Tours

Convention Tours

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October 2-5

Friday, October 2, 2015

Napa Wine Tour

9:45 AM – 4:00 PM

Travel across the historic Golden Gate Bridge into the internationally recognized Napa Valley. Northern California has put itself on the map in the wine making arena and placed itself as one of the top producers of superb wines in the world.  Today, you will receive a private tour and tasting at (2) exclusive Napa Valley Wineries – Flora Springs Estate and Rutherford Hill.  You will also enjoy a gourmet box lunch at the second winery, overlooking rows of gorgeous vineyards.  Comfortable shoes and layered clothing recommended 

 

$294.00
Escape From Alcatraz – Night Tour 

4:45 PM – 9:15 PM 

Experience the many moods of Alcatraz with an evening visit to the Island. Enjoy the beauty of a sunset silhouetting the Golden Gate Bridge. Take a ferry across the San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz Island, where a self-guided audio tour will teach you about the history and highlights of this historic prison. Learn compelling stories about the Island’s history and residents. Enjoy spectacular views of the Golden Gate and City at sunset. The Alcatraz Night Tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening that includes special programs, tours and activities not offered during the day. Note: Tour timing is subject to change. Comfortable walking shoes and jacket are recommended 

 

$112.00
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Napa Wine Tour

9:45 AM – 4:00 PM

Travel across the historic Golden Gate Bridge into the internationally recognized Napa Valley. Northern California has put itself on the map in the wine making arena and placed itself as one of the top producers of superb wines in the world.  Today, you will receive a private tour and tasting at (2) exclusive Napa Valley Wineries – Flora Springs Estate and Rutherford Hill.  You will also enjoy a gourmet box lunch at the second winery, overlooking rows of gorgeous vineyards.  Comfortable shoes and layered clothing recommended 

 

$294.00
San Francisco City Highlights Tour aboard an iconic Motorized Cable Car! 

9:45 AM – 3:00 PM

From the quiet parks of Pacific Heights to the bustling, carefree activity of Fisherman’s Wharf to the no-nonsense economic fervor of the Financial District, this is a city of contrasts, yet together they create a metropolitan symphony that cannot be matched.  Today guests explore the city in style, aboard a motorized cable car! This driving city tour takes guests throughout San Francisco, with stops that may include Fisherman’s Wharf & Pier 39, Haight Ashbury, North Beach, Civic Center and more! The Cable Car is open-air, layered clothing is recommended for this tour

$126.00
Explore Muir Woods Giant Redwoods & Sausalito 

9:45 AM – 3:45 PM

Step out of San Francisco on a trip to Muir Woods and Sausalito. This enthralling half-day trip takes you across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Area’s most popular national monument and the quaint village of Sausalito. Once in the grove of Redwoods, you will have an opportunity to walk amongst these beautiful and awe inspiring Sequoia trees. Take a peaceful walk amongst these beautiful trees by following the creek bed, or climb high into the hills. Next, travel to Sausalito where world-class hotels, plentiful restaurants and a diverse selection of shopping opportunities, galleries and retail fashion shops are found. The magic of this old fisherman’s village is found not only in the Mediterranean atmosphere but also in the spectacular views of San Francisco just across the Bay. The floating homes, waterfront community, and rich history define a town that prides itself on a strong and unique spirit.  Comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing are recommended 

 

$105.00
Escape From Alcatraz – Day Tour 

9:30 AM – 1:45 PM

Guests will take a ferry across the San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz Island, where the award-winning self-guided audio tour brings history alive through the actual voices of the correctional officers and inmates who lived on the island during the infamous Federal Penitentiary era.Alcatraz became the prison of choice for serious offenders for a simple reason–‘The Rock’ was believed to be inescapable; that is until the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris floated away in a homemade raft in 1962. Home to such infamous characters as Al Capone, Robert ‘The Birdman’ Stroud and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, this island attracted more prisoners than visitors until its closure in March 1963. Note: Tour timing is subject to change. Comfortable walking shoes and jacket are recommended 

 

$105.00
Monday, October 5, 2015
San Francisco City Highlights Tour aboard an iconic Motorized Cable Car! 

12:15 PM – 5:30 PM

From the quiet parks of Pacific Heights to the bustling, carefree activity of Fisherman’s Wharf to the no-nonsense economic fervor of the Financial District, this is a city of contrasts, yet together they create a metropolitan symphony that cannot be matched.  Today guests explore the city in style, aboard a motorized cable car! This driving city tour takes guests throughout San Francisco, with stops that may include Fisherman’s Wharf & Pier 39, Haight Ashbury, North Beach, Civic Center and more! The Cable Car is open-air, layered clothing is recommended for this tour 

$126.00
Explore Muir Woods Giant Redwoods & Sausalito 

12:15 PM – 6:15 PM

Step out of San Francisco on a trip to Muir Woods and Sausalito. This enthralling half-day trip takes you across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Area’s most popular national monument and the quaint village of Sausalito. Once in the grove of Redwoods, you will have an opportunity to walk amongst these beautiful and awe inspiring Sequoia trees. Take a peaceful walk amongst these beautiful trees by following the creek bed, or climb high into the hills. Next, travel to Sausalito where world-class hotels, plentiful restaurants and a diverse selection of shopping opportunities, galleries and retail fashion shops are found. The magic of this old fisherman’s village is found not only in the Mediterranean atmosphere but also in the spectacular views of San Francisco just across the Bay. The floating homes, waterfront community, and rich history define a town that prides itself on a strong and unique spirit.  Comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing are recommended 

$105.00
Escape From Alcatraz – Night Tour 

4:45 PM – 9:15 PM

Experience the many moods of Alcatraz with an evening visit to the Island. Enjoy the beauty of a sunset silhouetting the Golden Gate Bridge. Take a ferry across the San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz Island, where a self-guided audio tour will teach you about the history and highlights of this historic prison. Learn compelling stories about the Island’s history and residents. Enjoy spectacular views of the Golden Gate and City at sunset. The Alcatraz Night Tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening that includes special programs, tours and activities not offered during the day. Note: Tour timing is subject to change. Comfortable walking shoes and jacket are recommended 

$112.00

Silicon Valley Post- Convention Tour

October 7 – 9 (Wednesday-Friday)

CupertinoElectric_LevisStadium

image courtesy Cupertino Electric

Dear NECA Members:

Silicon Valley and the tech companies headquartered there are constantly in the news: Apple, Google, Intel, Facebook and others. But what drives the innovation stemming from the area remains a bit of a mystery. Much more than the most expensive housing market in the nation, Silicon Valley is America’s leading high-tech device and idea hub and is the epicenter of renewable electrical construction—two characteristics that make Silicon Valley appealing to NECA contractors, wherever they may work. We are offering an exciting opportunity to make sense of this extremely valuable part of the world just south of San Francisco.

A highlight will be our site visit to Levi Stadium, the new $1.2 billion home of the 49ers and next year’s Super Bowl. It’s been called “the stadium that Silicon Valley built,” but the design/build was actually done by NECA-member Cupertino Electric (www.cei.com), one of the nation’s largest specialty contractors. We’re hoping a representative from Cupertino can be on hand to discuss the LEED® Gold Certified project and explain elements of the electrical installation. This promises to be a fascinating visit as they’re also beginning Super Bowl 2016 preparation.

We’re treating ourselves by staying at the Hotel Valencia right in the heart of San Jose’s toniest shopping district, Santana Row, a lively entertainment district lined with designer shops, restaurants, bars and high-rent condominiums. Some of the 49ers have places here.

Friday morning, you are minutes to the San Jose Airport … only 45 minutes to San Francisco International and your return flights home.

Please send your Reservation Forms in without delay. In light of the visit with Cupertino Electric at Levi’s Stadium, we expect considerable interest. Early planning also enables better airfares. Please e-mail travelata@aol.com or call with any questions 706-663-2171.

 

Download the full brochure to learn more

Download the Reservation Form today


Itinerary

KEY: B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, R = Reception included in the tour

Wednesday, October 7 — San Francisco to San Jose

10:00am Pick-up at NECA’s Headquarters Hotel

11:00-11:30am STOP AT APPLE CORPORATE STORE

Shopping and photo opportunity stop at Apple Company Headquarters, which sells exclusive Apple merchandise only available onsite. Make sure to get your photo taken by our tour guide in front of the “1 INFINITE LOOP” sign!

11:30-Noon APPLE GARAGE & MOTHERSHIP

Next we make our way past construction of Apple’s new corporate headquarters, affectionately called the “Mothership” because of its round design.

We will then make our way to the birthplace of Apple — the garage of Steve’s parents’ home.

12:30-2:30pm TOUR & LUNCH AT LEVI’S STADIUM

Construction was completed on this 1.2 billion dollar stadium in 2014; it’s now home of the San Francisco 49ers and next year’s Super Bowl. Featuring a green roof and heavy use of solar panels, the stadium is the first in the NFL stadium to have achieved Gold LEED certification status, due to its sustainable elements. Enjoy lunch at the new Michael Mina BOURBON PUB located at the Stadium. In addition to designing and constructing Levi’s Stadium’s electrical systems, Cupertino Electric also designed and built complex tele/data and Distributed Antennae Systems (DAS), and installed a 375-kilowatt (kW) solar energy system. We’re working on having someone from Cupertino on hand to talk about this project. See below mid-construction photo provided by Cupertino Electric.

http://www.cei.com/our-work/levis-stadium-san-francisco-49ers

2:45-3:15pm INTEL MUSEUM STOP

At this stop, we’ll learn Intel’s history at a unique on-site museum that inspires innovation. Intel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation and the world’s largest and highest-valued semiconductor chip maker.

3:30pm ADOBE DRIVE BY

We will drive past Adobe’s corporate headquarters — the only tech company in downtown San Jose proper. Your guide will point out the semaphore above and explain the geek history behind the digital message. We will also drive down Woz way, named after Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, a beloved local celebrity in Silicon Valley.

4:30pm Arrive at the Hotel Valencia Santana Row

This place is in the heart of San Jose’s toniest shopping district, Santana Row. Hotel Valencia is this town’s freshest and most flavorful, offering true-blue boutique style and lively on-site restaurants and bars.

Hotel Valencia on Santana Row

• The evening is open to enjoy one of the Hotel’s or neighborhood restaurants.

Thursday October 8 — Silicon Valley • B,L,R

10:30am HOTEL VALENCIA PICKUP

11:00-11:30pm FACEBOOK PHOTO STOP

Although Facebook isn’t friendly to tour buses, we will make a brief stop to get a group photo in front of the giant Facebook “Like” billboard. Look at the back of the billboard to see the Sun Microsystems sign being reused and recycled.

11:30am ENROUTE TO LUNCH

11:45-12:45pm LUNCH AT BUCK’S OF WOODSIDE

Buck’s of Woodside is famous as a gathering spot for venture capitalists. Paypal, Tesla and Hotmail were all funded over lunch at Buck’s. Enjoy the eclectic collection of Americana and delicious food.

12:45-1:00pm ENROUTE

1:00-2:00pm STANFORD UNIVERSITY HOOVER TOWER

Many attribute the success of Silicon Valley to the partnership between enterprise and education that Stanford created. We will visit the campus and point out some of the landmark buildings as we drive through. We will stop by the Main Quad and take a short walk over to Hoover Tower, where (if time permits) we will ascend the tower by elevator for some terrific views of Stanford and the Bay Area.

2:30-3:00pm NASA MUSEUM/MOFFETT FIELD

Moffett Field, once an active military base, will be the future home to the new Google headquarters. We will drive by Moffett and discuss the history and future of this iconic piece of land.

3:15-3:30pm LINKEDIN DRIVE BY

Not only is LinkedIn now the top networking site for business professionals, with 250 million members in 170 countries, but Reid Hoffman is one of Silicon Valley’s most prolific and successful angel investors: PayPal, Facebook, and Zynga are a few of his successes.

3:30-3:45pm GOOGLE PHOTO STOP

We’ll make a photo stop at the Googleplex so you can get some cool pictures. Google is not group-friendly, so we might have an adventure on campus. We will do our best to get you a photo with a Google bike.

3:45-4:45pm COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM

Called the Smithsonian of Silicon Valley, the Computer History Museum is a must-see for any Silicon Valley fan. The Computer History Museum was recently chosen as the symbol of Silicon Valley by Valley residents. Built in 1999, the Museum is dedicated to the preservation and celebration computing history. It is home to one of the largest international collections of computing artifacts in the world, encompassing computer hardware, ephemera and photographs, moving images, documents and software.

5:30pm ARRIVE AT THE VALENCIA

7:00 – 8:00pm Reception (across the street) at the Winchester Mystery Home

Mrs. Winchester (of the rifle family) was haunted and eccentric, which is on display in this 160-room maze of Victorian craftsmanship that is full of oddities. http://winchestermysteryhouse.com

• The evening is then open to experience a restaurant of your liking.

Friday, October 9 — Flights Home • B

• Transfers will be provided to San Francisco International Airports. Please also look into returning from the San Jose Airport.

Tour Inclusions:

  • Two-night’s deluxe accommodations, Hotel Valencia
  • Hotel taxes and porterage
  • Breakfast Thursday & Friday
  • Lunch at Levi Stadium Wednesday & Buck’s Thursday
  • Reception at The Winchester Mystery House Thursday
  • Tour of Levi’s Stadium
  • Transportation by deluxe motorcoach
  • Guided tours per itinerary
  • Entrance fees
  • Silicon Valley map
  • Services of American Travel escort throughout

Tour Package Price:

  • $995 per person double occupancy
  • $ 1,199 single occupancy* Cost for accompanying children (they’re welcome) available on request.

Features Not Included: Items of a personal nature, such as laundry and phone calls; liquor and soft drink charges; meals not specifically included; tips to the coach driver; airfare.

Contact: Geoff Robertson

American Travel Association

2126 Piedmont Lake Road

Pine Mountain, GA 31822

Ph: (706) 663-2171

Cell: 706-681-3329

Fax: (706) 225-2551

e-mail: travelata@aol.com

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