Sausalito - Great Day Trip Out Of San Francisco

If you plan to be in San Francisco anytime soon, be sure to spend an afternoon in Sausalito. Sausalito is a sleepy little town that will remind you of the Mediterranean islands or a small town on Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. It's full of ice cream shops, houseboats, and art galleries. Great for walking and biking.

You can easily get here by driving over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Franciso. If you are brave, you can even rent bicycles and ride over the bridge. There is also a ferry that connects San Francisco to Sausalito. This ferry ride is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. The Golden Gate Ferry leaves the downtown ferry building and makes the trip in just 30 minutes several times per day. Price is $25 per adult round trip and $14 per child. Children 4 and under ride FREE and there is a senior discount. 

The main street is a picturesque walk ending at the bay with a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other end features a park, museum, and boardwalk along the water. There are lots of restaurants, ice cream stores, touristy boutiques, and galleries. Be sure to check out the Southern Boardwalk which is famous for its appearance in the 1947 film with Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth. And be sure to walk through Vina del Mar plaza, it was named after Sausalito's sister city in Chile. You will notice a beautiful fountain and elephant statue. 

There is also a Visitors Center that provides guided tours and a giant 3-D model of the bay.  Nearby is Fort Baker and the wonderful Bay Area Discovery Museum. Great for kids under 10 years old to run around. 14 miles north of Sausalito is Muir Woods, one of the last remnants of the Redwood Forests that used to cover so much of California. There are six miles of groomed trails in Muir Woods. Shuttle buses are available from Sausalito, but you do need reservations. 

And if you can get to Sausalito over the Labor Day weekend, the city hosts one of the world's best art fairs, the Sausalito Art Festival. 

Remember to purchase ferry tickets on a credit card that gives you bonus points for travel like your Chase Sapphire Preferred card. This is one of my favorite cards because Ultimate Reward points are so flexible. And if you don't have this card yet and decide to apply, please consider using our referral link. 

Sausalito is a city in Marin County, California, across the Golden Gate Strait from San Francisco. It’s known for its Richardson Bay houseboat enclaves, built by artist squatters after WWII. 

Two Shopping Portal Promotions End This Week

 

Two shopping portal promotions ending this week, one from American Airlines and one from United Airlines. If you need a few miles to top off your account or if you need some activity on your American Airlines account, then you might want to take a look. 

United Airlines miles never expire, however, American Airlines miles expire after just 18 months of no activity. Shopping portals are a great way to show activity on your account and reset your expiration date. 

Two Shopping Portal Promotions End This Week

Right now, both promotions are the same. Spend $150 and get 500 miles, spend $300 and get 1,000 miles. You do not have to spend the entire amount on one purchase. You just need to spend the total by the promotion end date. 

If you don't know how shopping portals work, check out this post. Shopping portals are a great way to earn airline miles and points without actually flying. Many of your favorite retailers are listed on the marketplace and may have different offers on each portal. I use cashbackmonitor.com to see the offers in one place. Stacking offers can make shopping portals even more lucrative. 

The American Airlines promotion ends Jan. 20th. 

The United Airlines promotion ends Jan. 19th.