209: CiderCon2020 Insider Tips

The 10th Annual American Cider Association trade conference CiderCon will be held in Oakland California, January 28th through to January 31, 2020. This episode provides an overview on the following topics:

• Oakland weather in winter & What to wear
• How to get to CiderCon via public transportation and using BART to get around Oakland and San Francisco
• Where to find morning coffee and bagels
• Madison Park’s morning Tai Chi session in Oakland
• The Bay Area Cider Week

Oakland graffiti on the Marriott Hotel where CiderCon will take place

Oakland Marriott City Center where CiderCon is held

• 1 block from the 12 Street/City Center BART stop.
• 7 blocks (0.4 miles) to Crooked City Cider Tap House.
• 9 blocks (0.6 miles) to Jack London Square.

Oakland Weather in late January

• Low 60s Fahrenheit, 15 Celsius
• Dress in layers and always bring a cap to wear as it usually drops down to the 40s in the evening.

Transportation options BART or Ferry Service

• Via BART - aka the metro line
• Oakland Airport to CiderCon is 30 minutes - $2.60 one way
• San Francisco Airport to CiderCon - expect an hour ride - $2.60 one way
• Use Bart to San Francisco and to Redfield Cider Bar get off at the Rockridge stop. Redfield is a 500 foot walk from the Rockridge stop.
• Crooked City Cider And Taphouse is an 11 minute walk and there will be evening events through the week

Jack London Square archway, within view of Crooked City Cider. Go here to board the San Francisco Bay Ferry

Take a ride on the San Francisco Bay Ferry from Oakland to the SF historical Ferry Building

• The commuter ferry leaves form jack London Square, which is about a 12 minute walk from CiderCon.
• $7.20 one way
• $5.40 with Clipper Card - but you need to keep a balance of $5.40 on your card.

  • Clipper Card

    https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/getTranslink.do

    Order online: https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperCard/order.jsf

    Buy in-person:

    Need a card right away? Get an adult card in person at:

    • Many Walgreens, and Whole Foods Market stores and other participating retail locations
    • Transit agency ticket offices and Clipper Customer Service Centers
    • Muni Metro and Golden Gate Ferry ticket machines and SMART fare machines (minimum value required)

    There is a ticket machine at the Coliseum station, and at 12th St / City Center station.

    There is a Walgreens at the 12th St / City Center station.

    [ Looking back at San Francisco via the SF Bay Ferry.

Morning Coffee and Bagels

• 5 min walk from the Marriott/CiderCon location to Awaken Cafe which opens at 7:30am to 3pm
• 10 min walk to Beauty Bagels Shop - opens at 8am - 3pm
• 16 min walk to Farleys Coffee Monday - Friday 7am-8pm, Saturday- Sunday 8am-8pm
• Clear you cider palate with some bitters via craft beer
  • Along the way, 1/2 block off Broadway is The Trappist (Belgian & specialty beer cafe), Beer Revolution (bottle shop and tap house), Federation Brewing (brewery).

Chat with Michelle McGrath, the Executive Director of the American Cider Association

• Michelle provides an overview of key speakers at CiderCon

Get the Conference App - Attendify

• This app provides contact info for speakers, sponsors, and fellow attendees
• Check your reservation to CiderCon to get the code for the Attendify CiderCon program

Check out cider events happening all week long during CiderCon

Bay Area Cider Week begins January 25 and run through to February 1, 2020

Bonus Sightseeing Tip:

If you have a car, take a drive to Almeida about 15 minutes from the Marriott and visit the USS Hornet. This is a fantastic place to catch the sunset with San Francisco in the background. The big battleships are quiet and you will find yourself right on the water with barely a person around.

USS Hornet museum in Almeida, California. San Francisco can be seen in the distance. This is a powerful spot to catch the sunset, but you will need a car to get to this little know battleship area. It is super cool and puts you right on the bay with spectacular views.

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