrak to Lake Tahoe

You can take Amtrak from the Ferry Building in San Francisco (SFC) to South Lake Tahoe (SLT). There are three buses that leave daily in the morning, and each ride is about $55 each way if you buy your ticket today or 2+ weeks in advance. The ride will take you about five hours, but there is a better way.

By changing your ticket to Reno (RNO), you can ride with the California Zephyr and shave two hours off of your journey. Depending on availability, you can expect to pay $57 to $94. Rides to Truckee (TRU) are priced equally to the South Lake Tahoe Amtrak offers and mainly use the Capitol Corridor train. Using the San Francisco to Truckee route will take you about three hours. For bargains, consider using Amtrak's weekly specials webpage.

Also, Paypal users have a warning for purchasing Amtrak tickets online. For this reason, keep in mind that buying a ticket from Amtrak on their website can cause problems for debit card users. For this reason, only use a non-debit credit card to purchase tickets in advance.

Taking Greyhound

Greyhound has definitely upped their game as far as pricing to Lake Tahoe locations. By purchasing your San Francisco to Truckee ticket in advance (at least two weeks), you can boot the standard web-fare-only $38.50 one-way purchased-online fare down to $26.50. The prices to Reno are about the same as Truckee's offer. Despite this, if you need to go to South Lake Tahoe, you are out of luck. Greyhound does not currently have a location there. If you are looking for lower pricing, try their deals and discounts page.

Ski bus from San Francisco

If you are looking for a round-trip deal that puts you directly in front of a ski resort, Bay Area Ski Bus has a deal for you. A ticket both ways that does not include their other offers is $75. Their other ticket for adults between ages 18 to 65 is $109 to $149 and include the ride on the bus, pack your skis, a ski lift ticket, continental breakfast, and snacks for the ride home. Seniors (age 70 and over) and kids have ticket packages ranging from $99 to $123.

Their estimate is that gas to Lake Tahoe from San Francisco will cost you around $50 and $170 for everything they offer. As if saving $30+ is not enough, they assure you that they will not be defeated. In other words, if they need to put chains on the wheels, they will.

Altogether, whether you hitch with a ride share or take private transportation, getting a ride to Lake Tahoe from the Bay Area is a dream that is affordable enough to come true.

San Francisco's historic Firehouse No. 33 a unique piece of real estate

Originally published on Yahoo! News in 2011 by Maryam Louise.

When you look at the outside of this 1896 firehouse, you may not be aware of the secrets inside.

On the outside, San Francisco's Firehouse No. 33 looks like well-preserved historic real estate. Now closed to the public, are there any mysteries at this former museum and firehouse that tourists are unaware of? Halloween is coming up, and various parts of San Francisco are revealing their historic points of intrigue. Despite the fact that previous owners have verified there are no ghosts at Firehouse No. 33, there are a few secrets the general public might not know.

Where are the bells?

When you stand on the sidewalk outside of Firehouse 33, you will notice a tower on top of the roof. Resembling a church belfry, the upper left side of the building looks like it should contain ringing parts. After all, in historic movies, when a firetruck zoomed out of the station, bells were blasting. Despite this, the inside of this tower never had bells.

Instead, according to Luba Muzichenko of Zephyr Real Estate , this tower is for hanging fire hoses after they were used in fighting fires. Having the extra room to air-dry the hoses was necessary to keep the metal parts from rusting. It also prevented mildew from corroding the canvas hoses. A job the station's captain refused, firefighters would drag the hoses to the top of the tower after every use.

Need to polish the top of your house?

Some of the surprising features of this firehouse are the mysteries hiding behind closed doors. When you open one of the doors on the first floor, you do not find a closet. Instead, you are looking all the way up to the roof. Standing in this tiny sky-lit room, the only thing you will find is one of the longest handmade ladders you will ever see.

In the past, firefighters would carefully climb up the three-story ladder to hang the hoses from the rafters. At the top of the tower, the strange-looking hose hooks have been preserved. Outside, you can still occasionally hear the wind rattling the hooks, making a spooky sound you cannot immediately identify.

Historic SFFD graffiti

On past tours of Firehouse 33, you were led past enclosed bunkers with uniforms hanging up on the outside. Firefighters have historically spent a lot of time living and sleeping at their place of work. However, away from the watchful eye of the captain, the building still maintains a lot of the graffiti that was left behind.

Scrawled throughout the hose tower are handwritten names of past SFFD heroes. Far from museum pieces and collector's items, there is a real connection to the living and breathing firefighters from the early 20th century that risked their lives.

Resources:

http://sf.curbed.com/tags/firehouse-33

http://guardiansofthecity.org/sffd/firehouses/vintage/engine_co_no33.html

http://www.outsidelands.org/historyminute/1273184411/EngineCompany33

3 Budget Bay Area Labor Day Events

Do you want to do something unique for Labor Day weekend 2011 in Northern California?

Are you tired of the same old Labor Day weekend destinations in the Bay Area each year? If you have been looking for some unique and budget-friendly trips that will break you out of your urban routine, there is hope. As long as you have a car, you are headed in the right direction toward activities that are a bit out of the ordinary.

Planning means that bikes, bus tickets, train tickets, and camping can be arranged for most of these locations. All of the day trips in this article are geared toward Labor Day weekend 2011 near the Bay Area in Northern California.

Hear music and see the forests

For some areas of Northern California, celebrating Labor Day means enjoying the best music. Everyone is familiar with the top blues performers found at the Eureka Blues by the Bay music fest . However, two hours east of San Francisco near the Stanislaus Forest and premier white water rafting is the Strawberry Music Festival.

The little town of Jamestown will be hosting bluegrass legends locally and from across the country. In the past, day passes to the festival have started at $65 per adult and $20 for kids, and camping is
encouraged.

When is the last time you went to a pow-wow?

Labor Day weekend is a key time for some parts of the United States to throw their annual pow-wow. Northern California is representing these traditions this year with festivities popping up in Snyder's Valley Springs and Stockton. Snyder's Valley Springs is especially kid-friendly and well-known as a great spot to learn about geology by panning for gemstones and minerals.

Staying in Snyder's Valley is easy and affordable, thanks to a well-organized government focus on tourism. GoCalaveras.com will help keep you in the know about local activities and give you options for finding a campsite or lodging.

Labor Day aligns with wine harvests

Don't forget about all of the wine celebrations happening on Labor Day weekend this year. Besides wine tasting, there are also a number of sales. For example, there are hand-crafted and limited production bottles found at Sapphire Hill Vineyards 90 miles north of San Francisco.

Part of the reason that wineries are getting rid of their old stock is due to the peak of the harvest season. This means more wine for everyone. However, if you want to make this a social occasion for getting to know other wine-lovers, be sure to join the annual Harvest Wine Celebration. Less than an hour from San Francisco, shuttles will be provided to ensure you see all 40 of the locations in Livermore listed on the roster.