Its time for everyone's favorite Fall topic, well at least it's MTS favorite.  I had to wait until he was back and posting before starting this. 

 

Anyway the wife and I are taking a trip to the west coast and need some suggestions about what to do while there.  I already have a few things on the agenda but there is still a ton of time that needs activities so looking forward to what all you wonderful people come up with.

 

As a primer, we are staying in Westin Market St.  It is located basically Downtown at the corner of Market and 3rd St. (Yes MTS I followed one of your very early suggestions, see I can learn good).  We are leaving CLE at 5:00 and getting into downtown SF probably around 8:00 local time.  The only things that are basically planned are Alcatraz Friday morning and a tour out to Napa/Sanoma on Monday (this should be an all day thing).  Also, we are going to be visiting her Aunt who lives in Haight Ashbury area, most likely for brunch Sat or Sun.  We fly out around noon on Tuesday, so not really any time to do much besides breakfast and hop the BART back to SFO.

 

Also something to keep in mind is that it is Fleet Week(end) while we are there.  Having never experienced it I really have no idea how that could affect planning, but should make for a more exciting time(I get to see the Blue Angels twice in a month!!)

 

Ok everyone have fun planing a bit of my trip.

^Rent a bike if you are into that.  There a tons of places that do it with convenient locations all over the city for pickup and return.  A fun route would be along the Bay through the Marina District to the Presido (what's the name of the fort at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge...could do a tour of it as part of the ride) and then over the bridge to Sausilito (fun to ride over the bridge with the views and Sausilito is just beautiful) and then you could take the ferry with your bike back into SF.

 

Have fun.

San Fran is my favorite city in the world, so much beauty.  One day my wife and I just wandered around to see where we would end up.  We ended up on the Western part of the peninsula where you feel you are in the wilderness.  Over near the Cliff House and Sutro Baths.  I highly recommend checking that out.  Some of the best views of the Pacific and Golden Gate.

 

I agree about biking to Sausalito...makes for a nice outdoor activity.

 

As far as eating, we dont fine dine...but we like to hit really neat spots with great food.  If i could recommend by and far the best breakfast place in San Fran...go to Dotties True Blue Cafe.  Its near the Tenderloin District.  You may wait in a 30 minute line if you dont arrive close to open, but its worth it.  The guy kills it. 

 

Also, one of my favorite meals ever came from Q restaurant in the Richmond district.  Really chill place that has some funky grub.

 

I would do the tourist stuff, but make sure you get off the beaten path as well.

Fleet Week is an absolutely AMAZING time to be in SF.  The weather should be great, and seeing the Blue Angels come racing over the hills of the city is a really incredible. Honestly, you can't really go wrong just wondering around the city and taking it all in.  That said, I would definitely go to Golden Gate Park, and allow yourself time to both aimlessly walk around, and go to the museums (Science Center and De Young art museum).  Also be sure to hit up the Japanese Garden in the park...it's gorgeous.

 

For restaurants, I recommend The Grove for breakfast/lunch.  It's on a stretch of Filmore that has tons of shops, galleries, restaurants, etc. and the food is amazing.  I was there last year the weekend you're going to be there, and there was a Filmore Jazz Fest going on, which was awesome.  For a nice dinner I would recommend Town Hall in SoMa. Great food and atmosphere.

 

I'm sure you'll have plenty to do in the city, but if you have a desire to get out, I would recommend taking a trip to either Napa or Sonoma for a day.  Not only are there great wineries and restaurants, but the scenery is absolutely beautiful there.  Also, if you drive out to Marin County, there is an absolutely gorgeous state park with a lighthouse built into a cliff along the rocky shore in Point Reyes State Park.  Stunning scenery, and it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere despite being roughly 45 mins from DT SF.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Start along the water over by Pier 23/27. Walk up Filbert St. to Telegraph Hill.  Up there you'll see Coit Tower (and along the way, the parrots!)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_Hill,_San_Francisco

 

Oh, and the kinda spooky penny arcade museum at Fisherman's Wharf. It's free:

http://museemecaniquesf.com/

more eats - slanted door. you want the bo luc lac.

 

take a break at caffe treiste in north beach.

 

in sonoma, you gotta stop in francis ford coppola's and check out the tucker.

when you get tired of sampling the california koolaid the hot springs/mud baths in calistoga are fun.

 

so much more...have fun!

 

 

My advice would be to purchase Alcatraz tickets soon. They sell out. You can start at Ferry Plaza and walk to Alcatraz from your hotel, along the Embarcadero/piers. There are occasionally sea lions near Pier 39, which is on the way. From Alcatraz you can continue walking through Fisherman's Wharf, but most of the attraction there is touristy stuff and/or stuff for kids. There is an In-N-Out there, which is worth trying if you've never had it. You can keep walking through Chrissy Field, by the Presidio. These are nice park areas with good views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and this path will take you all the way to the Bridge, which you can walk along and get great views of the city.

 

You can also get great views from Coit Tower.

 

Check out the usual neighborhoods, Haight, Castro, some good food in the Mission, etc. Nightlife isn't really centered as much downtown as in other neighborhoods.

 

I like Ocean Beach, but it's a hike from downtown SF, and remember the weather isn't "beach weather." It's a great cool weather beach walk though, and the Cliff House and Sutro Baths are pretty cool.

Its time for everyone's favorite Fall topic, well at least it's MTS favorite.  I had to wait until he was back and posting before starting this. 

 

Anyway the wife and I are taking a trip to the west coast and need some suggestions about what to do while there.  I already have a few things on the agenda but there is still a ton of time that needs activities so looking forward to what all you wonderful people come up with.

 

As a primer, we are staying in Westin Market St.  It is located basically Downtown at the corner of Market and 3rd St. (Yes MTS I followed one of your very early suggestions, see I can learn good).  We are leaving CLE at 5:00 and getting into downtown SF probably around 8:00 local time.  The only things that are basically planned are Alcatraz Friday morning and a tour out to Napa/Sanoma on Monday (this should be an all day thing).  Also, we are going to be visiting her Aunt who lives in Haight Ashbury area, most likely for brunch Sat or Sun.  We fly out around noon on Tuesday, so not really any time to do much besides breakfast and hop the BART back to SFO.

 

Also something to keep in mind is that it is Fleet Week(end) while we are there.  Having never experienced it I really have no idea how that could affect planning, but should make for a more exciting time(I get to see the Blue Angels twice in a month!!)

 

Ok everyone have fun planing a bit of my trip.

 

Well I guess we can consider this a baby step. :o

 

You're picking the best time of year to visit in terms of weather, but Fleet Week could make getting around the city a nightmare. Other than Outside Lands and New Year's, that's one of the more taxing times on Muni (traffic and parking is a year-round nightmare). Use BART as much as you can and try to hit Muni routes outside peak downtown commutes (7am-10am inbound and 4pm-7pm outbound).

 

I've lived in four different San Francisco neighborhoods and know the city fairly well as a result of it (though there is always more to see and do). Previous suggestions on Inner Richmond are dead-on. It's a highly underrated neighborhood with great restaurants. The nightlife caters to the USF crowd since it's largely a college neighborhood, but there are some good bars for mature folks too. If you're in that area, you might want to hit Little Russia too (around Geary and 20th).

 

Mission is obviously great for Mexican food, but I wouldn't recommend it for nightlife unless you are into that scene (the stereotypes about its smugness and hipsterdom are true). I have never found it to be a friendly neighborhood outside specific bars (Skylark is one I like and Latin American Club is good for margaritas). Drinks are expensive too, but the Mexican food is awesome. El Farolito is a favorite by 24th Street BART for super nachos (tons of avocado). El Toro on 17th is one of my personal favorite taquerias for burritos and enchiladas. Honestly though, you can't go wrong. Mexican is excellent in San Francisco.

 

The Tenderloin/Polk Gulch/Lower Nob Hill area is by far my favorite part of the city for nightlife, but if you're over 40, that might be pushing it. I also like the Marina (the stereotypes about its Greekness are true, but I've had some great nights there), North Beach, and even downtown has a few random spots worth hitting. There is a bar in North Beach near Columbus and Green called Columbus Cafe that hilariously has been a place I've randomly run into a lot of people from Ohio and Michigan (actually, every time I've been there). For a take on the post-work downtown San Francisco crowd, House of Shields near Montgomery and Market is worth visiting. It's mainly an over 30 bar, but it's very classy and the Moscow Mule is the best in the city. Overall, downtown San Francisco has weak nightlife since people prefer to go out in the neighborhoods. Union Square has a couple good tourist bars, but my favorite recently shut down. Gold Dust Lounge was a cool place, but it's gone, so I don't recommend going out in that area anymore. Still, Union Square is a must-see during the daytime with all the hustle and bustle.

 

One thing about living in San Francisco is that most of the touristy stuff is popular for good reason. Some of the best places are for locals, but Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, Crissy Field, Presidio, Baker Beach, etc. are worth hitting. Also, for easy hikes with great views, I highly recommend Tank Hill (old park 600 feet up that no one visits), Bernal Hill (360-degree panorama that's popular with locals), and of course Twin Peaks (the famous view up Market Street). If the weather is not foggy, I'd recommend walking across Golden Gate and at least seeing Land's End and/or Marin Headlands (they're free). Hit Chinatown too if that is your scene. It's great, but I personally prefer Clement in Inner Richmond.

 

What's your age and general style? San Francisco is very neighborhood specific and people tend to stay in their scenes. Also, are you going for expensive stuff to do or cheaper stuff? Honestly, some of the best things in this city are cheap or free...

I like Ocean Beach, but it's a hike from downtown SF, and remember the weather isn't "beach weather." It's a great cool weather beach walk though, and the Cliff House and Sutro Baths are pretty cool.

 

The joke about the Sunset District is that you'll never actually see a sunset there. Ditto with Outer Richmond, but it's a fancier part of the Avenues. I think Sea Cliff, Land's End, and China Beach are must-sees. Ocean Beach is only worth it in good weather (spring and fall). Never go there in the middle of summer since that's when the heat of the Central Valley sucks in the marine layer. The whole western half of the city is terrible during July and August. Mark Twain was right! I'm not sure about early October, but it should be better since the central valley is cooling off.

 

To be honest though, the water in San Francisco isn't very pretty. It's murky, cold, and loaded with Great White Sharks. A good beach in western Michigan handily beats Ocean Beach. California's best coast is Big Sur, which is doable as a day trip from San Francisco. The water there is way prettier than in San Francisco and the landscape can only really be matched by stuff on the northern side of Lake Superior. Southern California is the only part of California with warm beaches where you can actually swim semi-comfortably. Even LA has cold water year-round. 67 degrees is "warm" to Californians. To put it in perspective, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron get warmer during the summer, and Lake Superior is about the same in August. The Pacific is really cold...but it has areas that are beautiful.

 

If there is time to do a day trip, Big Sur is just incredible, and everything is close to the road. It's probably the best drive in America.

 

Also, if you drive out to Marin County, there is an absolutely gorgeous state park with a lighthouse built into a cliff along the rocky shore in Point Reyes State Park.  Stunning scenery, and it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere despite being roughly 45 mins from DT SF.

 

There are two lighthouses in Marin- Point Bonita and Point Reyes. Point Reyes is often fogged out to the point of zero visibility, but October should be better. Point Bonita is in the Headlands of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is visible from the cliffs overlooking Bonita Cove. It's very close to the city. 45 minutes south of San Francisco, there is another great lighthouse called Pigeon Point which is the tallest on the Pacific. In terms of lighthouses, California can't hold a candle to Michigan, but the ones around San Francisco are pretty nice. If there is time, they are worth hitting.

For restaurants, I recommend The Grove for breakfast/lunch.  It's on a stretch of Filmore that has tons of shops, galleries, restaurants, etc. and the food is amazing.

 

Second this. The place is hugely popular and for good reason. I had the best sourdough french toast I've ever eaten there.

 

*Also, make sure you have an It's-It before you leave. They're available at gas stations, liquor stores, and convenience stores.

I wanted to give everyone a little update. 

 

Booked Alcatraz on Friday with a 10 AM departure time.  Wondering if anyone who has been has an estimate of how long one should expect to spend there.  The ferry website recommends 2.5 hours.  Also, I choose this time as the Blue Angels are going to be practicing, and having watched them from the water in Cleveland, it is a very unique way to see the performance. 

 

Also, we booked a wine tour, Edge of the World Tours rather than renting a car and driving out to wine country (DUIs and whatnot).  That pretty much takes up all of Monday.  If anyone has ever used their services I would like to hear your experiences, but they have gotten really good reviews on TripAdvisor.

 

One thing I am wondering is recommendations for transit passes.  Seen as there are apparently 8 different transit systems in SF.  I know that we will likely be taking BART to and from the airport, and maybe to Oakland to meet up with our friend who lives out there. 

 

Once again thanks to everyone for their recommendations.

For food, I'll second mrnyc's Slanted Door rec.  Get a bottle of semi-dry Riesling and the spiciest stuff you can find on the menu and you'll be happy. Makes me miss the extravagant travel from my last job, sigh.  Also, it's not cutting edge anymore, but I think the chicken at Zuni Cafe (http://www.zunicafe.com/) lives up to its rep and is justifiably one of the city's best known dishes.  Millions of cookbook buyers can't be wrong!

slam the indian lunch buffet at curry village, lassi is included

So I am in a bit of a pickle.

 

The wife had an interview with IBM earlier this month that she had to cancel as she already made plans to travel for work.  IBM was fine with that as they were going be holding another set of interviews later this month.  Well low and behold she gets an interview for Friday morning that we are to be in San Francisco  :whip: :whip:

 

I will likely still be going out there Thursday and she will be joining me on Friday evening, this just means that I now have Friday basically to myself.  So I was wondering what everyone's recommendations may be.  We are likely going to be renting bikes on Sunday so I don't necessarily want to do that.  I am thinking that a walking tour would be fun, but am open to ideas. 

 

Little bit of an updated schedule, Sat - Alcatraz tour, afterward I'm not sure.  Probably just hanging down in that area.  Sun - Biking to Sausalito and ferry ride back.  Mon - Wine Tour, pretty much an all day event.

 

 

 

So I am in a bit of a pickle.

 

The wife had an interview with IBM earlier this month that she had to cancel as she already made plans to travel for work.  IBM was fine with that as they were going be holding another set of interviews later this month.  Well low and behold she gets an interview for Friday morning that we are to be in San Francisco  :whip: :whip:

 

I will likely still be going out there Thursday and she will be joining me on Friday evening, this just means that I now have Friday basically to myself.  So I was wondering what everyone's recommendations may be.  We are likely going to be renting bikes on Sunday so I don't necessarily want to do that.  I am thinking that a walking tour would be fun, but am open to ideas. 

 

Little bit of an updated schedule, Sat - Alcatraz tour, afterward I'm not sure.  Probably just hanging down in that area.  Sun - Biking to Sausalito and ferry ride back.  Mon - Wine Tour, pretty much an all day event.

 

 

 

 

Just go to Oakland and walk around.

^ Why would I want to go to Oakland?

May as well hit the other sites.  Go to Union Square, ride the cable cars, climb to the top of Coit Tower, visit Lombard Street, Golden Gate Park etc.

^ Why would I want to go to Oakland?

 

Sightseeing, DUH!  Visit Lake Merrrit.  Visit Berkeley.  Be an urban explorer!  Show Oakland how you "Westsiders" roll!

^ Why would I want to go to Oakland?

 

Sightseeing, DUH!  Visit Lake Merrrit.  Visit Berkeley.  Be an urban explorer!  Show Oakland how you "Westsiders" roll!

 

Yes, there's tons to do in SF and never leave its 49 sq miles.  (and don't miss the City's thriving jazz scene, either!).  But Berkeley's a tourist destination in its own right.  And BART takes you right to Sather Gate, site of the now legendary Free Speech Movement demonstrations of the 60s.  It's a beautiful campus and town with tons of museums and historic research sites (like the cyclotron where Oppenheimer and buddies conceptualized atomic energy) along w/ the outdoor Greek Theatre and the funky Telegraph Ave bookstores.

^ Why would I want to go to Oakland?

 

Oakland actually has some great neighborhoods and it's a shame as it's overshadowed by San Francisco.  The Grand Lake area, Chinatown, Lake Merritt, and adjacent suburbs such as Berkeley are certainly worth a peak.

If you do go to Oakland, stay away from Jack London Square.  A lot of guide books haven't updated it, but basically its like a dead festival marketplace.  I wasn't expecting much myself, but at the very least I was expecting tourist kitsch like a smaller Fisherman's Warf with a few cool Jack London artifacts - instead its a dead version of it still in redevelopment hell.

 

Berkely is very nice.  I happened to be there at the beginning of the semester for UC Berkely and it was buzzing with activity from both students and aging hippies alike.

Go to Berkeley!!  University of Cal is very nice, climb up tightwad hill on the other side of the football stadium (tightwad hill is a mountain literally on top of the Cal Bears football stadium where people who dont want to buy a ticket go and watch games for free and drink and eat in the woods)...but the view of the Bay are spectacular and you can see San Fran.  Walk around and check out the funky shops.