What to do in and around San Francisco?

Murphy_The_Cat

we really enjoyed going around the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in Alemada harbour which is in Oakland. details here http://www.uss-hornet.org/

MTC

Ginger_Pudding

bluey wrote:

Opposite Pier 39 there is a bus station and tram terminus. We caught the tram from there, right through the Centre of San Francisco to the Castro. We had the best meal there at a cafe opposite Tower records. Whatever you hear about the Castro is maybe true at night but the daytime it is a nice friendly area.

I hadn't heard of the Castro , but I see from an SF tourism website that it's the gay area, I wondered where that was.

I was reading an article on the internet recently that said there was a lot of vagrants in SF and it was a bit like Times Square before they cleaned that up , has anyone any thoughts on that? Found other references to vagrants such as on this site http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/26956/b870f ( scroll down to the pros and cons ) I suppose it's nothing to worry about as everyone says how great SF is , but I just wondered if anyone had noticed this.

As Yosemite sounds to be a bit much for a day trip , we're thinking of doing an overnight trip there now as it's somewhere we definitely want to visit. Muir Woods sounds good too , so might try and fit that in . Has anyone been on a helicopter trip and if so, is it worth it? Or would it be just as good to go on a bay cruise? Trouble is boats don't agree with me

Thanks for the further advice. We want to make the best of this trip so any tips are very welcome

blindman

Went to SF over last New Year.

Our hotel(s) were on the border of the Tenderloin district and there were vagrants around the area.

We weren't hassled too much, just a polite 'No thanks' usually worked for the ones that actually asked for money, not that many did.

There were streets that had strip joints and run down places around there, but not on the tourist trail so easy to avoid.

I didn't see any vagrants in Fishermans Wharf area or at the usual tourist sites.
We used public transport a lot and there were some 'crazies' on a couple, but that added to the entertainment!

Having said that, the Cable car stop at Powell Street, which has Q's of tourists is on the edge of vagrant area, so they are evident.
We didn't feel threatened, but just took the usual precautions of not wandering around looking lost late at night in the Tenderloin area.

Have fun

Murphy_The_Cat

just a quick thought.

If you get the chance to visit Alcatraz at night - go for it. A lot less busy, more time to spend their / talk to tour guides.

we found weirdos all over in SF ! we stayed in Haichts Ave, where a lot of the locals still think they are in the 1960s !

Oh, and the trolley bus tours give you a great value tour and general overview of the city.

If you are driving, remember to drive down Americas twistiest road ! Also, a word of warning, parking spaces are few and far between and really expensive $1 for 10 minutes was a regular site. Try to find a car park in a shopping area, they often had spend x dollars here and park for free (up to 2 hours).

The Nappa valley is well worth a trip. We visited http://www.schramsberg.com/ which was the business !

You are not to far away from 'old faithful' (the geyser) http://www.oldfaithfulgeyser.com/ which is located close to the hot springs and spa town of calistago http://www.calistogafun.com/, which is a nice place to visit.(be warned every bar seemed to brew their own range of beers,all were potent !!)

have fun

mtc

jnd

BlueVinney wrote:

Sacramento, Arnie's the governor there, may be worth a visit if you have time. We stopped at the jelly belly factory en route for a free factory tour.

The Budweiser brewery next to the Jelly Belly factory is always worth a visit. Free tour of it as well. HIC!

I second the Cheesecake Factory but you've got to get there early as there is usually a long wait. Don't be put off if Macy's is closed. There is a lift to it at the entrance off Union Square.

I also agree with the ferry trip to Sausolito especially first thing in the morning where you can watch SF wake up across the bay.

Tankgirl_3

Murphy_The_Cat wrote:

just a quick thought.

If you get the chance to visit Alcatraz at night - go for it. A lot less busy, more time to spend their / talk to tour guides.

mtc

My brother lives in SF so I can heartily recommend this tour - awesome! Get the headsets and you won't regret it it - worth giving it a good few hours though cos if the weather is good the views of SF alone are spectacular - ditto I've never done the night one but I bet it's even better!.

If you're fly/driving then Santa Cruz is worth the coast drive (Pacific Coast highway - PCH - is a beautiful drive south no matter how far you go, Half Moon bay (where they shot Hitch****'s The Birds) is on the way as is Mavericks, a legendary surf spot.

Chinatown is great for eats, and bargain snacks (if you visit off the main street places - get dim sum for breakfast!)

Haight St is the original hippy hangout, home of one of the first Ben & Jerrys' stores and though commercialised it's still a great californian experience and leads straight into Golden Gate Park which is MASSIVE (could spend a whole day there easily)! - Goood for music shopping too - visit Amoeba nr the park.

Other worthy city sights include Nob Hill (the maddest, windiest road -look it up and you'll see what I mean!), Downtown is good for shopping but always keep your cash in your FRONT pockets, safest and least-picked pocket and don't spend all day with your head in a fold out map!

Berkely is worth a trip over the bay - beautiful University town with historic buildings, also the Yerba Buena (??) Centre always has good exhibitions, and walking across the GG bridge is a must!

I Agree with the post about Sausilito, but it is Very expensive (comparatively) if you eat out over there so be warned...mmm, trying to think of other places but going blank...if I think of more I'll let you know..

Have fun, I'm jealous! (hhahaahha - just seen that the censor has starred out Alfred Hitch's surname!! - yuk yuk!)

Murphy_The_Cat

My sister returns from SF this Tuesday - hopefully i'll have some good tips from her to post

MTC

Baz_Bee_2

Murphy_The_Cat wrote:

If you are driving, remember to drive down Americas twistiest road ! Also, a word of warning, parking spaces are few and far between and really expensive $1 for 10 minutes was a regular site. Try to find a car park in a shopping area, they often had spend x dollars here and park for free (up to 2 hours).

mtc

The twistiest street is called Lombard Street and is well worth a drive down or just a look.

Also if you do hire a car then car parking can be horrendous in SF. If you do hire a car check your hotel has a car park and what it charges. Do not be surprised to be charged anything from $15 - $25 per night for parking.

Mooogie

hire a bike from Blazing saddles and bike the GG bridge. Absolutely superb. It is all off road on cycle paths and safe!!
Then catch the ferry back to Pier 49? from Sausalito, they give you a ferry ticket with the bike hire and if you don't use it, you get a refund!!
Great views of the bay and Alcatraz from the bridge.

Ginger_Pudding

Murphy_The_Cat wrote:

If you get the chance to visit Alcatraz at night - go for it. A lot less busy, more time to spend their / talk to tour guides.

Haven't seen any night trips to Alcatraz on the net , but i've booked a Deluxe city + Alcatraz tour last night (http://www.allsanfranciscotours.com/Body.asp?Page=TourDetails&tour=SFO-B0002 ) which should be ok hopefully. Will probably book a day trip to Yosemite today after discounting an overnight one and i'm tempted by a trip that drives up the coast and visits Carmel and Monterey (http://www.allsanfranciscotours.com/Body.asp?tour=SFO-B0007&page=TourDetails).

We wont be driving so don't have to worry about parking. Hiring a bike sounds good , but I think my cycling days are over and my husband had a good laugh at the thought of me riding a bike! It's one thing that worries me a bit ,that San Francisco maybe not the best place to have picked for someone who has mobility problems and can't walk very far. All those steep roads :rolleyes:

Another thing that worries me is that i've booked the flights and hotel through Expedia and i've read on another thread here that some people have had problems with them, so I hope everything will be ok