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Traveller said:
San Francisco Bay Ferries question.

If there is bad weather, do the ferries still run? I'm thinking maybe a thick fog?

I want to use the ferry from the Ferry Building to Larkspur Terminal as the start of a longer journey on the day to get to Larkspur SMART Station, Petaluma then on to Eureka by Amtrak Thruway bus. Is the ferry system generally reliable or does poor weather shut it down?
Thanks
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I am on their e-mail list since 2022 and the only weather-related disruptions that they've sent out notices on was flooding around the docks caused by the excessive rain when an atmospheric river dumped on California. That was with the San Francisco Bay Ferries. Larkspur and Sausalito are served by Golden Gate, but they may have had the same problem.

Someone else may have had a different experience, but one thing that we likely all would recommend is signing up on their website for emergency notifications.

https://www.goldengate.org/ferry/schedules-maps/

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Willbridge said:
I am on their e-mail list since 2022 and the only weather-related disruptions that they've sent out notices on was flooding around the docks caused by the excessive rain when an atmospheric river dumped on California. That was with the San Francisco Bay Ferries. Larkspur and Sausalito are served by Golden Gate, but they may have had the same problem.

Someone else may have had a different experience, but one thing that we likely all would recommend is signing up on their website for emergency notifications.

https://www.goldengate.org/ferry/schedules-maps/

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Thank you Sir, that's fantastic.
 
Railspike said:
I saw in 2021 and 2022 thread posts that walking from the Emeryville station to the Hyatt across the tracks was safe, even at night.

Is it still safe for 2 seniors in 2024 at night?
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Yes, I was just in Emeryville last week, it has really been gentrified and cleaned up around the Station to the Waterfront.

Saw absolutely no homeless or " street people" in that area.
 
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I stayed at the Hyatt House across the tracks from EMY in May 2023, while returning from my nephew's wedding in Monterey. Originally, Amtrak had booked me on a Thruway bus from Salinas at about 2-3 AM, with a several hour wait for the train, but I realized this was crazy (no hotel for the evening, or book a room for the night, check out at about 1 AM and get a cab or Uber of Lyft to Salinas at oh-dark-thirty...) I changed my reservation to ride coach the previous afternoon from Salinas to EMY on the Starlight, stay in the Hyatt and have a civilized dinner and breakfast before leaving on the Zephyr (my original reservation.) There is an elevator from the station to the parking garage above it, a pedestrian bridge from the second or third level of the garage across the tracks to a tower in the middle of the Hyatt parking lot, and a second elevator. It was a fairly long walk across the mostly empty parking lot from the tower to the hotel entrance, and not well-signed, and the CS was a little late getting in, and the closest door to the station was locked for the evening, and I spent some time hauling my luggage around the wrong way until I found the right way into the hotel, so it all could have been much better if they just put up a sign that said "Hotel Entrance" with an arrow. But there wasn't anyone around, threatening or not. In the morning, since I knew the way, it was all much easier. And there were other people walking over to the station in the morning.

In retrospect, this was a much better option than the original bus, but I think I would have been better off taking the CS to Sacramento or Martinez and catching the Zephyr there. Less of a rush in the morning, I would have had an hour or two more sleep! The hotel was fine but moderately expensive. A hotel in SAC or MTZ or one of the other stops where the Starlight and Zephyr follow the same route probably would have been just as nice but significantly cheaper. I didn't have any time for local exploration, so the actual location didn't matter, as long as it was a place where I could transfer between trains.
 
I stayed at that hotel mid July. Due to a late arrival, my sister and brother in law had already gone to dinner, and I had to fend for myself. I was ok with the bridge. A little tough dragging luggage (pending hip replacement). They apologized for the view (it looked out on the tracks and station, little did they know!) Hotel had decent breakfast, any other meal you need to go out, good choices nearby. Excellent shopping and a pleasant outdoor shopping street and mall just a few blocks away. Area was fine during the day, wasn't there at night I had a bunch of family things to attend.
 
John Santos said:
I stayed at the Hyatt House across the tracks from EMY in May 2023, while returning from my nephew's wedding in Monterey. Originally, Amtrak had booked me on a Thruway bus from Salinas at about 2-3 AM, with a several hour wait for the train, but I realized this was crazy (no hotel for the evening, or book a room for the night, check out at about 1 AM and get a cab or Uber of Lyft to Salinas at oh-dark-thirty...) I changed my reservation to ride coach the previous afternoon from Salinas to EMY on the Starlight, stay in the Hyatt and have a civilized dinner and breakfast before leaving on the Zephyr (my original reservation.) There is an elevator from the station to the parking garage above it, a pedestrian bridge from the second or third level of the garage across the tracks to a tower in the middle of the Hyatt parking lot, and a second elevator. It was a fairly long walk across the mostly empty parking lot from the tower to the hotel entrance, and not well-signed, and the CS was a little late getting in, and the closest door to the station was locked for the evening, and I spent some time hauling my luggage around the wrong way until I found the right way into the hotel, so it all could have been much better if they just put up a sign that said "Hotel Entrance" with an arrow. But there wasn't anyone around, threatening or not. In the morning, since I knew the way, it was all much easier. And there were other people walking over to the station in the morning.

In retrospect, this was a much better option than the original bus, but I think I would have been better off taking the CS to Sacramento or Martinez and catching the Zephyr there. Less of a rush in the morning, I would have had an hour or two more sleep! The hotel was fine but moderately expensive. A hotel in SAC or MTZ or one of the other stops where the Starlight and Zephyr follow the same route probably would have been just as nice but significantly cheaper. I didn't have any time for local exploration, so the actual location didn't matter, as long as it was a place where I could transfer between trains.
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I've found that Davis is an excellent place for an overnight between trains.
 
Railspike said:
I saw in 2021 and 2022 thread posts that walking from the Emeryville station to the Hyatt across the tracks was safe, even at night.

Is it still safe for 2 seniors in 2024 at night?
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I've stayed at the Hyatt House - I never felt unsafe but you should probably know what you are getting into.

You take an elevator up - then you walk across the pedestrian bridge over the tracks and then the elevator down. Both or either elevator could be out of order - meaning you would have to walk up / down the stairs with luggage. Both or either elevator could also smell heavily of beer / urine.

You end up in the parking lot of the hotel and have to walk across the parking lot to the other side of the building for the main entrance. It's about 600 feet total (including the bridge) that you will be walking/dragging luggage.

Rasputin said:
I have only boarded the cable cars at Fisherman's Wharf in the afternoon and evening and there have been long lines every time. I came close to missing a dinner with friends the first time I tried it because I did not expect the wait to be so long. I have never been at Fisherman's Wharf in the morning and don't know how the lines are then.
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If you get there in the morning - you practically have the whole car to yourself. It's lovely. One of the reasons I prefer staying in the city vs. the Hyatt House in Emeryville is the ability to get in a few rides early in the morning and sometimes late at night as well. Riding at night is very fun - SF is such a beautiful city.

Don't forget the free cable car museum where you can see all of the gears (ask the conductor which stop it is) and if you are riding the old PCC Trolleys there is also a free "Museum" but really more of a gift shop for the Street Railway. Lots of great souvenirs.

If there isn't a conference or business traffic when you visit - you can get some insane deals on Priceline at the nicer hotels like the Hilton, Doubletree, Intercontinental etc. - I paid more for the Hyatt House in Emeryville than the DoubleTree right in the city.
 

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