On A Tank Of Gas: May

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Ballparks by Rail, Ferry

Round-Trip Home Run

By Janis Dice
You don’t have to gas up the car, fight big-city traffic or hunt down parking to see the Giants or A’s play. Instead, let public transportation take you out to the ballgame.
    To check out the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, a ride on the rails and a ferry ride across the bay can transform an outing into an adventure. If you’re more interested in seeing the River Cats’ major-league affiliate, the Oakland A’s, at McAfee Coliseum, it’s a seamless shift from one form of rails to another, Amtrak to BART.
    The Capitol Corridor trains take riders on a relaxing and scenic route from Amtrak stations in the Sacramento region to Jack London Square in Oakland for the Giants game or the shared Richmond Amtrak-BART terminus for the A’s. If you sit on the top floor of the double-decker train, you’ll be rewarded with powerful views of the Valley’s golden hills, then over the Carquinez Strait to skirt along the bay, which seems close enough to touch.
    Heading to AT&T Park, it’s a short walk to the ferry dock at Jack London Square where passengers board for an invigorating 40-minute cruise to the China Basin Ferry Terminal. Offering limited trips to the park during baseball season, the ferry has onboard snack bars and indoor chairs, as well as outdoor seating where ocean breezes and marine aromas heighten the nautical experience.
    Tickets are purchased on board the ferry on a first-come, first-served basis, or may be prepaid by calling (415) 705-5555. Ferry passengers disembark right at the Seals Plaza entrance to AT&T Park.

Continued...

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