What to do in San Francisco?

[ausi2b]

I'm going for a wedding in San Francisco this weekend and have never been (I've never been to California ever!) We are turning it into a 5 day vacation. What have you done and enjoyed? What have you done and thought - its not worth it or the money? Did you do a tourbus or anything? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[greenbunny]

I was there a few days only, and I know very little about SF. But I recommend going to Haight-Asbury St. (think I spelled that right) and also Pier 39. The Crab House has amazing food and the best beer I've had in the continental US.

You also have to see postcard row and take a pic there.

Now maybe the locals can offer some non-hokey stuff.

[nic]

I've only been once so I am far from an expert.

If you like wine you really should try to take a day trip to either Sonoma or Napa valley. There's nothing like it.

We took the tour of Alcatraz and to be honest, I was bored in 5 minutes.

Take the Ferry over to Saulsilito, it's beautiful. They have cute little shops and restuarants.

You can rent bicycles and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. We didn't do it but I kind of wish we had.

You've got to take at least one trolley ride.

If you like shopping, there's lots of shopping to do in Union Sq.

Fisherman's Wharf is touristy but I had fun there. I wouldn't spend all day there but it was fun to walk around there for a few hours. There are sea lions and seals that hang out right off the piers.

[Vegastrtle]

Whenever we had out of town guests, my dad would do the non-touristy stuff...he'd ignore Lombard and do the OTHER crooked street (I forget the name of it now). We'd take them to Sausalito (other side of GG bridge). The area around Ocean Beach is nice...Golden Gate Park, Cliff House..another restaurant I can't think of its name...Sutro Baths...Chrissy Field is pretty...Chinatown has great dim sum but can get too crowded for my taste...North Beach has great Italian food (there's a wonderful truffle place somewhere around there) cable cars...the only floating National Park (Hyde Street Pier..near Fisherman's Wharf)...SBC Park...Embarcadero...Ferry Building (can take a Ferry to Sausalito, have lunch and take it back...)

I've given my parents tours given by Grace Ann Walden (found her online...they go for the food). They've done the North Beach and the Nob Hill tours and enjoyed them both..there's also a tour of the Murals in the Mission District..I wish I remembered the name, I went for a field trip class a few years ago..it was interesting (and one of my friends worked on one of the murals..and her hands are painted in it).

It's been awhile since I've been to the city for anything other than errands...maybe I need to do some exploring again.

[boilermaker]

We were out there for my brother's wedding in May and some of things we really enjoyed were:
- Muir Woods...big redwoods
- Walking across the GG Bridge (it's not very far, maybe a mile?)
- Taking the Trolley ride from the wharf area all the way to Union Square...and then shopping before taking the trolley back. (the ride is about 45 min round trip)
- Fisherman's wharf, definitely get some chowder in a bread bowl
- Sausilito
- Sonoma (the winery in my Avator is from Sonoma)

There is so much to do, you will love the trip!

[mierin]

DH and I were in San Fran is May and had such a great time. I'm kind of a large chocolate fan, so we went to the Scharffenberger Chocolate factory (http://www.scharffenberger.com), which was a lot of fun and we got some free chocolate.

I actually enjoyed Alcatraz, but we did the night tour, which is a bit more expensive, but it includes some other stuff and you get to see an amazing sunset.

[WestieMomma]

I was coming here to post the same thing...I have lots of SF questions. We are thinking about going there for a few days in Oct or Nov..how's the weather there then?

And what area should we stay in? I saw a lot of cute hotels online around the Union Square area. Is it a good idea to rent a car or can we get by just using taxis and the trolley?? Also any recs for a day trip to the wine country? Are there tours that will take you out there??

[ginandchris]

Pretty much ditto on everything Vegas said. I live just south of SF, but I do work in the city.

As for the weather in Oct/Nov. Its warmer in Oct than November. By Nov there could be some rain. Definitely fog though. Union Sq would probably stay somewhat sunny into the afternoon but after that definitely fog. Probably in the 60's. Cooler as you get towards the water as well.

If you are going to stay within the city, then you can definitely just take the taxis everywhere. There are tours to both Napa and Sonoma as well. Some people prefer to drive, its just preference. There are plenty of hotels near Union Sq. I would stay around there, since that is where all the shopping, and a lot of restaurants are. Hope this helps! ;)

[laura]

If it's in your budget, I highly recommend the Westin St. Francis in Union Square - but be sure to ask for or specify a room in the older part. My husband and I stayed there for our anniversary right after moving to the area, and it is really great. Great location & the hotel itself is beautiful.

When we stayed, we had friends drop us off and we walked most everywhere. We walked from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf (but it's quite a ways) and hit Chinatown and North Beach along the way. It isn't for everyone, but my husband loves to walk, so that's what we did. We did take a taxi back one day b/c we purchased a lot of stuff, but mostly we walked. There is also a trolly that goes straight between Fisherman's Wharf & Union Square, with stops along the way. I did it once w/ my ILs when they visited from out of town, and it's a fun "touristy" thing to do.

One thing to be aware of is if you are flying in to SF airport, it is not IN the city, and it's ~$50 taxi ride to downtown (Union Square area). You may want to pre-arrange some kind of shuttle service if you want to save yourself some money. We took a taxi home (we live near the airport) and it cost us ~$65, just FYI.

Weather is always hit or miss - pack lots of layers!

[justHB]

Definitely check out Muir Woods.

Sausalito is great if you like cute, coastal towns. If you're interested in getting dinner over there, Scoma's has EXCELLENT Italian food and is right on the water so you can look out onto SF at sunset.

Sonoma/Napa is not to be missed. Really, I see no point in coming all the way to the area and not going to wine country. I prefer Sonoma, but Napa is probably easier to arrange a tour of.

Avoid the "tour/vacation" booths at Fisherman's Wharf as they are for timeshare sales (I know, I used to work for one). No matter how great the deal, you don't want to spend 3 hours of your short vacation being pressured to buy a vacation deal that sounds too good to be true (they'll tell you it's 90 minutes, and yes, it is too good to be true).

Definitely check out shopping on Union Square. A lot of people like to get lunch/dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and sit outside overlooking Union Square. The wait can be atrocious though so I would recommend skipping that.

Definitely check out North Beach. Some good restaurants are Cafe Bocce and Caffe Sport. There are a ton of other great places too.

Ride a cable car (be prepared to wait in line though).

Check out Beach Blanket Babylon in North Beach. It's a great satirical song/dance review of things that are going on in the news.

Check out the sunset from Ocean Beach.

Go on a walk through Golden Gate Park. There are live buffalo living there.

Check out the Palace of the Legion of Honor out in the Richmond. It's a gorgeous museum with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Get burritos in the Mission. I recommend Taqueria Cancun or La Taqueria. I prefer Taqueria Cancun, but many people will say that La Taqueria has the best burritos in SF. I've found it to be hit and miss.

Get Dim Sum at Yank Sing in the Financial District. It's the best dim sum I've had ever.

Head to the top of Twin Peaks for a view of the entire city. Bring a jacket though because it gets windy up there (we had to leave 4th of July fireworks one year because it was too cold to stay).

Definitely pack layers to wear out. You'll be warm one minute and freezing the next depending on what part of town you're in.

Check out the different neighborhoods, including Haight Ashbury (listen for the skinny boys to walk by and offer you "green herb"), Union Street, the Marina, the Mission, Noe Valley, and Pacific Heights.

Walk around upper Pac Heights to see some of the most amazing mansions in the city. Danielle Steele's home takes up one whole block.

If I was going to the City to stay, I'd try to book at room at the Westin St. Francis on Union Square or the Fairmont on Nob Hill. If price is a factor, check out the Joie de Vivre group. They have a number of great little boutique hotels throughout the city that come highly recommended from friends/family who have stayed there.

I'm sure there are a ton of other things, but I'm really blanking right now.

[HeatherFL]

I think you may have already made your trip to San Fran. It's a beautiful city, I hope you enjoyed it!

For any others thinking of taking a trip out there, here's some pictures of the city:

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeANnDlmzZs2rHSg

~H.

[nic]

I second the Westin St. Francis in Union Sq, that's were we stayed last August

[jetter]

My DF and I are going to San Francisco and Sonoma in October. We'll be there for four nights/five days. We'll be doing a lot of the toursity things -- walk over Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz, Muir Woods, etc. Does anyone have any off the beaten path ideas for SF? Also, what about San Francisco restuarants? I've read alot about Slanted Door, so we may try that out. Also, any recommendations for must visit wineries in sonoma?

[boilermaker]

I bumped a previous Sonoma thread up for you. Also, on the WC, there was a VERY extensive thread with a lot of great recommendations in it.
You'll love it out there. It is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the US.

[melones]

Slanted Door is wonderful....definately take some time in the Ferry Building (where Slanted Door is) I also love Frascati on Russian Hill...very SF with the Cable Cars passing by on Hyde Street. It's a great casual neighborhood place with EXCELLENT food.

[HeatherFL]

I am trying new places this time around for our upcoming trip November 15-20th and we're staying at Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel & Spa (http://vineyardcreek.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml) in Sonoma and The Pan Pacific Hotel - San Francisco (http://sanfrancisco.panpacific.com/)

I usually stay at the Mission Inn (Fairmont property) in Sonoma and either the Ritz, Mandarin Oriental or Palace in San Francisco. The Mark Hopkins is really nice too (been there once). But there are A LOT of good choices. So I figured why not branch out a bit? :)

Bring back pics. :D

~H.

[laura]

I like Kunde, Ledson, St. Francis, Ravenswood (our 'table' wine) and VJB in Sonoma. I've also heard good things about Kenwood, Imagery (wine, eh; art on bottles, very interesting), Chateau St. Jean, and Blackstone. And my husband can't resist a visit to the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa whenever we're up that way.

[BethIrish]

Laura How is the food at the RRBC? We're going in November - my brother and his girlfriend just decided to join us. My bro isn't a huge wine drinker (his GF is), and I know as soon as he discovers that this is nearby we will have to visit. I don't want to cut in to our vineyard visiting schedule, so I'm thinking this might be a dinner destination for us. Any thoughts?

[babylove]

I am going to San Fran in December. Any recommendations for restaurants and/or activities would be greatly appreciated!

[justHB]

Sonoma is actually very large and is made up of a number of different regions, my favorites being the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys.

If you're looking for places to stay in Sonoma, I would recommend the Inn at Occidental. We usually drive up and back in one day since we live so close, but we've stayed there for an anniversary once and I loved it. We're also looking in to staying at the Grape Leaf Inn in Healdsburg in January for a couple of nights.

I believe the thread that was bumped up by a pp has a list of winery recommendations.

In San Francisco, I would recommend one of the Joie de Vivre hotels as they are all small, boutique type hotels that have extra special touches. They are also centrally located in the Union Square.

[mrsfromage]

For San Francisco restaurants, I would highly recommend Sutros' at the Cliff House; it is right on Ocean Beach and has amazing views. Be sure to go during the day; going at night would defeat the purpose of seeing the view! And you definitely need a reservation (www.opentable.com). While you're there, you can hike around the Sutro Baths, which are ruins of old baths/spa area on Ocean Beach--a fun hike that takes about an hour. Dress warm!

Hiking in the Presidio along the coastal trail is also amazing. If you're not a hiker, you can see a view of the Golden Gate bridge and the water from the Legion of Honor museum which is worth doing. San Francisco has such great natural beauty in addition to the city aspects.

Muir Woods--you can hike around for an hour or less and see the redwoods (very easy hiking--three trails that take 30 min, 60 min or 90 min and are paved) or do a more serious hike to Stinson Beach down below. Very fun.

other restaurant recommendations
I would eat Italian in North Beach at least once. Rose Pistola is supposed to be great (I have eaten at their mini-booth at the Ferry building but not at the North Beach one).
Chloe's Cafe in Noe Valley is fun for brunch if you want to explore a different neighborhood.
Andalu in the Mission is a fun tapas place.
Dottie's True Blue Cafe also has a good breakfast near Union Square though it is in the tenderloin and the neighborhood is sketchy at best.

[mrsfromage]

http://www.cliffhouse.com/popimages/sutres.jpg

view from the Cliff House

[Marie]

We just got back from a San Francisco/Napa trip last week! The one restaurant I would suggest is the Restaurant Gary Danko. One of the best meals I've had in a very long time and for the quality of the food and service quite reasonably priced.

[HeatherFL]

I've been to San Fran several times, but never heard of Restaurant Gary Danko. I checked out the website based on Marie's recommendation. It looked FABULOUS! I just want to write that it must be really good! I just called for a reservation for either November 18th or 19th and they only had 10pm available both nights and it's almost two months in advance! I'm on the waiting list. <crossing fingers> :)

~H.

[laura]

Damn, I wanted to go to Gary Danko for my bday and I completely flaked on getting a reservation, even though I knew they book a couple of months out. Ah well.

The food at RRBC is bar food. If that's what you want, it would be good. We just had apps & beer, but it was good. Honestly after so many wineries, we just can't taste wine anymore. It's pretty much after that happens that we head to RRBC.

[Meredith]

We're going next summer and I am starting to research things...and could use your advice! :)

What do you recommend?
Where should we stay?
What should we see?
How far away is Napa?

And...

What is YOUR personal favorite thing about the city?

Thanks!!!

[irish74]

Gosh, let's see...

Napa is about an hour away with good traffic, double to triple on a holiday weekend.

What type of place are you looking to stay at? B&B, big hotel, historic hotel, budget? Downtown, neighborhood, waterfront?

Have you ever been here before? Are you more interested in sightseeing or more interactive type things?

[Meredith]

More downtown things, heavy sightseeing, lots of the 'traditional touristy' things. Last time I was there I was a kid, and I still remember being scared of Alcatraz. Been there...also done Chinatown and a few other things. But what would you recommend? My husband and I like nice, big hotels that are within walking distance of the major sites, near great food, fun activities, etc. And what do you mean by 'interactive'???

[irish74]

For a big hotel near the action, try the Marriott at 4th & Mission, The Hyatt at Union Square or at the Embarcadero, also pricey but beautiful is the Mark Hopkins and the Fairmont (the show Hotel was filmed there and the United Nations was formed there), they are both at the top of Nob Hill with fabulous views. If you are coming on a weekend consider staying in the Financial District as there are nice, big hotels and it will be a little bit cheaper, but still close to everything, the Union Square hotels will be a bit more on the weekends.

I like Alcatraz myself, when we have visitors it is one of the things I usually do with them.

Chinatown is fun too, explore both Grant and Stockton to see both the "real" Chinatown and the tourist one. I like Four Seas for Dim Sum, Oriental Pearl is also very good.

North Beach is the Italian neighborhood and it is right next to Chinatown if you wanted to do both in a day that would be no problem. Specks is a bar there where all the beat poets hung out, very cool. North Beach Restaurant is my personal favorite for a nice dinner there, Capp's Corner for a great family style Italian dinner, you will be soooo full.

The Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street has been redone recently and has shops, restaurants and a great farmer's market. Slanted Door is there and is very good and famous Vietnamese food, but spendy.

If you are looking for a restaurant with an ocean view there aren't many, Beach Chalet (brewery/restaurant) and the Cliff House. Out of the two, I would definitely take the Cliff House as the Beach Chalet is really noisy.

A ferry ride on the Bay is a good sightseeing thing to do. You can take one of the tour boats that leave from the Pier 39 area or you can take the commuter ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausalito and explore there for a day, very cute little town with shops and restaurants.

The Exploratorium is a really cool hands on museum, near the Marina and the Presidio (which is also a great place to explore with fabulous picture opportunities). The Presidio has had a lot of work done recently and you can walk along the water to the area below the GG Bridge, there's even a little cafe now "The Warming Hut" where you can get a snack or coffee.

Golden Gate Park is also definitely worth a stop on your trip. The new De Young Museum just opened so lines are likely to be very long. However, the Japanese Tea Garden is right next to it as an alternative. There is a herd of bison if you enter from the 32nd? Avenue entrance on the Richmond side. I also like to watch the model boats race at Spreckels Lake which is in the same area. A bit of a walk to the windmills, but they are beautiful.

By interactive, I guess I was trying to figure out if you are more the type to just want to see the Golden Gate Bridge or want to walk across and then go on a hike in Marin.

I've written a novel now, haven't I. I've lived here all my life, so I'd be happy to answer any questions you have and can recommend more things to do and restaurants if you like, just tell me what you are interested in.:)

[DiscoDiva]

DH and I went there in July for vacation, and we LOVED it!

We stayed at the Best Western Tuscan Inn by Fisherman's Wharf and could not have been happier. We loved the hotel itself as well as the location.

Touristy things we did and recommend:
*2 hour Cable Car tour of city (catch at Fisherman's Wharf area)
*Lombard Street
*Golden Gate Bridge (drive across to get good pics from other side)
*Pier 39
*Ride the cable cars
*China Town
*Alcatraz tour
*Coit Tower (for view of whole city)
*Painted Ladies homes (viewed from Alamo Square)
*Golden Gate park - so pretty!
*Ferry Tour of Bay
*Washington Square (where locals do Tai Chi in the park)
*Union Square

Things that aren't worth it:
*Ghirardelli Square (just some shops and restaurants, not that great)
*The Cannery (similar to above, not that great)
*Haight Ashbury area (not very exciting)

To eat, we liked:
*Ciopelli's on Fisherman's Wharf - fantastic but inexpensive Italian
*Lori's Diner in Union Square
*Cafe Francisco in North Beach area for muffins, coffee, sandwiches, etc.

Also, check out my journal for some recent pics!

[smartgrrl]

Hey Meredith - I went to San Fransisco a few years ago to see a friend - I don't remember it taking too long to get to Napa - you may want to stop over in Sausalito, too - it's such a cute little town. The only other place I'd recommend is to go to City Lights Bookstore - from reading your posts, it seems as though you love to read, so you would really appreciate it. It's so historical and cool and it's not too far away from all the other big touristsy things - plus it will give you a chance to see another area. I'd also recommend the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. As far as modern art museums go, it's definitely one to be seen - good luck and I hope you and your DH have a super time!

[Kates]

There is some excellent advice here! We too are planning a trip to SF next summer.

Can I ask if anyone knows of any good moderately priced boutique hotels or B&B's? We aren't sure what area we'd like to stay, so any suggestions would be great.

Kate

[kd 9.21.02]

We lived there for 4 years and miss it.

For a nice hotel, I like The Mark Hopkins. In Sonoma/Napa are we usually go with Sonoma Mission Inn (now a Fairmont property) and love their spa.

Restaurant that we miss: Osaka Grill -- like Benihana but so much nicerbetter.

[Meredith]

Wow, fantastic advice so far! We're also planning on buying a guide book a few months before we go, but it's always nice to have real opinions from you smart ladies, too. I think we'll plan on a mix of museums and eating (:p) and also a little interactive stuff too (a hike would be great). I am so excited!

[laura]

We stayed at the Westin St. Francis right in Union Square for our anniversary a couple of years ago, and it was very nice and a great location - a little expensive, possibly, though. We stayed in the historic part, not the new towers, so I don't know what those are like. My husband loves to walk, so we walked from Union Square down to the waterfront, which is pretty long and slightly challenging b/c of the hills, but it was also very fun b/c we walked through Chinatown and North Beach along the way, too.

Basically ditto all of what sfaugustbride said.

I like the Sonoma area more than Napa, personally, and downtown Sonoma is also very cute, but Napa also has a bunch of great wineries. Depending on how long you are staying, you could spend a couple of days up in Napa/Sonoma and see both. I wouldn't recommend trying to see both in 1 day - or at least not do tastings at both in one day - it's too hectic.

When we have visitors who like to do "the touristy stuff", we usually take them to Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, over the Golden Gate Bridge, Miur Woods, Sausalito, North Beach, to see the Painted Ladies, Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park, the Ferry Building, shopping in Union Square, Lombard Street, etc. There is a cable car that goes up either Hyde or Powell (?) - I think it's called the Hyde/Powell route - that goes from right outside Ghiardelli (sp?) Square all the way to Union Square, and it goes right past Lombard Street. We've taken a few people on this to kill several birds w/ one stone and it's always been a hit.

I really want to try Restaurant Gary Danko (for a fancy meal), but you need reservations about 2 months out. I've heard Aqua is good for seafood, and Slanted Door (already mentioned) for Vietnamese. We've had several good dinners in Chinatown, but I don't know any names there. I've never had a good meal at Fisherman's Wharf, so I would recommend sticking to just snacks in that area, but that's just me. I am blanking on other restaurants we've been to, but I will post back if I think of any.

[kd 9.21.02]

I really want to try Restaurant Gary Danko (for a fancy meal), but you need reservations about 2 months out. I've heard Aqua is good for seafood, and Slanted Door (already mentioned) for Vietnamese. We've had several good dinners in Chinatown, but I don't know any names there. I've never had a good meal at Fisherman's Wharf, so I would recommend sticking to just snacks in that area, but that's just me. I am blanking on other restaurants we've been to, but I will post back if I think of any.

Gary Danko is very good but very chi-chi so I'm not always in the mood for that kind of thing when I'm really hungry ;). Slanted Door is super tasty. I should have mentioned that. Make reservations there before you go because it's popular.

[HeatherFL]

I called for a reservation to Gary Danko over two months in advance and they put me on a waiting list!

Slanted Door was awesome!

I agree with Mark Hopkins for a hotel. I also like the Ritz Carlton, The Palace and The Mandarin Oriental. All wonderful properties!

Fisherman's Wharf is fun to hang out around.

Took the Alcatraz ferry and tour.

Have also driven over Golden Gate bridge to Sauslito and it's a lovely town.

Everyone has given great suggestions. San Fran is awesome. Have a great time!

~H.

[alical04]

I didnt have any problems with getting a reservation at Gary Danko about a month before we went but our reservations were also for the weekday and not the weekend so that might have something to do with it. But we absolutely loved the restaurant and the food and service were both wonderful :D I would reccomend it to anyone.

[justHB]

Gary Danko is very good but very chi-chi so I'm not always in the mood for that kind of thing when I'm really hungry ;). Slanted Door is super tasty. I should have mentioned that. Make reservations there before you go because it's popular.I love Slanted Door!

If you're stuck on having a meal at Fisherman's Wharf, I suggest Scoma's - skip everywhere else as the food is bland and uninspired.

Regarding Napa/Sonoma, I always recommend Sonoma b/c the vintners are a bit nicer and spend more time with people discussing the wines and providing information you wouldn't normally get at a big, touristy winery like a number of those found in Napa. My favorite area of Sonoma is the Russian River/Alexander/Dry Creek Valley areas.

[daener]

It's been awhile, but I lived in SF for several years and I miss it to this day!! A few of my favorite things to do (which may or may not still be possible - sorry if they're outdated)...

Rollerblade in Golden Gate Park on Sundays when they close off the main drive to cars. Can also catch great disco-era rollerskaters there - fun to watch!

Drive up to Twin Peaks for a fabulous view of the city.

Go to the movies! SF has some of the most amazing old movie houses! The Castro theater and the theater on Union Street stand out in my mind as being particularly unique and true art deco.

We once hired a limo to pick us up in SF and drive us to Napa for a day at the wineries - it was an expensive, but well worth it, treat.

Visit the Cliff House and meander through the Presidio along the coast for amazing views of the Golden Gate.

Restaurant recs: The Flying Saucer (on 22nd and Valencia?) in the Mission; ChaChaCha in the Haight (Tapas and Sangria); Michelangelo's in North Beach; Olive's Pizza (on Scott in the Marina) for cornbread crust gourmet pizza; Little Italy in Noe Valley (on 24th Street near Castro) for great Italian food.

I hope this helps! Have a great trip - I'm green with envy!!

[irish74]

Little Italy in Noe Valley (on 24th Street near Castro) for great Italian food

Daener - Wasn't that a great place? They have unfortunately closed and there is a new restaurant there. Not bad, but not Little Italy, I loved that place. My husband also grew up here and at least once a month he mentions how he wishes it was still around.

Good idea about GGP on Sunday!

[justHB]

It's been awhile, but I lived in SF for several years and I miss it to this day!! A few of my favorite things to do (which may or may not still be possible - sorry if they're outdated)...

Restaurant recs: The Flying Saucer (on 22nd and Valencia?) in the Mission; ChaChaCha in the Haight (Tapas and Sangria); Michelangelo's in North Beach; Olive's Pizza (on Scott in the Marina) for cornbread crust gourmet pizza; Little Italy in Noe Valley (on 24th Street near Castro) for great Italian food.

ChaChaCha has great tapas and Sangria. I used to live in the Haight and it's probably one of the better eating establishments in the area. Unfortunately, there is a very long wait.

[chortles]

Depending on how comfortable you are with not knowing the place you are planning on staying, you can go on hotwire.com or priceline.com and do bidding for rooms. I did that with some girlfriends and we got a room off union square for $60/night.

You can also look on vrbo.com and rent a house - but be sure you know what neighborhood you're renting into.

[Blondeinabmw]

We stayed near Union Square in the theater district at the Hotel Savoy - a little European style hotel on Geary Street. The location was excellent - close to cable and street car lines, walking distance to China Town and great nightlife. The room was small, but romatic and quite comfortable. The price was great too.

For things to do, definitely go to the Muir Woods, Golden Gate Park and Alcatraz. Get the headphones at Alcatraz and if they have any special programs or speakers, it's interesting to sit in for a bit. Castro is fantastic for entertaining people watching, great food and eclectic shopping.

The best meal we ate was at Fior d'Italia on Washington Square. The food was great and the waiter even told us that we'd enjoy getting cannoli for dessert at the bakery around the corner and taking it to the park to eat. They gave us a bottle of wine from their vinyard on the house to open on our anniversary! So charming!

The city is just fantastic - a truly cosmopolitan urban setting, but with the "California" attitute! I love SF!

[daener]

sfaugustbride - Noooooo!!!! I loved Little Italy and am so sorry to hear that it's closed down!! I hope it wasn't replaced by a chain restaurant. :(

All of these recommendations are making me hanker for a trip to my favorite city. I'm envious!!

[irish74]

daener - Me too. The new restaurant is a Spanish sort of place and it's good, but I really miss Little Italy. :(

Fior d'Italia had a fire earlier this year and is going to be relocated temporarily while it is being repaired. Love that place too, I think it is supposedly the oldest restaurant in San Francisco, so it will definitely come back to it's original location.

[Rosebud]

San Francisco Trip Report

I recently returned from a 3-day weekend in & around San Francisco. I thought I’d post my tips and photos for anyone else who’s planning a trip to the Bay Area.

We went with some friends who’ve never been to S.F. before, so we took them to a lot of places a first-timer to the city would go.

We drove from Los Angeles to Palo Alto on Friday night (drive time was about 6 hours) and stayed with friends in Palo Alto. On Saturday morning we drove into San Francisco and spent the whole day sightseeing. Then, on Sunday we drove back to the city and went to a Giants game. We did a bit more sightseeing after that. On Monday, we drove home via the scenic route (PCH to the 101), through Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, Solvang and Santa Barbara (drive time was about 10 hours, with stops).

SIGHTS

San Francisco Scenic Drive- When you pick up a San Francisco city map at AAA, there’s a suggested driving tour marked on the map. We had friends with us who’d never been to the city before, so we took them on part of the tour to get oriented. We started in Little Saigon, drove up to Grace Cathedral, down into Union Square, Chinatown and North Beach (where we stopped, visited Coit Tower and had lunch). From there we went out across the Golden Gate Bridge and took a bunch of photos from the overlooks on the other side. We drove back across the bridge and saw the Palace of Fine Arts and then walked out along the waterfront near Fort Point to get even more photos of the bridge. From there we drove through the Presidio and then went over to Golden Gate Park and spent a while driving through the park, with stops to hike and take photos. We drove on through the Haight, past the Haight/Ashbury intersection and the old Victorians around Alamo Square. It took a long time to drive, but we kept getting out of the car to see things and walk around certain areas. It was a good way to cover a lot of the city in one day. More details about some of the highlights:

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E 567%3EWSNRCG%3D3233754563897nu0mrj
(Alamo Square)

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D3233754569348nu0mrj
(Golden Gate from near Fort Point)

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D32337663%3A34%3B7nu0mrj
(The city-- you can see Coit Tower in the background)

Palace of Fine Arts- I loved the park just outside the art museum. It was built in 1915 and features a Roman rotunda and a bunch of beautiful colonnades right next to a lake. Very pretty!

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D323375456932%3Bnu0mrj
(Palace of Fine Arts)

Coit Tower- This is my favorite place to view the city. It’s an easy drive up to the tower and there’s free (though limited) parking at the top. From the lookout you have an amazing view of the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the city skyline. You can also take an elevator all the way up to the top of the tower for an even better view.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D323376634796%3Cnu0mrj
(At Coit Tower)

continued....

[Rosebud]

...continued...

Golden Gate Park- You could really spend all day wandering through this huge park and checking out the many attractions. Drive though and stop here and there to enjoy the scenery. This is the perfect place to do a little hiking, have a picnic, rent a paddleboat or just relax.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D323375456935%3Cnu0mrj
(Hiking trail in Golden Gate Park)

Pier 39- The waterfront is hugely touristy and definitely not my favorite part of town. But if you’ve never been to the city before, you’ll probably stop by just to see it. It’s sort of like going to Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles: locals avoid it like the plague but tourists want to at least see it. We took our friends out to Pier 39 to see the sea lions. They were cute. We got some photos. We left.

Lombard Street- This is another one of those things our friends really wanted to see. We drove down it and continued on...
http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D3233766388%3C93nu0mrj
(Lombard Street)

North Beach- One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco is to have a picnic in Washington Square Park in North Beach. Pick up a panini on Columbus Ave. and then sit in the park and eat it. On a nice day, this is some of the best people watching in town. This Italian neighborhood has great restaurants and is fun to walk around. If you’re into books, don’t miss City Lights Bookstore, a famous haunt of the Beat era.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D3233754573753nu0mrj
(Washington Square Park with Sts. Peter & Paul Chuch in the background)

AT&T Park- We went to a Giants game at the wonderful baseball stadium in the city. It’s a lovely park and this is a great way to spend the afternoon, if you have the time. Get a seat in the upper decks so that you have a nice view of the water. Best food in the stadium: the Gilroy Garlic Fries. Yum!

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D323375457373%3Anu0mrj
(AT&T Park)


RESTAURANTS

Chow
215 Church St. (near the corner of Mission & 14th St.)
This place is a local favorite and is always packed. Rachel Ray recently picked it as one of her favorite San Francisco restaurants. The food is American and pretty basic: sandwiches, pizza, burgers, chicken. It’s also fairly affordable. For a place with such simple foods, they had a good wine list—not just your standard Chardonnay and Cabernet. I had a very good organic spinach salad and then a fusilli with chicken. For dessert I had a Butterscotch Banana Crème Pie that was really delicious. You’ll probably wait a bit to be seated, especially on weekends, but I definitely recommend the restaurant.
Menu: CHOW (http://tinyurl.com/payzw)

Steps of Rome
348 Columbus Ave. (near the corner of Columbus & Broadway)
Located in the North Beach neighborhood, this little Italian restaurant serves up wonderful and authentic food. They have both a trattoria and a café. We chose to eat in the trattoria for dinner, which is a small space right off the sidewalk—a great spot for people-watching that also feels intimate. I had a fettucine con pollo that was simple and wonderful. The pasta and fish dishes ordered by others in our party were also delicious. Don’t miss their tiramisu for dessert. It’s very good. Don’t miss this restaurant if you’re looking for Italian.
Website: Steps Of Rome (www.stepsofrome.com)

Stella Pastry Café
446 Columbus Ave
Just a block north of Steps of Rome is a wonderful pastry shop where you should stop for a cannoli if you’re in the neighborhood. Their pasty case is filled with the most gorgeous baked goods and the little shop is always packed with people. Highly recommended.
Website: Stella Pastry (www.stellapastry.com)

Grandviews Lounge
345 Stockton St. (in the Grand Hyatt Hotel)
The bar at the top of the Hyatt has a spectacular view of the city and is a great place to go for a cocktail. In atmosphere, it’s your typical hotel bar, with ridiculously high drink prices to match. The view is unbeatable, though. You can sit right at the window, looking out over the skyline from 36 floors up.
Hyatt website: Hyatt (http://grandsanfrancisco.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp)

[Rosebud]

...continued...

SIDE TRIPS

If you have time to get out of the city, I highly recommend spending a day in Monterey and Carmel by the Sea. It took us about two hours to drive there, through some beautiful countryside with green, rolling hills. Monterey is a former cannery town which is now home to the fantastic Monterey Aquarium and a very pretty beachfront. Right next door, Carmel has a gorgeous, historical mission and one of the most beautiful beaches in Northern California. You could easily spend a day or two in this area soaking up the scenery.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D32337545638%3A%3Bnu0mrj
(Monterey)

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E 567%3EWSNRCG%3D3233754569384nu0mrj
(Sea Lions in Monterey)

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D3233754569373nu0mrj
(Sea Lions)

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E56 7%3EWSNRCG%3D323376636494%3Bnu0mrj
(Carmel by the Sea)

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E 567%3EWSNRCG%3D3233754569397nu0mrj
(The mission in Carmel)

And if you have the time to continue driving, the road through Big Sur is spectacular.

http://images1.snapfish.com/346%3B662%3C%3B%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E65%3A%3E 567%3EWSNRCG%3D32337545693%3A9nu0mrj
(Big Sur)

[maxandmolly]

Oh, your pictures make me The City so much! I've been gone longer than I lived there, and I still miss it everyday.

[ssstephanie]

I grew up in the city so my top suggestions(which are things I still do once in awhile): walk the Golden Gate; Coit Tower; definitely Twin Peaks; check out the Haight/Ashbury and if you walk/drive a few blocks north on 650 Parker Avenue, you'll hit St. Ignatius Catholic Church. It's so breathtaking and it really lights up the city:
http://www.stignatiussf.org/church_evening.jpg

The Exploratorium is fantastic:http://www.exploratorium.edu/

It's also really close to the Asian Art Museum(I think that's what it's called) and Japanese Tea Garden.

I second everyone else's tips on going to see the homes in Pacific Heights, Sausalito, Golden Gate Park, Washington Park in North Beach(a fave of mine). I say rent a car! The more you see, the better!!!

[ssstephanie]

Oh and near the Exploratorium and Golden Gate Park is the SF Zoo which can be fun if you're into that and this really fabulous Botanical Garden place that I've been to about 10 times and have no idea what it's official name is or how to get there!!!

Also, check out the Mission District and DEFINITELY, get a burrito, some tacos or pupusas. mmmm. I prefer it over Chinatown personally but then again, I'm Latin.

[Kates]

Rosebud03, what an awesome trip report. DH and I are leaving in a week for SF, I am so excited! Your pictures are great. I didn't realize that the baseball stadium is right on the water, we are going to a night game, that was a must for DH.

ssstephanie, what are pupusas?

[Aug2002Bride]

Is there any other options for airports besides SFO that are pretty close to San Fran?

[maxandmolly]

Is there any other options for airports besides SFO that are pretty close to San Fran?
YES! I would absdolutely, without a doubt recommend the Oakland airport. It's small, easy to navigate, and Southwest still flies out of there (they stopped flying out of SFO years ago) so you can get super-cheapo flights.
For $2/person you can catch a shuttle bus that takes you directly to the BART station, and from there you can ride BART into The City.
I would be totally against renting a car. I gave my car up after 6 months there, after far too many fruitless hours spent looking for parking. Between BART, Muni, the buses, the classic streetcar line, the cable car lines and the endless taxis, a rental car would be a waste of $$ to me.
Chinatown always made me feel claustrophobic, too many people in too small a space.
LOVE North Beach. MUST go to City Lights, then grab a drink next door at Vesuvio's. Washington Park is a great people watching spot, and plus there's always tons of cute dogs there too. I worked at the old WashBAG-in it's incarnation as Cobalt Tavern-VERY briefly as a hostess, and my favorite part was looking out the window at the dogs in the park, and the older Asian (Chinese I would assume, that close to Chinatown) practicing their Tai Chi (I think).
I took my brother to Alcatraz when he came to visit me, and found it an utterly fascinating place. DEFINITELY pay for the audio tour, it's just a couple bucks extra, and is a guided tour with all the history of the prison. There's also a room dedicated to the time the Native Americans took over the island in the late 60's.

[ssstephanie]

Kates- Pupusas are native to El Salvador but also common in Central America. They are made of masa(which is what tortillas are made of) and filled with cheese and a variety of other fillings: beans and cheese; shredded pork and cheese, veggies and cheese, even rice and beans. Then they're cooked on a flat griddle. They are soo good. A great place to try is La Santaneca- 3781 Mission Street. Here is a picture I googled(best I could find):
http://www.inwent.org/v-ez/lis/hnd/pupusas.jpg

I suppose they don't look appealing in photos but I swear in person, they look and taste sooo good. The red stuff in the bowl is pickled cabbage. I've never had any that color but I guess it just depends on who makes it.

[knoelani]

I'm bumping this up for some advice...I'll be in the city next week for work and will have some free time. I'm traveling by myself and am still debating the rental car. What are the must sees with limited time and since I'm staying smack downtown (at the Ritz) how easy will it be for me to walk / take taxi's where ever I want to go?

[kk junebug]

ride a trolley car.

fishermans wharf. eat at McCormick & Kuletto's. GREAT view of the bay and great reasonably priced food.

head to the buena vista club for a killer irish coffee (if youre into that)

walk the GG bridge.

check out lombard street, the crookedest street in the world. makes for a good photo opp.

WALK WALK WALK...you'll see alot of cool things that way. AND get great exercise!

[knoelani]

Thanks! So skip the rental and I'll be fine?

[wine_o_girlie]

We were in SF for a few days and absolutely didn't need a car. We picked up our rental car on the way out of town to Napa. If you have time go to Wine Country, it's fabulous and such an easy trip from San Fran. :)

[laura]

From Union Square it is extremely easy to walk/take taxis wherever you need to go. I wouldn't bother w/ the aggravation of a rental car in the city, since then you have to worry about where to park it, or pay for parking at the Ritz - plus then worry about driving in the city. Getting from the airport to downtown will be the biggest trip/expense via taxi, but everything else is very accessible.

[Little Angel '77]

OMG, I LOVE SAN FRAN.

Drive Route 1-- its a MUST SEE
Go To the Stanford and walk the campus, its BEAUTIFUL!
Go to MIR WOODS
Fishermans warf is VERY touristy... not my favorite place, but um... Ghiradellis is worth the stop :)

Go up the hill that over looks san fran, Twin Peaks and Miran Headlanes. It's AWESOME. I love San fran :)

[ejs]

A word of advice: While in The City, don't call it Frisco or San Fran. Nobody in the area calls it that.

As others have said, you won't need a car. But be forewarned that SFO is a decent-length taxi ride from downtown SF, especially during rush hour.

[maxandmolly]

A word of advice: While in The City, don't call it Frisco or San Fran. Nobody in the area calls it that.

As others have said, you won't need a car. But be forewarned that SFO is a decent-length taxi ride from downtown SF, especially during rush hour.
YUP! Nothing points out a tourist faster than calling it one of those. Except, possibly, those cheap pullovers they sell at the top of Twin Peaks.
There are, however, numerous shuttle services that are MUCH cheaper than taxis. I took it, and I think it was $13/14. You do have to sit through other stops for other people, though.

[DianeCourt]

We'll be in San Francisco for three days this September. I won a travel auction for a three night stay at Petite Auberge (http://www.jdvhospitality.com/hotels/hotel/11). Has anybody heard about this place? It's a boutique hotel in the Joie de Vivre group near Union Square. I'm hoping the location is good at least...I got a great deal and it looks cute.

I'm making a list from all of your suggestions in this thread! We'll be heading out to Sonoma for a three night stay after we're done in San Francisco. We're not planning on renting a car in San Francisco, but we'll need one for the trip to wine country. Should we rent one from the airport, or do you know of an easier way to get a car besides driving all the way back to the airport once we're in the city? I'm thinking there would be rental offices in the city, but we need to eventually leave the car at SFO so we can catch our flight home. Not sure how to arrange this!

Our flight back home leaves on a Saturday at noon. How much time should we allot for the drive from Sonoma to SFO?

[justHB]

On a regular weekend, it can take anywhere from 1 hour, 15 minutes to three hours to get from Sonoma to Oakland. From Oakland, it's anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes to SFO. Traffic here is VERY unpredictable. Personally, I would never go to Sonoma on a day that I had a flight unless my flight was at night and I planned on leaving Sonoma in the early afternoon. Last weekend it took us 2 hours to get home to Oakland.

[DianeCourt]

Personally, I would never go to Sonoma on a day that I had a flight unless my flight was at night and I planned on leaving Sonoma in the early afternoon.

I was afraid of that! Because of the restrictions on the hotel package we won in San Francisco, I was forced to arrange our itinerary this way. I figured it wasn't ideal. Looks like we'll be leaving Sonoma REALLY early that Saturday!

I figured out the rental car mess and I've arranged for pickup in Union Square (right near our hotel) and dropoff at SFO. So at least we can drive right to the airport that Saturday morning. Thanks!

[laura]

If you take 37 to 101 instead of going the Oakland route via I-80, you will save yourself a lot of time. I would say if you leave Sonoma by about 7am, you should get to SFO in plenty of time for a noon flight, especially considering it's Saturday; you could probably even push it out to 8am, but I wouldn't since you're unfamiliar w/ the area. It usually takes us about 1.5-2 hours to drive from Sonoma to our house, and we live about 5 miles past SFO. Traffic is very unpredictable, but if you leave early enough, you should be fine.

[HeatherFL]

Darn it! Gary Danko's is booked again TWO MONTHS in advance! I'm on the waiting list, but any other really awesome restaurant recommendations? Been to San Fran several times and usually eat in the hotel restaurants. Looking for something different and nice!

Thanks in advance,

~H.

[Anathea]

Hubby and I are doing a big road trip in December and he has promised me we can scoot over and spend one day in San Fransico as I have never been there and he raves about it all the time. I think I'd like to be near the Golden Gate bridge and do one day of Touristy (but not too touristy) fun. Any suggestions on where to stay (around $100-150.00 per night).

Thanks!

[lovebugs2003]

We stayed at the Hilton right near Fisherman's Wharf. It was really nice and so close to everything, PIer 39, shops, restaurants. We had a great time.

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=SFOFWHF

As for San Francisco in a day, you could get a lot done, but we were there for 3 days and felt like we could have stayed another week. We absolutely loved it and would definitely go back again.

Hope the link works.

[justHB]

I would recommend you stay in the Union Square area as it is central to all the sites you'll want to see (I advise people to avoid hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf area like the plague b/c they aren't as nice as ones you'll find elsewhere in the city, but they're likely more expensive). I have had friends visit this city using Hotwire or Priceline and stay at very nice hotels in Union Square for $129/night.

There are a number of threads about things to do in SF that have a lot of great suggestions, including sites to see, places to go, and food to eat.

[lovebugs2003]

I can't speak for any other hotel than the Hilton, but it was an incredibly beautiful room, nice service, nice hotel and we paid $120 for it. We were able to walk all over the place, take the trolley to downtown, union square.

Just my 2 cents

[Rosebud]

I was just watching Rudy Maxa on PBS. He was doing a show from San Francisco & Wine Country & highlighted a bunch of sights, restaurants, vineyards & spas that he likes in the area. Just thought I'd post a link to the episode's info for anyone who's headed to S.F.

Rudy Maxa's San Francisco Recommendations (http://www.smarttravels.tv/SmartTravels/pacific%20rim/tips%20n%20links/San_Francisco.htm)

[Katy]

I haven't read this thread yet, so for all I know my question may already be answered (I'll read it all tomorrow, it's just too late now)...I need to find a nice hotel in the Union Square-Financial District part of town. I love the whole boutique hotel experience, but I've noticed that I'm already running into sold out hotels (on a thursday). Any recommendations under $200?

[kd 9.21.02]

If you want hip and modern, The Clift Hotel (http://www.clifthotel.com/) could be nice.

Hotel Monaco (http://www.monaco-sf.com/) looks nice too and we almost stayed there last time.

[justHB]

Any of the Joie de Vivre (http://www.jdvhospitality.com/) hotels are a good option. I know a lot of people who have come up to visit have had great luck on Priceline for hotels in Union Square as well.

[kd 9.21.02]

To add on to what justHB posted, I got a room at the Westin St. Francis on Union Square for $110/night on Hotwire.com for work a few months back. Of course the St. Francis isn't a boutique hotel but the location is great if you want to be right on the square.

[laura]

We just stayed at the Hotel Palomar downtown. We paid more than $200, but I think you could pay less (?). We liked the Westin St. Francis better, but the Palomar was nice enough for half the price!

[She-Ra]

I just booked the Palomar for a business trip in July. DH is tagging along & it will be our first trip without our young boys.

We are ridiculously excited for a 3 night trip. It will be the first time we are there together, and I've only spent 1 night there for a meeting.

Food: I am hoping to get into Gary Danko's for one night. I also want to do the Slanted Door & maybe Scoma's on the Warf for lunches, then Bobo's, Harris', or Izzy's for steak.

Other Stuff: Lots of shopping in US. Visit the Ferry Market, cable car ride, visit chinatown.

I'd love to do Beach Blanket Babylon & maybe take a ferry ride, but between actually attending the tradeshow & eating, we are running out of time!

Any must-do things I can squeeze in? Restaurant recs? I've scoured this & the tripadvisor threads, but probably missd some things.

[kd 9.21.02]

If you want to get into Gary Danko's or Slanted Door, call now.

For steak I like both Harris' and Izzy's. Izzy's is a more casual steakhouse and Harris' is the traditional, higher-end place.

[Katy]

Thanks for all your help ladies. I was really torn between doing Priceline or going boutique. I've decided to go boutique and went with the Kennsington Park (http://www.kensingtonparkhotel.com/) for the same price I would have gotten with Priceline ($109). It's right in Union Square and nearby to both China Town and the Financial District. Laura, thanks for the recommendation!

Now can anyone recommend a great place for brunch (on a Friday). We had a killer breakfast at a place over by Coit a year or so ago, but I can't for the life of me remember the name, or even how we discovered it - but it sure was worth the hour wait!!

[laura]

I would definitely recommend Slanted Door. We just went there and the food was great (service was not, but whatever). I highly recommend starting w/ the rolls - crispy imperial are YUM! If you haven't booked already at Gary Danko, that could be difficult - they generally book everything prior to around 10pm reservations at 2 months out (and only take reservations 2 months in advance, to make things challenging).

I like Izzy's ok for steaks, but if you want higher-end, I would recommend Ruth's Chris.

[She-Ra]

Thanks ladies. I already had it scheduled in my outlook to call Dary Danko's & Slanted Door on Tuesday, May 29- exactly 2months out! Now I'm re-thinking it. Is it 60 days or 2 months? I want reservations for Sunday July 29 or Monday July 30. Should I call this Sunday???

I've been to Ruth Chris's in other cities, so I'm thinking Harris' might be the place for us.

[laura]

Check www.opentable.com for Slanted Door - that's how I made my reservations. I don't think that's as hard to get as Gary Danko. GD is 2 months, so the 29th is when you should call. HTH!

[She-Ra]

Thanks Laura! I just re-checked their site & it is 2 months. I love open table- I like instant confirmation that I can print out.

[DianeCourt]

When we were planning our trip to San Francisco last year, I won a travel auction on Luxury Link (www.luxurylink.com)for our hotel stay. If you don't mind weeknight stays, you can experience wonderful places for a huge discount this way. I think we saved almost 50% off the advertised room rate, plus the package included some extras like a bottle of champagne & a little teddy bear.

That being said, we were not overly impressed with our stay at Petite Auberge (http://www.jdvhospitality.com/hotels/hotel/11), a member of the Joie de Vivre group. The location was great - really close to Union Square. We really enjoyed the full breakfast & evening wine reception. The front desk help was a bit on the "uppity" side, however, and although the property is charming, it was almost a bit too worn for our liking. Also, the package we won promised chocolates in our room, but they never materialized. We hated dealing with the guy at the front desk, so we just let it go. :rolleyes:

[emmasart]

I was just in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, and wanted to share some of my favorite discoveries.

Samovar Tea Lounge (http://www.samovartea.com/) - The SOMA location. It was absolutely amazing. There was a great view of the gardens, and my tea was delicious. I shared a fruit and cheese plate with my hubby and it came with comb honey. It was a perfect way to relax after a day of hiking all around the town.

Vino Venue (http://www.vinovenue.net/) - Also in SOMA (We stayed at the St. Regis right across the street). Its a really nifty wine bar, where you can purchase tastings of all kinds of wine by the ounce. Tastes average around $1-3, but there are also some pricey wines. If you like what you taste, you can also purchase the wine by the bottle. The people working there are super friendly, and they let us bring in food from the next door deli to munch on, while we were tasting.

I dunno if this has been mentioned already, but every time I visit San Francisco, I have to stop by Asia SF (http://asiasf.com/) - California/Asian cusine, with hourly performances on the bar by gender illusionists.... Enough said.

[nawsgirl]

DH and I will be visiting the SF area next week... we will be staying in Santa Clara and will have a rental car. I keep reading that having a car in the city is a PITA so I am trying to figure out the best car-less way to get into SF.

So far I've come up with 2 options: take Caltrain from Santa Clara, looks convenient but would be $30 total per day (and we'd probably take it 2 days). Or drive up to Millbrae or San Bruno, park (looks like that would be free daily parking at both?) and take BART in (fare ranging from $3.50-$3.80 each way to Embarcadero). Can any local ladies give me opinions on either of these?

Also, we will probably drive the car in one day to visit Sausalito and Muir... can anyone recommend a parking garage and give me an estimate of parking rates for an afternoon?

Thanks!! :)

eta: I already made lunch reservations at Slanted Door- can't wait!!

[She-Ra]

I wanted to come back & say that I got my Gary Danko reservation for the date & time I wanted. Now I need to stop looking at his sample menu online. Yum!

[diam124]

Also, we will probably drive the car in one day to visit Sausalito and Muir... can anyone recommend a parking garage and give me an estimate of parking rates for an afternoon?

I visited Sausalito last May and we parked in a public parking lot off the main road (I can't remember any of the street names!). It was very convenient and we had no trouble parking there. I don't remember the rates though. I think parking at Muir Woods is free.

When we were there we stayed in Tiburon, which I actually liked better than Sausalito. You might want to check it out!

[kd 9.21.02]

DH and I will be visiting the SF area next week... we will be staying in Santa Clara and will have a rental car. I keep reading that having a car in the city is a PITA so I am trying to figure out the best car-less way to get into SF.

So far I've come up with 2 options: take Caltrain from Santa Clara, looks convenient but would be $30 total per day (and we'd probably take it 2 days). Or drive up to Millbrae or San Bruno, park (looks like that would be free daily parking at both?) and take BART in (fare ranging from $3.50-$3.80 each way to Embarcadero). Can any local ladies give me opinions on either of these?

Since you're going to have the rental car, I would just drive into the city and park rather than deal w/ CalTrain and all that. This way you won't have to worry about train schedules, etc. Parking is not as terrible in SF as NYC, for example; it's totally do-able.

Also, there are some parts of the city that I find enjoyable to drive through (one of my personal faves is the Presidio).

[chortles]

Re the transportation, ITA with kd. Just drive into the city. North Beach can be tough to park in at night, and the downtown area during the day, but otherwise you should be ok.

[nawsgirl]

Thanks, ladies. I will talk to DH about parking in the city- the guidebooks make it sound like a near impossibility, so I greatly appreciate your advice!

eta: diam, thanks for the recommendation!

[betsyboop]

DH was just asked to speak at the big electrical engineering conference in San Francisco in February. We thought we'd make a little vacation out of it, so DD and I will be tagging along. It will be held on Feb 3-8 which is Sun-Fri and we'll probably add on the weekends so DH can see some stuff too. Anyway, what is the weather normally like at that time of year?

Last year, the conference was held at the Marriott at 55 Fourth St, so I'm guessing that it'll be there again. Is this a good location for seeing the touristy stuff?

DD will be 11 months old- what are some baby friendly activities and restaurants that we could go to? Would it be totally inappropriate to bring her to Napa for a winery tour?

[kd 9.21.02]

I'm now back living in NYC and relying on memory. So bear with me. ;)

February in SF, as far as I remember, can be rainy and cool. It rarely gets below approx. 54. For example, I never wore an overcoat in the four years I lived in SF. I did, however, wear LOTS of rain coats and fall-like jackets, IYKWIM. You just need something block the chill. Something like a Patagonia shell would be good -- maybe with a fleece vest underneath if it's chilly. Or a nice rain coat with the liner in.

Your hotel is right near the mall on Market Street so you can easily walk up to Union Square from there. You're also close to the MoMA, I believe. My favorite places in the city -- Presidio, Chrissy Field, GG Bridge -- are a little ways from you. If you're going up to the Sonoma/Napa area, you'll rent a car anyway so I'd use it to see other parts of city.

I don't have children so I can't speak from experience but kids love the Discovery Museum in the Palace of Fine Arts -- but your DD may still be too young to appreciate it. Not sure on other kids activities. But of course the sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf are always funny to watch and kids get a kick out of that.

I think it's OK to bring a baby to the wineries. I mean, you can really only visit about three in an afternoon otherwise your taste buds are too shot to appreciate the tastings (and you can only drink so much).

[betsyboop]

Thanks for the info, kd. I'm glad to hear that the weather won't be too bad, other than the rain. I'm sure I'll have some more questions as the trip gets closer:)

[nawsgirl]

I just wanted to thank those of you who reassured me about parking in the city- it turned out fine!! On Sunday we were able to find some of those free parking meters only about a block away from Embarcadero, which was great. You SF ladies are very lucky to live in such a great city!!

[mar5195]

Hey Party People,

We're headed up to SF next weekend for an Anniversary getaway. I'm looking for some cool bars. I found a few wine bars we'll check out one night but I would like a fun bar to hit up the other night. Nothing pretentious we're from LA we get enough of that. We love dive bars but I'd like something that had a little band or some good entertainment. Kareoke works. Thanks in advance!

[She-Ra]

Thanks for your help everyone!

We finally went last weekend. Here is a very brief recap. We have 2 young children, so our weekend away was probably a bit boring to most. It included a lot of long dinners & sleep!

We got in Sat night about 7. Took a Taxi in (Work was paying!) & stayed at the Palomar in Union Square. Pretty nice place. Fast elevators & friendly staff. Our room overlooked the skylights looking into the Old Navy. Kind of strange, but better than the brick wall views I've had in NYC. I joked they knew me & gave me a "shopping" view.


We asked the front desk for a rec, and then grabbed sushi a few blocks away at Hana Zen. Han Zen was really good. I tried some new things. We then basically stumbled into bed b/c it was after 1 am east coast time.

Sun: I had to work in the AM. About 11:30 am we people watched at the cable car turnaround & saw the LONG line & took a taxi to Fishermans Warf. We went to Pier 39 & ate at some non-descript place by the sea lions, and then did a wine tasting. We walked & looked around, and decided to trek back to take a nap before our big dinner.

We got to Gary Danko's early for our 7:30 res, and stood near the bar, where we both had $14 Martinis:eek: We knew this place was $$$, and we were more than willing to indulge in good food & wine, but it annoys me when places are ridiculous with drinks just b/c.

Anyway, we had an AMAZING dinner. We were tucked away in the most private banquette in the room. I hate having to sit across from DH during romantic dinners, so this was perfect. 5 courses for DH, 4 for me. Between us we had Robster Risotta, Glazed Oysters with Caviar, Foie Gras, Lobster, Bison, 4 Cheeses, and chocolate Souffle. Plus, we got the wine pairings, which were usually right on. Dinner was a car payment. Thank God our cars are paid off!

We then had a few drinks at a little bar near the hotel, and that was that.

Monday-We did a quick breakfast at Mel's Drive in. A little work for me, and then we went to the Ferry Market building for lunch at the Slanted Door. We had the house spring rolls, crab with crystal noodle & claypot chicken. YUM! I am totally craving that crab dish! We browsed the market & people watched after lunch. DH got gelato, and I had a prosecco at the wine bar.

We walked back, and I did some shopping in Union Square while DH napped.

We went to Bobo's for dinner that night. Another private little table, so that was nice. The sticker shock wasn't so bad after GD. We had a reasonably priced bottle of wine. DH got crabcakes, and I had Tuna Carpaccio for appetizers. Then I had the petite filet & crab. We has some wonderful pistachio flan thing for dessert, and were almost as gluttonously happy as we were the night before, for a fraction of the price!

We were going to maybe do the Starlight Ballroom at the Sir Francis Drake, but we had a 7am flight the next day. We had a drink in the hotel bar, and called it a night.

We didn't get to do a ton of touristy things, but we were OK with that. We ate, drank, shopped, and slept. We also taked about our kids the entire time, but that is another thread. :)

[kd 9.21.02]

Sounds like a great trip. Your descriptions are making me hungry! I regret not eating at Gary Danko and Slanted Door more when we lived there. Delicious.

I know... $14/drink is a kicker but seems pretty standard at the nice places in SF and here in NYC.

The Starlight Room is a nice old "landmark" in a way but the last time we were there I was disappointed. We were in town for SIL's birthday and the party continued at the Starlight Room. I was so sad... It had turned into a tacky wannabe-club scene. It was like the Starlight people were clearly trying to get that NY club vibe going but didn't know how to go about it just so.

[justHB]

$14 drinks are (sadly) somewhat common in some of the nicer restaurants and bars in the city.

[amberfiddles]

we're coming to sf and staying for the wkd to go to the ut/cal game. we're staying at the hilton in fisherman's wharf (not my choice...grr) and i was wondering if it is feasible to take bart over to berkeley for the game? from what i looked up on bart.gov i think it would be fine.

my other ? is about going up to sonoma for a day while we are there. i'm sure traffic will be a nightmare b/c it is a holiday wkd but we were thinking of visiting that area on fri. thoughts on renting a car vs. doing the limo thing (my friend said 300 pp for the limo to visit 3 wineries in napa)...?

already looking fwd to slanted door, and i've had lots of recs for yank sing for dim sum but would maybe like more of a hole in the wall, locals type place.

TIA!

[chortles]

Welcome to SF! Yes, BART to Berkeley is really easy - and a good choice, parking in Berkeley on game days is heinous.

Personally I like Canton Dim Sum (http://www.cantonsf.com) better than Yank Sing, but it is kind of "hole in the wall"-y :) And the decor is awful.

I've never done the limo thing to Napa, so can't comment on that - sounds fun, though. The weather has been gorgeous!

[kd 9.21.02]

If everyone wants to indulge, I'd say the limo is the way to go. However, if someone in the group is willing to drive and limit the tastings, of course just renting a car is more economical.

Check out California Wine Tours (http://www.californiawinetours.com/). They handled the shuttles for our wedding in Sonoma. There are plenty of other limo services as well.

[Rosebud]

Saw this article on CNN.com today:

Spectacular Bay Area Hikes (http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/getaways/10/31/bay.area.hiking.ap/index.html)

Some good ideas in/near the city and a little further afield.

[apoppy]

We're taking a trip to the Bay area in May for our anniversary and to attend a friend's wedding.

I'm trying to decide on a hotel in SF. Since it is a special occasion, we'd like to stay somewhere nice. My husband is actually open to using a hotel spa so I'd like to investigate that too. Currently, I'm thinking of The Mark, but I am also interested in the Westin St. Francis (I've read mixed reviews) and The Mandarin Oriental. Does anyone have any insight into those places, or have any other suggestions?

[laura]

We stayed at the Westin St. Francis for our anniversary and we loved it; great location, and very old/fancy feel. (We stayed in the historic part, not the tower. I think you may have to request that, but I don't remember.) No personal experience, but I've heard raves about the Joie de Vivre hotel group.

[emmasart]

I've stayed at the Westin St. Francis maybe 2 years ago with my mom and we weren't horribly impressed with our room. It was a tad small and seemed like it was in desperate need of being updated. We had massages at their spa, which was great, and their pool seemed nice, also the courtyard/dining hall was fabulously beautiful to have an afternoon cocktail... but our room was just VERY "meh".

I've also stayed at The St. Regis Hotel, (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1511) San Francisco, which is only half a block away, this past may and they totally won my repeat business for the future. It was absolutely amazing... The decorating is more modern, but the room was still bright and friendly in addition to being very spacious. The concierge was extremely helpful for anything we wanted (renting a fancy car to go to Sonoma for the day and dividing up the bill upon checkout). The hotel lobby has a bar with some really great cocktails and appetizers. I was there w/ DH for a conference and while he was at classes, I hung out in their super posh pool for extended periods with no added expense. Also the tubs in the rooms are perfect for ultimate bubble bath experiences and their room service is also excellent. Also they are the home of Ame (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/dining/attraction_detail.html?propertyID=1511&attractionId=202610), a posh restaurant with lots of exciting raw ingredients. Definitely worth a try if you're into adventurous eating.

[meatpie]

The Four Seasons is apparently amazing, but I have never been and can't afford it!!

We stayed at Hotel Rex, a Joie de Vivre hotel, and loved our room and the hotel. It's small, however, and has a very boutique feel. Different from that of an old historic hotel like you mentioned. I am also staying at one of their properties in Pacific Heights for work later this month and will let you know.

My husband stayed at the Mark Hopkins and loved it. He was there on business. It is in a good location as well.

Just also wanted to come in and report on our girl family trip for shopping in December. We stayed at Hotel Rex and it was very nice. Good location just off Union Square, nice people, cute bar, and the rooms were small but lovely. We had a room with a king bed and couch bed. I thought it a bit expensive but I'm always shocked by hotel prices.

We also ate at Plouf on Belden Place (sp?), an alley with several good restaurants. It was very fun and the mussels were incredible. I would highly recommend!!

[justHB]

The Mandarin Oriental is supposed to be a great hotel but the location is kind of odd to me - Financial District. It'll be active during the day but totally empty at night.

I love Belden Place and have had many great, fun evenings there. May should be an alright time to go.

I've heard wonderful things about the Westin St. Francis. A lot of people I know love The Clift but I'm not into modern, so I wouldn't stay there.

[sunshine0928]

DD and I will be traveling to SF with DH for his conference in SF in April. She will be 16 mos old at the time. Anyone have any restaurant suggestions that would be appropriate for taking her? Are there any of the top attractions you think that would be too difficult to do with DD? We will be on our own for the most part during the days. Any other tips, suggestions, etc for us would be appreciated. Thanks!

[laura]

I would avoid Alcatraz with a small child, and also the cable cars. You could make the cable cars work, but I just would not personally want to bother with it.

I don't know how to answer your question about restaurants. What kind of restaurants do you have in mind?

[sunshine0928]

Thanks, Laura, for your response.

Normally, we do like the type of restaurants that have been suggested. We'll probably be eating by 6:00 due to DDs schedule. ThaT being said, some of these places may be fine as it will be on the earlier side. I would think we'll probably eat near the hotel or somewhere it will be easy to get back from after dinner. We don't need fine dining but I am not wanting McDonald's either..HTH :)

[apoppy]

Thanks for all of the recommendations!

[MMHinCA]

We are going to SF in February and will be taking our 21 month old daughter. DH and I have been plenty of time, but was wondering if there is anything cool to do with kids?

[tinkerbelljenny]

Currently, I'm thinking of The Mark, but I am also interested in the Westin St. Francis (I've read mixed reviews) and The Mandarin Oriental. Does anyone have any insight into those places, or have any other suggestions?

I have stayed at the Westin St Francis a few times and wasn't thrilled with it but I do like the location and I can recommend the bar. ;) I have also stayed at the The Mandarin Oriental and really enjoyed my suite there.

[sunshine0928]

MMHinCA - I started doing some research and it looks like there is a Discovery Museum for kids across the bay. Let me know how your trip goes as we'll be there in April.

http://baykidsmuseum.org/

[Bloomwood]

Hotel Vitale is a nice place and close to some good restaurants, such as Chaya Brasserie and the Ferry Terminal.

MMH and Sunshine - the Bay Area Discovery Museum is phenomenal - rain or shine - and worth it. It is just across the bridge so not difficult to get to and the drive across the GG Bridge is worth it in itself. The Aquarium at Fisherman's Wharf is okay. It'll be good for both of your kids' age - they'll be able to see fish and it isn't very big. Older kids (and adults) would probably be bored by it, but for toddlers it is fine and the location is usually fun at least for tourists and kids! You can also take them down to see the sea lions at the Wharf as well. Gotta run, but I'll try to think of some other stuff and restaurants. We don't take DD out in the city but I'm sure I can think of some places. Where are you each staying (area at least)?

[sunshine0928]

Bloomwood - we're staying at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. That's where DH's conference is and it looks to be in a great location. Definitely let me know if you have any more suggestions.

[Bloomwood]

Sunshine - that is a nice place. Down in the "South of Market" area is Zeum (http://www.zeum.org/visitor/index.html). I've never been and it is likely too mature for your daughter's age, but there is a carousel that would be fun for her. It would be a walk, a bit of a walk, but doable on a nice day from your hotel.

I am at a loss on restaurants. The only place we've taken DD in the city is the restaurant at the Four Seasons :eek: for brunch (it was a special occasion!). That said, the area in which you are staying should have plenty of options because they are more "touristy" which always tends to be more casual. You are also right by the amazing Bloomingdale's shopping center. There are a TON of restaurants in there and there's a Cheesecake Factory at the top of Macy's. The Ferry Terminal is another little gem worth checking out. Lots of food options and right on the water.

If it is nice weather, there is a wonderful walk along the Bay, more toward the northwest of the city in the Marina district. The walk takes you past beautiful homes facing the water, the marina area, chrissy field (a large green space with picnicking, volleyball, a dog beach, kite surfing, etc.). If you continue (you basically get on the sidewalk and walk toward the Golden Gate Bridge, you'll eventually be walking along the water) on the path you will pass the Warming Hut where you can get hot drinks and snacks (they have a pb&J, carrot sticks and apple juice for $5). The Hut burned down this past summer (spring? i don't remember) but it just reopened in December. The final part of the walk is a board at the foot of the bridge with 2 handprints - we touch them to signify we did the whole walk). It will take a bit of time, a couple of hours maybe to do it all and have a snack, but it is just a lovely stroll and really gives you a sense of why people love SF. You can ask a cab to take you to Chrissy Field or the St. Francis Yacht Club and start walking from there. Like I said, just head toward the bridge - you can't miss it ;).

I just wrote a novel about that walk. Can you tell I love it so much?? It was something DH and I did all the time when we lived in SF proper. I have many wonderful memories of great talks on that path.

If I think of other stuff, I'll post it. I hope you come back and report on your trip and what you thought of SF!!

[kd 9.21.02]

Hi Ladies. I'm looking for recommendations for public golf courses in the San Francisco area. We're staying at my SIL's in Portola Valley this weekend (though we'll be spending a lot of time in the city as well, I expect) and I want to get in some golf and enjoy the good weather. (It's FREEZING here in NYC.)

We lived in SF for four years but I wasn't much of a golfer then (not that I am great now but I've become addicted in the last year). The only public course I played back then was in San Rafael. I'm probably going to book a tee time at the Presidio but thought I'd see if anyone had other suggestions. I checked Half Moon Bay already but, if I remember correctly, the weather can be iffy there and the greens fees are higher.

[laura]

I only know the peninsula, which I think is a haul from Portola Valley (?). I think there is a course in Burlingame (partially along 101, but also along the Bay) and there is one at Stanford that would probably have really nice weather - not sure if you have to be a member there, though (ie. student/faculty/staff).

[kd 9.21.02]

Thanks. Yeah, I actually checked Stanford already (since PV is so close and we're going to visit our niece on campus there anyway). We need to be a student, faculty or member. I booked a tee time at the Presidio to have something just to be safe. I've heard it's a really nice course.

[laura]

Whoops, I was thinking PV was on the opposite side of the bay, but I know where you are talking about now. Hrm, I would think there would be courses out there maybe in Los Altos, Los Gatos, Woodside, etc. But maybe they are members? The Presidio course probably is very nice! I don't golf, so I should just stop talking. ;)

[kd 9.21.02]

I think there are some municipal/public courses in Palo Alto too. I asked my SIL if she knows of any. She offered to try to get us in at their club, Menlo, but I feel bad so I'd just rather play Presidio or another public course.

[MMHinCA]

Anyone have restaurant suggestions for dinner in the Union Square area (preferably within walking distance of The Fairmont)? We will have our 21 month old daughter with us, but she is well behaved.

[Bloomwood]

MMH - do you have an OpenTable account? Even if you don't, I think you can search on it for SF restaurants. I don't have any that immediately come to mind, so I'll give it some thought (maybe go to OpenTable) but you can also ask the concierge.

Actually, you posted this a while ago, did you already go?

[MMHinCA]

Bloomwood: We actually ended up going to Morton's for dinner. DD was SO good (thank goodness)! We had an excellent dinner!

[lcarlson90]

DH and I will be staying in San Francisco for 3 nights in April before baby #2 is born. We have been to SF together before and we always spend most of our time in Union Square and the Wharf. This time we are driving so that we can see more of the city.

What are some cool things to do besides the typical tourist things that we have done in the past? Does anyone have any good restaurant recommendations? We would like to find some small, authentic places to eat.

Thanks :)

[sublime311]

CROSS POST!!

My husband and I are planning a Pacific Coast Highway (http://www.us-101.com/) trip in October. We would probably start in San Francisco and drive all the way up to Washington. We're thinking 9 days.

I'm seeking personal experiences and recommendations for what to see, what to do and where to stay.

TIA!

[sunshine0928]

I wanted to share what we did 2 weeks ago in San Francisco since I received lots of helpful info here. DD (15 months) and I went with DH who was going for a conference. We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake on Union Square. It was a great location, our room was very small and there wasn’t a big area in the hotel for her to stretch her legs so to speak so that was a drawback. However, the location was excellent so that was more important. We arrived Tuesday afternoon. DD and DH took a nap and I walked done Powell to get some supplies for our stay (snacks, etc). DD didn’t really do a good nap so we tried to have dinner out but that didn’t work. We took some carryout from a restaurant back to our hotel from a Mediterranean restaurant. It was ok and I don’t recall the name.

We are on EST time so we had very early mornings (around 5 am)! DH luckily brought her favorite Barney DVD so we’d watch that for a while and then they’d go to Starbucks for coffee to bring back. Wed was our shopping day so we walked down Powell and the Union Square area and then down to the mall. We got some food at Bristol Farms, had lunch and then made our way back to naptime. That night we went to the Little Italy area for dinner, which was awesome! I would have liked to have had more dinners there. We wound up taking taxis most everywhere (or walking) b/c I was not braving the cable car, etc alone and when DH was there he was more interested in getting places quicker without the hassle so we just took a taxi. Needless to say, we’d be in bed early with DD after being up so early.

Thursday was our favorite day (DH did not have to work). We went to the Bay Area Discovery Museum for DD across the bridge in Sausalito. It was nice for her to run around and do the different activities. The only way to get there was by taxi so the trip was $$ but we were happy we went. We then took a taxi to the main drag in Sausalito, walked around and had lunch over looking the water. I forget the name of the restaurant but DD was so happy and friendly so as a result we had a nice time. We then took the ferry back and arrived at the Ferry Building. DD totally needed a nap at this point and luckily fell asleep in her stroller while we were in the Ferry Building. Since she did, we took advantage and looked around the building and had a little snack from Miette (yummy cupcakes!) and then walked back to our hotel. I’d say it was about a ½ hour walk but it was a beautiful day and no hills so it was fine. That night we just had some take out from Bristol Farms again after we took a walk after DD’s nap.

Friday, DH had some meetings but in the am we took a walk (I shopped while she slept in the stroller) and then headed by the Zeum area by the Convention Center for a play in the park before lunch. We attempted a ride on the carousel but DD hated it for some reason so we skipped Ride #2. She then did some running in the park. There was a field trip or something with tons of older kids so that wasn’t too successful but she does love playing in water and there was a water feature she loved. DD and I then had lunch at Mel’s Drive in which was a good place with her. The young server girl sat us in a booth, like DD was just going to sit at the table. I thought that was weird so politely asked for another regular table with a high chair. Later after lunch, DH was finished with work so we headed to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf to walk around..again beautiful day! That night DD was just tried out so no out to eat again. I picked up Cheesecake Factory for dinner and had a nice glass of wine overlooking the square while waiting for our food. That was a very nice end to our trip!

I loved the city and did not get to nearly see as much as I would have liked (including the lovely walk Bloomwood suggested) but that’s what you get when you travel with a toddler. More to look forward to for next time!

[huango]

Hello,
I am so excited! My first trip to anywhere withOUT my todders!!!
I'll be in San Fran from 10/19Sunday-10/22Wednesday.

We're staying at the ?Handlery Union Square.

Recommendations for restuarants, night life, anything?

(no Sonoma/Napa -that'll be another trip).
I usually have to find family-oriented activities with the kids, but NOT THIS TIME. Woohooo! I might actually pack my high heels! hehehee

thank you very much,
Amanda

[off2skl]

Scomas is wonderful (it's on the wharf), but a little pricey.
Nick's is a little eatery also on the wharf; very good clam chowder bread bowl.
Chef Jui (sp??) in Chinatown. It's right next to the House of the Naan King (I think that's the name), which everyone recommends. However, when I did some reading on one of the local sites they mentioned that the food is just as good at Chef Jui (apparently he used to be the chef at the other one), but the service is better and you don't have to wait in line forever to get in. I thought the food was good.

Also, there's a restaurant at Powell and Sutter called Sears it also always had a line; breakfasts definitely were good though.

[Bloomwood]

There are so many amazing restaurants in SF. How much do you want to spend on a nicer dinner? I can give some non-touristy recs. I'm a little outta the loop on nightlife these days. The only thing I'm doing at 2 am is nursing!

[huango]

off2skl and Bloomwood: thanks for your inputs.
Since it's only 3 full days, I'm concerned that while I try to squeeze everything in, I'm not going to be able to enjoy/savor any of it. So now I have to pick and choose what I want to do.

Bloomwood: except for 1 dinner w/ a friend, I'll be eating with my aunt and cousin. So they'll be the limiting factor. I think we would definitely like to stay around the $$ range, and maybe $$$, but not the $$$$.
I think the biggest constraint is that my aunt likes fresh food, non-greasy-fried stuff. She's a health nut (into raw almonds, etc...).

Thanks for any ideas you have,
Amanda