What to do in San Francisco ?

[Darth Tater]

Hi,

What can we do in San Francisco ? We have 2-3 days here. We want to shop, eat and see the sights. What do you all recommend.
Thanks

[Claire_L]

Definitely Alcatraz as it is such as strange place. Also Pier 39 to see the sea lions and it also has a nice shopping and eatting area, Bubba Gumps restaurant is quite entertaining. Oh and don't forget Fishermans Wharf. If you can a walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge is a must as is a ride on the cable cars to Union Square dor more shopping. Hope that has given you some ideas
Where are you staying???
Claire :wink

[Darth Tater]

Thanks Claire,
We are planning on staying in the Fishermans Wharf area. Alcatraz is at the top of our list, along with Golden Gate Bridge.

[coxan56]

Hi You must ride the trams, my DD was in his element ride on the outside like you see in the films. Annie :jump: :jump:

[Darth Tater]

Thanks Annie

I will add it to my list;)

[Allan]

If you have a car, drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, go to the Vista point on the other side. Then take the next exit, go under the freeway and up to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. You get great views of the GG Bridge, SF and the entire bay. I was there a month ago but the weather was not great.

I would also recommend the trip to Alcatraz but book in advance on the internet. The Bay Cruise is also OK.

I also went to a Major League baseball game which was an experience and the ball park is pretty impressive.

Send me a PM if you need any more info.

[GOS]

Macy's has a Cheesecake Factory Restaurant in it. Book a table and they give you a pager, then you can walk round the store shopping until your pager goes off.

Also, you must visit the Cable Car Museum. It's free. We missed it when we went, and it's on our list of to do's when we go again. Heather

[Darth Tater]

Thanks Allan and Heather:D

[Claire_L]

The Sheraton at Fishermans Wharf is a very nice hotel. Within walking distance of most places such as Pier 39, the boat to Alcatraz and also the trams is not too far.
Claire :wink

[rob@rar.org.uk]

We used priceline.com to get a great 4* hotel a few minutes away from Union Square. Only cost $55 plus tax per night.

Regards

Rob

[Claire_L]

A good day trip once across Golden Gate Bridge is Sausalito a small town which is very artistic and pretty and a visit to Muir Woods for the giant Redwoods can be combined really well after a drive along the Marin headland.
Claire :wink

[jojj]

definately go across the brigde to sausalito as claire suggested

We did a city tour on a coach which was brilliant - took us all round the city to the different areas - some you wouldnt necessary head for and it goes to the golden gate park too for a stop - there are a few stops to get off and look round places of interest.

we also did an evening tour of china town with a meal at the end in a chinese reastaurant - this was good fun too.

fishermans wharf had some great shops and pier 39 for the seals

definately alcatraz and also lombard street!

union street shops is a lovely little street you could walk too!

i could go on and on - i loved the place!

it would be impossible to cram all of those things in to 2 or 3 days though!!!

[Darth Tater]

Thanks again for all the info guys...its ages away and we are really excited;)

jojj, I see you did what we are doing San Fran, Las Vegas & Los Angeles.
Lomard St, that is the winding one isnt it? If so that is another must do for us, driving down that:)

Rob, we were going to give priceline another go as we used them for our trip in Dec to WDW, we got some great hotels;)

:jump:

[TracyK]

Rob, we were going to give priceline another go as we used them for our trip in Dec to WDW, we got some great hotels

I've just booked a West Coast trip for Easter next year. I have already booked my SF accommodation using Priceline. I got the 4* Marriott near Union Square for $68. It looks gorgeous.
Tracy

[Claire_L]

Oh yes dont forget Lomard St it is fantastic to drive down :D :D
Claire :wink

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by TracyK
I've just booked a West Coast trip for Easter next year. I have already booked my SF accommodation using Priceline. I got the 4* Marriott near Union Square for $68. It looks gorgeous.
Tracy

Excellent price, I'm very envious. It will be a couple of years at least before we get back to San Francisco as we have other places we'd like to see before retrning to the West Coast.

Have you visited Disneyland? It's a very simple and cheap journey from SF to LA (we flew Oakland to John Wayne Airport, then a short drive to Anaheim). You could then fly home from LA, or even continue on to Las Vegas for a couple of days before flying home from there.

Regards

Rob

[patdavies]

There is a fantastic ice cream shop that I would recommend.

Also there is a teddy bear factory, where you can visit and then end up making (well filling) your own.

If you are interested in either of these, let me know and I will look aut the addresses.

Lastly, If you have a car, leave it in the hotel car park - parking in San Fransisco makes London look like child's play

The cable cara are a must (they are the only mobile US national monument!). One terminates near Giradelli's. this si a choclate factory that has been converted into an upmarket boutiqu mall.

Two warnings. Fisherman's Wharf is a tourist trap, but the street side seafood vendors aren't too bad. If/when you go out to Alcatraz, wrap up warmly - at least a jumper. However, hot it is at Fisherman's Wharf, it will be cold out in the bay. Try allso to get a boat tour that goes out under the Golden Gate Bridge - it is nind blowingg when it is towering above you.

[Claire_L]

A helicopter trip over SF is well worth it, as you go under and over the GGB!!! Gives geat perspective as well for where everything is and how well situated Alcatraz is.
Claire :wink

[Darth Tater]

Wow Tracy....great price, we are just going to hang on a little bit longer before giving it a go.

Rob thats the plan to drive from SF to LV spending time in LV. Then from LV driving to LA, this will be the first vist to DLC,which DW is sooo excited over. Then we fly home from LAX.

Thanks Pat, I like the sound of the ice cream shop, though it really depends on the weather, we are there from 28th April for a few days:)

Thanks again for all the replies:jump:

[Darth Tater]

Originally posted by Claire_L
A helicopter trip over SF is well worth it, as you go under and over the GGB!!! Gives geat perspective as well for where everything is and how well situated Alcatraz is.
Claire :wink

LOL Claire I dont do helicopter rides, thats DW's department;) I will let her know though;)

Thanks

[LakeBuenaVisita]

Has anyone tried the 49 mile scenic tour with any success LOL? There are signs everywhere around the city except at strategic points! We found it quite amusing noticing the same cars driving around in circles looking as lost as us. Good views of the city from 'Twin Peaks'.

A good eaterie to try is Izzy's Chop House, its not too far from Fisherman's Wharf.

[Claire_L]

Oh yes Twin Peaks is great but unfortunately when we were there, mid morning, it was very foggy. By lunchtime the fog had gone and we went to Alcatraz with trousers and jumpers on but it got very warm and sunny. So much so we ended up with very red faces, as we didn't even think about suncream!! :D :D
Claire :wink

[Claire_L]

Oh Golden gate Park is lovely and although we went to the Japanese tea gardens for a short time on the city tour wished we could of had more time to explore.
Here (http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23008&highlight=california+san+francisco) is my trip report for San Francisco from our California trip last year.
Claire :wink

[jojj]

where are you staying panada?

We stayed 5 nights at Queen Anne Hotel in San Fran
1 night at mammouth mountain
2 nights at Luxour in Vegas
6 nights at sheraton anaheim in Anaheim

it was a really brilliant holiday - one which i would like to do again one day!

Twin Peaks - we went there too on the city tour and to Haight Ashybury too ( the hippy commune ) very interesting but i wouldnt go unless i was on a tour!!

are you going via yosemite ( it is beautiful )
and death valley - it is the hottest place i have ever been and very interesting scenery ) we stopped there for a while on the way to vegas!

Ghiradelli square in san fran another place i thought of - the chocolate place - really nice in there!!!

Santa monica is really nice in LA and we drove to malibu beach where all the famous people live and went on the beach there for a bit ( most of it is private beach )

lots of lovely collectable malls in anaheim selling disney collectables and more.

I could go on and on and on ...

[Darth Tater]

Thanks for the recommendation of the eatery LBV
Thanks Claire for your link to your reports I will read them soon.

jojj, we have no set plans but this is the itinerary that we are thinking of doing at the moment, but will probably change again and again;) We also have not booked hotels yet as we are going to do these through Priceline.
San Fran 2 nights
Lake Tahoe 2 nights
Mammoth Lakes 1 night
Las Vegas 4 nights
Palm Springs 1 night
San Diego 2 nights
Los Angeles 4 nights
:jump:
Forgot to say that we have been told Yosemite wont be fully open in April:confused2

[Derek]

When we went in May/June a few years back, Yosemite was fine for walking, just the odd bit of snow but the pass across the mountains to get to Death Valley was still snowed in so we had to head south to Bakersfield and go the long way round........Try to fit Yosemite in because it is unbelievable .

[Claire_L]

Yosemite is fabulous. We hired bikes and had a wonderful ride around the valley floor.

Derek,
Now you mention it I remember Bakersfield on my 1991 tour of the West Coast!!!

Claire :wink