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“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”

- Freya Stark / British Writer

Denver Colorado Skyline

“…the open road is a beckoning, a strangeness, a place where a man can lose himself.”

- William Least Heat Moon / American Writer

Saguaro cactus in a Arizona Sunset.

The Walt Disney Family Museum, which opened in San Francisco’s Presidio on October 1, 2009, showcases Mr. Walt Disney’s life story. Ten galleries present the achievements of the man who created famous animation like Mickey Mouse, transformed the film industry with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and created the sense of wonder in his vision of theme parks. His contribution to popular culture in America and throughout the world is captured in this newly opened museum.

His daughter, Diane Disney Miller, a local in San Francisco, said, “My father has one of the most well-know names around the world, but as the Disney ‘brand’ has grown, the man has become lost”. The “Family” museum successfully tells the story of the man through his own words and the words of others who know him so well. Gallery one begins with Walt’s early years, born in Chicago in 1901, moved to a Missouri farm where he first learned to draw. The remaining galleries are rich with artifacts, interviews, over 200 video monitors, animation and state of the art exhibits. The final gallery concludes with a tribute to Walt Disney who died in 1966.

After you get your entry ticket, one is amazed at the showcases of awards on the first level. There is the original victorian furniture from Walt’s Disneyland apartment along with his early history. You are then invited to enter an elevator, decorated in a historical train theme, which takes you up to more galleries. The first featuring his arrival in Hollywood. As you move into more recent periods the museums displays reflect that periods technology. You will be impressed with the great high definition video screens and multi media presentations.

The museum consist of walking through galleries, however, there are comfortable benches to rest on. In some exhibits, the audio is a bit hard to hear unless you get very close to a display. Sound from other nearby displays can be annoying. Many of the interactive stations are computerized and there is a ton of archival material to go through–plan on at least 3 to 4 hours to see everything if your a big Disney fan. Others will find 2 hours is enough. There is a large model of Walt’s vision for Disneyland and many of the attractions are in the park today.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is fascinating for anyone interested in Disney, movies, history, art, theater, Americana and so on. For small children under 6, I wouldn’t recommend this museum. When I interview an 11 year old boy, he stated that he enjoyed the museum and his favorite part was learning how cartoons were made. The gift shop has many drawing/art products and I was told that in the future, the facility plans to offer basic sketching classes. The gift shop also has Disney items that are unique to this museum. A small cafe offers snacks the restaurant La Terrasse, is a short walk away. MurrayOnTravel.com was invited to visit the museum, and was provided free entry. Top photo Copyright Bruce Murray. All other images provided by / Copyright Disney, they do not allow photography inside the museum.

Located in The Presidio of San Francisco, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area of the National Park Service, is home to the new museum. Housed in a former barrack, the building holds the main exhibit galleries, a café, museum store, learning center and 114-seat screening facility. Parking is ample if you choose to drive. The Walt Disney Museum is only a short walk away from the Parks Transit Center. Presidio Maps

Admission is by timed-entry ticket which can be purchased up to 60 days in advance on line. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students and $12.50 for children 6 to 17. Museum Website

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“…I think about all the different ways we leave people in this world. Cheerily waving goodbye to some at airports, knowing we’ll never see each other again. Leaving others on the side of the road, hoping that we will.”

- Amy Tan / American Writer

November 13th 2009 – Royal Caribbean’s “Oasis of the Seas” worlds largest cruise ship arrives in Port Everglades, Florida. Additional Photos – Ships Website

The Village of Llanes, Asturias Spain.

In the past staying at a hotel like the Argonaut on the San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf waterfront was not very convenient for my business needs. But for today’s review, and as MurrayOnTravel, I can pick my own destinations and accommodations like the Argonaut. San Francisco is a beautiful city and the Fisherman’s Wharf area is a great spot to settle into for exploring the city. This is a very comfortable boutique hotel for those looking for a great SFO visit. (Argonaut Website – Fisherman’s Wharf Website)

Located at the western most end of Fisherman’s Wharf area on the corner of Hyde and Jefferson Streets the hotel is just across the street from the San Francisco Maritime Nation Historic Park and it’s Hyde Street Pier. Located on the ground floor of the Argonaut is the parks Visitors Center.(Park Website)

This 252-room property is located in what was originally a fruit and vegetable canning plant that later became part of Del Monte and is known as the Cannery. In the early 60’s the building was about to be leveled when it was saved and turned into a shopping area. In 2003 the area was redeveloped again and the Argonaut Hotel was established. Some shops and restaurants still remain, but the hotel now makes up the bulk of the Cannery.

The rooms and public spaces all incorporate some aspect of the Fisherman’s Wharf history. From large mirrors that mimic a ships portholes to the furniture and fabrics. We found our room to be very comfortable. It was huge but due to the historic nature of the building room shapes vary so your accommodation may be different.

The bed was a bit soft for my taste, but other than that it was a great room. The exposed brick walls, beams, and other features displayed the rich history of the building. But the hotel is anything but rustic. Heating and cooling was easily controlled and the bath was fine. Our room looked out on the central courtyard of the Cannery. The courtyard had a restaurant, a bar, an ice cream shop, and a few stores. During the afternoon street performers provided music, some may find that annoying others might enjoy it. Rooms overlooking Hyde and Jefferson streets should have views of the bay, especially upper floors.

Other rooms face streets or a modern central lightwell like area. NOTE: Free WiFi is available after you sign-up for the hotels guest loyalty program. The signal was very strong and fast in our room.

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Here in this Google Map you can see the hotel from above. You can also see the hotel in relation to the rest of the Cannery complex and Fisherman’s Wharf. Hotel has a white roof, shopping area has red roof. To the left of the hotel you can see the cable car turnaround for the Powell-Hyde line. It’s just a quick $5 ride over the hill to Union Square and Market Street shopping areas. Since this is the start of the line it is easier to board. If you zoom the photo out you can see the Hyde Street Pier and the Parks historic ships.

The comfortable lobby has several seating areas, seen here is one around the fireplace. The lobby is staffed with a concierge during the day. The staff at the Argonaut was very helpful.

Have I boarded a cruise ship??? No, deck chairs in the lobby continue the hotels maritime theme. As does the flooring designed to mimic the teak and holly wood floors found on yachts.

Leave your car at home…if you can….parking anywhere in San Francisco is very expensive. My understanding is that high parking rates are SFO’s way of encouraging the locals to use the excellent public transportation system. But for travelers this may be a real pain in the wallet. If you arrive by car I would suggest considering parking it near the airport for 10$ a day, take the BART train into town to the Powell Street station, about 8$ per person, then grabbing a $10 taxi ride to the Argonaut Hotel. Especially if you’re in town for a few days. Parking at the hotel costs $42 per day plus 15.5% tax! I was told a taxi ride from the Wharf area to the airport (SFO) would have been around $50.

Our room rate came with a continental breakfast at the Blue Mermaid Chowder House and Bar located on the ground floor of the hotel. This was a great way to start our day, just enough to get us going, but not enough to limit our looking forward to lunch. The Blue Mermaid offers indoor and seating in the courtyard. Other than here we didn’t have very good dining experiences at Fisherman’s Wharf. (Blue Mermaid Website)

I did notice during breakfast that the Blue Mermaid was promoting their award winning “Dungeness Crab and Corn Chowder”. I made a special point of making sure I tried it for lunch one day. It was tremendous, especially served in the SFO traditional sourdough bread bowl.

I can definitely recommend the Argonaut Hotel as a great San Francisco / Fisherman’s Wharf accommodation. Several chain hotels are nearby, but the Argonaut has real character. We visited the Argonaut without any prior notification. All expenses were paid for by MurrayOnTravel.com.

“If an ass goes traveling, he’ll not come home a horse.”

- Thomas Fuller / English Clergyman

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