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Barbary Coast Trail Walking Tour
Tour 2. Gold Rushers, Shanghaiers, & Jazz Dancers
Saturday, October 1, 2011

Author and trail creator Daniel Bacon will be our guide along the Barbary Coast Trail as a group of 25 Wharton Club members gets the second in a series of 4 special, members-only guided tours into the history of San Francisco!

Tour 2. Gold Rushers, Shanghaiers, & Jazz Dancers
This trail connects twenty of the most historic sites in San Francisco: the birthplace of the Gold Rush . . . the oldest Asian temple in North America . . . the Pony Express . . . the largest fleet of historic ships in the world. Down Gold Rush-era streets and Chinatown alleys, past Bonanza King mansions and Barbary Coast bawdyhouses, the trail wends its way into the heart of old San Francisco. Featured on KQED's program "Sin, Fire & Gold!--The days of San Francisco's Barbary Coast," Daniel's amusing anecdotes and lively descriptions are a treat for all those who love The City by the Bay.

The trail is divided into four segments and we will explore the second one, entitled "Gold Rushers, Shanghaiers, and Jazz Dancers." This tour explores the period when San Francisco catapulted from a small Mexican village into a thriving metropolis. The tour starts at the Portsmouth Square, the birthplace of the Gold Rush and the village of Yerba Buena. We then walk to Commercial Street, then along the city’s original shoreline. We visit the Pony Express headquarters site and then Wells Fargo History Museum, featuring Gold Rush artifacts. We then stroll to Jackson Square, the last cluster of Gold Rush and Barbary Coast era buildings in SF, leading to a 19th century shanghaiing den. We end our tour at “Terrific Street” where Jelly Roll Morton once performed for enthusiastic dancers.

 

Register online
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2011
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm (Please plan on arriving no later than 9:50am so that we can start the tour promptly.)
Location:  Portsmouth Square (between Clay St. and Washington St.), 733 Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA. We will meet at the upper level (on the Washington Street side) of the square near the elevators which go down to an underground garage.  
Cost: WCNC members: $15 per person; members may also purchase one additional ticket for an accompanied guest.  No charge for Wharton Club Gold Ticket Members (but remember as always to register via the above 'Register Online' link). Note: this set of tours is expected to sell out--purchase your tickets early.  Day-of-event registration will not be available for this event.
Registration ends 10:00am Friday, September 30, 2011.  Tickets for Gold Members are available only until 4:00pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2011.
Parking: You can park in the Portsmouth Square Garage at 733 Kearny Street. Alternately, you could park near 555 Pacific Street ("Terrific Street") where our tour ends and walk to Portsmouth Square for the tour.