TRAVEL SPECIAL.... FRISCO CITY BY THE BAY

FRISCO  CITY BY THE BAY   San Francisco has always been popular among holidaymakers for its sheer vibrancy. A couple of its offbeat destinations.   JAPANTOWN Japantown, which is San Francisco's historic foundation of Japanese and Japanese American culture, is bordered roughly by Geary Boulevard between Laguna Street (east), and Fillmore Street (west) and a stop on San Francisco's 49Mile Scenic Drive. Look for the bright red banners adorned with cherry blossoms and the Peace Pagoda which proudly marks the Japantown area. This is the oldest of only three Japantowns remaining in the US, all of which are in California. This is confirmed by dozens of Japanese groceries, shops, restaurants and the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya. Traditional Japanese and Asian themes adorn the Japan Center, a shopping complex on the north side of Geary, and anchored at both ends by the Hotel Kabuki and Sundance Kabuki cinema. The Kabuki Springs & Spas is one of the only Japanese style osentos in the US and offers Japanese style bathing followed by Shiatsu massage. CHINATOWN As old as San Francisco itself, Chinatown has the largest Asian community in North America. Inside are 24 blocks of hustle and bustle, most of it taking place along Grant, the oldest street in San Francisco. This city within a city is best explored on foot; exotic shops, food markets, temples and small museums comprise its boundaries. Visitors can buy herbal remedies, enjoy samples at a tea bar or order a “dim sum“ lunch. The former central telephone exchange of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company stands at 743 Washington St. Now a bank, it is the first Chinese-style building constructed in San Francisco, and the exact site where California's first newspaper was printed. ALCATRAZ Located one-and-a-half miles from Fisherman's Wharf and one of the city's most popular attractions. A visit to Alcatraz includes a tour of the cell house where visitors can see where the prisoners lived. Although the last inmates were transferred off the island in 1963,  the main prison block with its steel bars, claustrophobic (9 x 5-foot) cells, mess hall, library and “dark holes,“ where recalcitrant languished in inky blackness, is still structurally intact. Alcatraz was the site of the first lighthouse in the Western United States but became a federal penitentiary from 1934-1963, housing famous convicts such as Al Capone and George “Machine Gun“ Kelly. Now, this once infamous prison island is part of the Bay Area's 80,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area. TREASURE ISLAND For music lovers, the island rocks every October during the Treasure Island Music Festival. Built for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island is a flat slab of an island. Though not much remains from the expo's glory days, one can check out the curved Art Deco lobby of Building One to get a feel for what it looked like. It features a number of mesmerizing views of the area. While many  visitors are drawn to Treasure Island simply to take in the scenery, the lure of the island has also attracted Hollywood studios and amateur filmmakers alike. Many feature films, television shows, and commercials have been shot on Treasure Island, so keep your makeup kit handy in case you bump into a camera crew while you're roaming around the island. The Winery SF is a cool spot for trying wine produced in San Francisco. Or, if bargain hunting for curios, be sure to visit on a day when the Treasure Island Flea is open for business. ET23OCT15