Going out to visit a cousin for 5 days. I have down wanting to see Nappa, Monteray Bay Aquarium, and China town. Anything else that I should try to hit up?

6/10/2010 3:45:47 PM

The gay district.

6/10/2010 3:46:34 PM

Alcatraz

6/10/2010 3:47:31 PM

pebble beach 17 mile drive is awesome if you care at all about golf. it's either free or pretty cheap to just drive through there and look at the courses and there are plenty of places to stop and walk around, take pictures, shop, etc....

if you don't care about golf, then don't bother with it

6/10/2010 3:52:16 PM

If you drop your keys, kick em to Sacremento

6/10/2010 3:53:13 PM

I lived there for three years.

Napa/Sonoma obviously like you said. Have lunch on the water in Sausalito (beautiful view). PCH is a nice drive and there are tons of hole in the wall places to stop for some local food or a drink. I liked eating at the Ocean Beach Chalet Brewery -- pretty cool place right b/t Golden Gate park and the Pacific Ocean.

I wouldn't go there ever again since I lived there but Pier 39 is a touristy place to go and you can see the seals!

(Monterrey Bay is at least a 90 minute drive from the city by the way)

6/10/2010 3:53:41 PM

Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, CA

http://www.jellybelly.com/visit_jelly_belly/california_factory_index.aspx

Its close to Napa

6/10/2010 3:55:45 PM

oh Pier 39 isnt that bad lol

you can see where Houdini performed back in teh day and get a great view of "The Rock"

6/10/2010 4:09:41 PM

eat a burrito in the mission

go to a giants game

if you like beer, go to toronado (http://www.toronado.com/)

when are you going? i'll be in sonoma next weekend -- probably playing kickball in golden gate park on sunday

6/10/2010 4:39:52 PM

I've lived in the Bay Area for almost 4 years so PM me if you have any specific questions

If I were you I'd dedicate a day or two to driving down 1 to big sur and hitting up monterey, santa cruz, stinson beach, and making it up to muir woods and possibly healdsburgh and the russian river. i've never been to the hearst castle but i hear it's pretty cool

in SF check out ocean beach, suttro baths, land's end. GG park is awesome, so is the DeYoung and the Academy of sciences. MOMA and the moscone center are also pretty cool to check out too. china town and the wharf are my least favorite parts of SF. i'd rather go for a walk in north beach, pac heights, the marina, crissy field etc. as much as I hate the Giants, their stadium is probably the nicest park on the west coast so if you dig baseball check out a game there. everybody loves the mission but i think it's sketchy and unsafe in a lot of places- i feel safer in oakland to be honest- but if you want a good burrito it's worth checking out. if you're into clubs or live music, downtown, union square, and SOMA have incredible venues- some of the best in the country. ruby skye, 1015, and mezzanine come to mind.

napa is great, but sonoma and livermore are way more afforable and less pretentious and touristy. it's still worth checking out but be prepared to spend $10-$15 on a tasting instead of $5 or getting one for free. st. superey is probably the only winery i make an effort to hit up when im there, but it's only because i'm a member.

the weather is way nicer in the east bay so if it's foggy and cold in the city (which is probably will be) head over the bridge. definitely check out berkeley and the east bay for fantastic bars and food- i honestly think the variety is better than sf. oakland is awesome too (lake merritt, rockridge, piedmont ave esp) but avoid east oakland like the plague.

have a nice time

6/10/2010 4:40:04 PM

--Rent a bike at Fishermans Wharf and ride over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito. That place is amazingly beautiful. Some fun little shops and good spots for lunch there too. You can ride the ferry back over to San Franscisco.

--Rent a car and go to Muir Woods, home of big-ass redwood trees. You can then take the car and drive down Highway 1 to Stinson Beach. The road basically snakes around cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean ... very surreal, almost eerie.

--Alcatrez is a must do. That place is awesome in so many ways, and you get some great views of the city out there. Plus, it's surprisingly beautiful out there. Lots of colorful plants and wildlife.

--As far as nightlife, North Beach (Little Italy) is good. For something a little more laid back, we always hit up Polk Street in the Nob Hill neighborhood. Lots of little bars -- good times.

--The sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf are almost a requisite, even though they're kinda disappointing. All they really do is roll around and make these hilarious noises. Still cool though.


And some general advice:

*Stay around from the Tenderloin unless you want drugs (or to die), and the Castro unless you're gay.

*Pack plenty of warm clothes. It's surprisingly chilly out there all year long. Seriously.

*Be prepared to walk up an assload of hills. They're relentless out there. Cable cars and taxis are definitely your friend, even though taxis can be damn-near impossible to catch depending on the time of day.

6/10/2010 5:09:17 PM

Make sure you reserve tickets for Alcatraz early. When I went in August 08, I found this one out the hard way. I think they said we should have reserved at least a week in advance.

6/10/2010 5:15:54 PM

the tenderloin, castro, and the haight are actually some of the coolest neighborhoods in sf. i guess if you're afraid of burnouts, gays, and hippies you should avoid them, but why visit a city like SF and NOT see interesting and different people? seems kinda silly to avoid shit like that, but whatever

[Edited on June 10, 2010 at 5:24 PM. Reason : asdf]

6/10/2010 5:23:52 PM

Quote :

"If I were you I'd dedicate a day or two to driving down 1 to big sur and hitting up monterey, santa cruz, stinson beach, and making it up to muir woods and possibly healdsburgh and the russian river. i've never been to the hearst castle but i hear it's pretty cool"

i just did a big sur, monterey & hearst castle trip in april.... AMAZING

i love california <3 <3 <3

ive been to san fran several times, always to visit someone who lived in the area but everything suggest so far is spot on. just pick what appeals most to you

6/10/2010 5:49:19 PM

just tell them you're from out of town and your chat handle is MeatStick.

6/10/2010 6:33:44 PM

Cliff House restaurant, Tommy's Joint (if it's still there), Exploratorium, Palace of Fine Arts, Haight & Ashbury, Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill, Fisherman's Wharf, Half Moon Bay, the Presidio, etc.

6/10/2010 9:31:11 PM

Quote :

"--Rent a car and go to Muir Woods, home of big-ass redwood trees. You can then take the car and drive down Highway 1 to Stinson Beach."

6/10/2010 10:41:52 PM

take me with youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

6/10/2010 10:44:28 PM

Don't spend all your 5 days driving from Monterey->SF->Napa, they're nice but that's a retarded way to spend your trip.

If you want wine go to Livermore, day trip it to the N. peninsula for stuff liek Muir Woods or Point Reyes, and just see the city. You won't be bored.

6/10/2010 11:50:34 PM

Almost forgot ... go find the crazy bushman down at Fisherman's Wharf. Guaranteed entertainment.


[Edited on June 11, 2010 at 2:29 PM. Reason : link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKfNoWEhEMc]

6/11/2010 2:25:05 PM

that guy was there the last time I was in san francisco which was at least 10 years ago.

6/11/2010 2:34:34 PM

These are awesome ideas, guys! I haven't been in CA since I was 8. Redwood Trees you say? HELL yeah.

I am ridiculously excited about this. I haven't taken a real vacation other than some over night trips in about 2 years. My cousin's company gave him vacation vouchers, so he's using them to pay for my ticket out. So that means all my funds can now be pushed towards packing as much fun stuff in as possible. Sleep? Nope!

6/13/2010 9:17:47 AM

If you're going to Big Sur I highly recommend Nepenthe for lunch, one of the best views I've seen at any restaurant.

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

6/13/2010 11:18:34 AM

Definitely take a look at Muir Woods, and if you're going to go driving down a ways the Winchester House in San Jose is pretty cool.

6/13/2010 9:22:15 PM

Don't waste your time at the Winchester Mansion. not really that interesting...

[Edited on June 13, 2010 at 10:44 PM. Reason : ^]

6/13/2010 10:43:56 PM

Quote :

"pebble beach 17 mile drive is awesome if you care at all about golf. it's either free or pretty cheap to just drive through there and look at the courses and there are plenty of places to stop and walk around, take pictures, shop, etc.... if you don't care about golf, then don't bother with it"

I've never been so this is purely speculation but this is probably a terrible week to do this if you happen to be going this week. The US Open is at Pebble this week and I imagine it will be a little too busy for casual sightseeing.

Or if you're into golf, go to the Open.

6/13/2010 10:58:08 PM

Nah, going July 28-August 4th.

6/14/2010 1:50:58 PM

Going to be in San Francisco for a wedding this weekend and I think we'll have some time to do lunch on Sunday since we're taking the red-eye.

What's a good place for lunch in the Fisherman's Wharf or relatively close-by area? Maybe some fresh sushi or something?

4/25/2011 10:03:48 AM

Walt Disney Family Museum

it's all about the man and his original vision

none of that crap after he died

easily one of the best museums i've been to, conceptually

http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/

also i second

Quote :

"Pack plenty of warm clothes. It's surprisingly chilly out there all year long. Seriously."

4/25/2011 12:43:05 PM

Quote :

"we'll have some time to do lunch on Sunday"

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

If the weather is nice, grab a bite and eat by the water.

4/25/2011 4:29:32 PM

Thanks for the information, that's about 2 miles from the hotel (Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf) so we'll definitely check that out. Any thoughts on the restaurants there?

4/25/2011 4:39:49 PM

Restaurants, bars, clubs in SF. I also would not want to spend the whole time driving. Traffic is a bitch

4/25/2011 10:19:05 PM

There will be 0 driving. Hotel, wedding reception site, etc are all in walking distance. Maybe a cab or two, but that's it.

4/25/2011 10:34:02 PM

Quote :

"Any thoughts on the restaurants there?"

There are only a few full service restaurants, and I have not tried any of them. In my opinion, it is more fun to walk around, see what speaks to you, then grab a variety and go outside. Most of the shops are specialized - breads or charcuterie or olive oil or fruits, etc. Just about every shop will sell things in easily portable forms. Acme Bread is good bet.

4/25/2011 10:49:43 PM

Book a flight out on day 5.

Wait in the airport.

4/25/2011 11:12:29 PM

^^ Good stuff, thanks again.

^ Will only be there for three days, so trying to soak it up. The original post was from almost a year ago.

4/26/2011 8:13:41 AM

I Fucking love Acme bread. I wish we had something comparable here. There is a place in the Ferry building with whole king crabs. Also go to Mission Delores park but first stop at Bi-rite and get salted caramel ice cream.

4/26/2011 8:19:45 AM

make sure you eat at the slanted door

that place is fucking amazing

4/26/2011 10:23:50 AM

Fisherman's wharf is by far one of the lamest parts of SF, but it's relatively close to some cool places like North Beach and the Marina. If you can, check out the Haight, the Mission, Union Square, and Noe Valley. Mass transit is pretty easy to figure out, so I'd avoid taking a cab unless it's really late at night or you've ventured really far from the wharf.

4/26/2011 1:02:44 PM

Schedule is pretty packed already because we're going for a wedding and will probably have to be at a couple different events over the weekend.

Here's the map of our location:


View Larger Map

4/26/2011 1:12:06 PM

lots of cool bars on Union street

if you don't have much flexibility North Beach is your best bet

some people like touristy crap and pier 39, but to me it tarnishes the image of an otherwise awesome city

[Edited on April 26, 2011 at 1:20 PM. Reason : get on yelp to find some decent spots]

4/26/2011 1:19:04 PM

Pier 39 was cheesy but fun. We also hung out in the Mission a lot-lots of great little Mexican restaurants. We stayed at Glen Park, where I had to give up and walk the bike up hills. There's a great diner there called Tiger's we must have eaten at 3 or 4 times. Right on the Metro stop too.

4/26/2011 2:14:46 PM

Do a hooker, catch a giants game,do some coc, date a tranny, smoke some weed, find the hills,,,,

4/26/2011 4:28:00 PM