Big Bus pleasures shed new light on San Francisco as 3 generations hop aboard to experience and learn about the adventure

Three generations enjoy a Big Bus Tour in San Francisco, learning new interesting facts and stories about a city they all love. It's home to the Ganners -- Steve, Amarylla, James and Peny -- and a favorite city of Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce Keller, "The Carpe Diem Kids." A great family outing.

Story by Christene Meyers

Photos By Bruce Keller

“The Carpe Diem Kids”

We learned that the iconic 1904 St. Francis Hotel survived the 1906 earthquake and became a rescue center during the subsequent fire and recovery. Although it suffered fire damage, it quickly reopened its restaurant.

I THOUGHT I knew San Francisco. I've visited 20-plus times, strolled its streets, visited its landmarks, watched its plays, dined in its restaurants, cheered in its ball parks, shopped in its stores and visited its fascinating neighborhoods.

My husband lived here for several years and our family lives in nearby Redwood City.

Still, we all learned and enlarged our "San Francisco vocabulary" on a recent Big Bus tour.

THE JOYS of our family tour were multiple -- chiefly being together -- and realizing that San Francisco yields new delights and surprises even for locals and frequent visitors.

From the top deck, familiar streets shone in the sunshine to reveal stories of art, music, sports, architecture, and history. For instance, we learned something new about the Russian Hill neighborhood on Lombard Street, and the famous "crookedest street" where Keller lived for two years. We didn't know that its winding street came about because the hill was so steep as the city was being built that carriages couldn't go up in a straight shot.

Who knew?

Although Keller lived in San Francisco for several years, and Cookie has visited many times, we learned along with four family members.

NO STRESS was a huge plus, without having to drive ourselves in a busy hilly city. We enjoyed the architecture, parks and history without worry. And during the tour, at Hard Rock Cafe (one of the stops) it was fun to hear what everyone had learned. Each of us told something that surprised us. Our shared "lessons" included that 11 men perished constructing Golden Gate Bridge; that Janis Joplin was only 27 when she died, having made her name in a small San Francisco club; that the martini was invented in a San Francisco bar and was originally called the Martinez; that a special local yeast gives San Francisco's famous sourdough bread that special zing; that fortune cookies were popularized in San Francisco, not China.....

Chinatown and its colorful banners and signs evoked memories of many earlier visits, film premiers and weddings.

ON BOARD, our niece and nephew and their kids enjoyed the multi-lingual commentary, which gives depth and color to the adventure. Little details we’d stepped over a hundred times suddenly mattered. The kids pointed out murals we’d driven past for years. Our nephew and niece showed us where they've worked through their years in the Bay Area.

Among the strengths of a Big Bus tour is its ability to orient both visitors and locals. Art districts, historic centers, cultural institutions, ball parks and modern developments made sense as part of a larger narrative. The entertaining commentary fills in the gaps — explaining why a building looks the way it does, how music and migration shaped a neighborhood, or why a once-industrial area now pulses with creative energy.

IN CHINATOWN, we drove past a restaurant where I'd attended a post-screening movie party years ago, with Robin Williams and other movie stars. We saw the street where his "Mrs. Doubtfire" character worked.

The coolest thing about our time together was realizing that a bus tour doesn't have to be just for tourists. This Big Bus tour is recommended for anyone wants to see beyond the surface without the homework. From listening to the guide’s tales to snapping photos in the top deck breeze, we were reminded that even a familiar place has surprises tucked into its corners — you just need the right seat to spot them.

Big Bus takes passengers across the Golden Gate Bridge, with a stop in a viewing area for photos. Passengers may hop off and explore and take photos, or stay on the bus for a return to the city and more sights.

BIG BUS TOURS remove the small frictions that can wear down a day of exploration. No navigating traffic, no constant map-checking, no rushing to “make the most of it.” Instead, there’s time to look, listen, photograph, and absorb. Hop-on, hop-off flexibility allows for an overview and deeper dives when curiosity strikes, and an easy return to the bus. Our break for lunch at Hard Rock Cafe was a nice break. Then time to hop back on.

Climbing aboard a Big Bus Tour offered a shift in perspective. Elevated above the usual street-level bustle, the city unfolded as a connected whole rather than a collection of individual stops. Neighborhoods flowed into one another, architectural styles told a chronological story, and familiar landmarks took on new meaning.

The Jimi Hendrix Red House is a popular sight on Big Bus, with a lively commentary on his influence and impact on the music of the 1960s.

BIG BUS offers many advantages, including convenience. We drove into the city from Redwood City, parked near Fisherman's Wharf and walked a short block from the garage to board the comfy bus and pick up our map and headphones. Seeing this familiar and beloved city from the top deck was a thrill -- the Painted Ladies, the red house of rock legend Jimi Hendrix, the iconic St. Francis hotel on Union Square, Golden Gate Park and of course the spectacular bridge, one of the world's most photographed landmarks.

Our family of six -- three generations -- enjoyed the ease of Big Bus.

Perhaps the greatest surprise was how refreshing it felt to be a passenger in a familiar place. Letting someone else do the navigating created space for discovery. Details once overlooked — the curve of a façade, the placement of a public sculpture, the rhythm of a street — came into focus.

Cities reward those willing to see them anew. Whether you’re arriving for the first time or rediscovering a place you call home, sometimes all it takes is a higher seat and a slower pace to remind you why a city calls you back again and again. We did leave our hearts in San Francisco. MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK: www.bigbustours

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ON TAP:

UPCOMING STORIES include pieces on flamenco, Barcelona's state of the art aquarium, a story about travel as a link to friendship, food tours in Arizona, a dazzling exhibit of Cartier jewels and a feature on New York's award winning Guggenheim Museum. We'll take readers inside the cave houses of Puglia in southern Italy and look at the endangered olive trees there. Check back here often and travel safely and with enthusiasm, remembering that travel changes how we see the world — while enhancing how we see what’s already close to us. www.whereiscookie.com

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