Tourist advice for San Francisco Trip

In My Humble Opinion
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Hello again fellow dopers,

I’m going to San Francisco in early June for about a week. It’s been several years since I’ve been there.

Let’s discuss some fun things to do… shall we?

First of all my 22 year old son is going to be with me, so keep that in mind. That also means we’ll have to do some more touristy stuff, that I might not have done otherwise.

Where to start… well to begin with, we’re going to do the Alcatrez tour, so no one needs to bother to pooh pooh or praise the idea.

I’d like to walk through China Town, and walk down Lombard Street just so number one son can see them.

I’d like a Napa valley trip, but probably not interested in spending the night (unless someone can convince me that it’s really that much better). Should I rent a car? Should I just take a guided tour? (and if so, which one?) I’ve heard the view is better by renting a car, but conversly the guided tours are good for people who aren’t exactly wine afficianados, but could still enjoy the scenery. What say ye?

Are there any good aquariums worth planning a visit to?

How long is the walk across the GG Bridge? (I know, I can look that up, but I’m hoping someone will elaborate on this one. Give their experiences, etc.)

This is hopefully enough to generate a bit of discussion, from which I can learn more.

E3

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The Steinhart Aquarium, downtown. There’s also a touristy (and from what I hear, bad) aquarium-like attraction at Pier 39. And there’s the Monterey Bay aquarium two hours south of SF.

Last time I did that, I was in a stroller. But I can say that it’s windy and cold as hell the entire span (same with the ferry to Alcatraz, though you can stay below deck).

The Giants will be in town June 7-12. Even if you don’t want to spring for tickets, the ballpark and atmosphere are worth a stroll along McCovey Cove during game time. It’s free, and you can even watch the game from outside without paying a dime.

If you’re willing to walk the bridge, you may want to consider climbing a hill or two, for some really spectacular views. There’s Twin Peaks, with tour buses aplenty, and also Bernal Hill, Mt Davidson, and Corona Heights, which are all quiet and all require a bit of a hike.

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I forgot to mention my plans on going to a giants game, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I’m missing their homestand by one day (June 2 - 7). I’ve heard not so great things about the aquarium near fisherman’s wharf, which is why I asked. Have you been to the Monteray Bay aquarium? What did you think? I was thinking renting a car for a day (or maybe two, if I drive to Napa Valley).

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I’d skip Napa and go to Monterey. There are wineries you can tour there, too, and the aquarium is well worth the drive. If you really want to do the wine country, Sonoma was less overrun than Napa last time I was there.

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First: Pack some long pants and jackets. San Francisco can be cold and foggy, especially at night. The locals will know you are a tourist if you wear shorts, and they will laugh at you while you shiver.

If you were thinking of going swimming in the ocean, keep in mind the water is very cold (<60 Fahrenheit), even in the summer.

I would rent a car only if your hotel has parking. Don’t try to drive in San Francisco and find parking- it’s very hard to find parking most places in the city, and if you do find parking it will probably be expensive. It’s better to use BART and the buses to get around the city.

One of my favorite short trips from the Bay Area is to Sonoma. We drive up there and stay at a hotel for one or two nights. That way, you can drive to a few wineries early in the day, then spend the latter part of the day walking around downtown Sonoma and not having to worry about having a designated driver. If possible, go to the wine country on a weekday, not a weekend- you will get a much better hotel deal, and it will be much less crowded. If you are planning not to stay in a hotel in the wine country, I would advise visiting only two or three wineries.

I like Monterey Bay Aquarium (though it’s been a few years since I’ve been there). I haven’t been to the aquarium in downtown San Francisco. While you are downtown, you should go to Pier 39 and see the California sea lions on the docks. If you go to Monterey, you should think about going to Santa Cruz as well to see UC Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

According to this site, the Golden Gate Bridge is 1.7 miles long.

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To clarify: the sea lions on the dock are in downtown San Francisco, not Monterey. There are also sea lions that you can see from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

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I’ve personally found the Monterey aquarium to be overpriced and overrated. It is a good aquarium, but keep your expectations moderate. There’s not much else to do in Monterey. The drive along the coast is worth it all by itself, though – the California coastline is spectacular. You can stop in Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay along the way and walk around.

I second the suggestion to go to Sonoma instead of Napa. It’s a lot less crowded, just as beautiful, with just as many good wineries. Also, most of them don’t charge a tasting fee, whereas nearly all of the Napa wineries I’ve been to now do.

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Cool, baby! :cool:

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Well, that’s why I would only rent a car for a day or two. I remember from my last trip that car’s don’t mix w/ the city. I’ve driven up highway one, and loved it. Thanks for the reminder on that one! I went to half moon bay and walked around. I forgot all about that!

Sonoma here I come.

keep the suggestions coming!

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Or, you could drive up through the western part of the county, see redwoods, and still visit some awesome wineries, and end up paying even less than you would in Sonoma. If you want to stay overnight, I’d suggest Healdsburg or Geyserville, and you’d be able to visit about 15 wineries within a 5-mile radius. It’s only just over an hour’s drive to the Alexander Valley wine country from San Francisco (more with traffic). I second the suggestion of going during the week.

Unfortunately, you just missed out on the opportunity to see a great white shark in captivity at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I felt lucky that I got to see it when I took a trip to the aquarium while in SF in March.

Also, I just wanted to point out that if you do see the sea lions at Pier 39, keep in mind that they’re all juvenile males, and you probably won’t get to see them doing anything besides sleeping/sunning (and maybe shoving each other around some). The big adult males and the females are all elsewhere doing the mating thing, and the sea lions hanging out at Pier 39 are the young males that aren’t big enough to fight other males for territory and females yet.

When it comes to the weather in the Bay Area in June, it’s a total crapshoot. Usually the fog rolls in around mid-June and doesn’t roll out until the end of August (and that’s why you’ll find so many sweatshirts in tourist shops - because tourists think “California in June = Hot” and shiver until they can buy highly overpriced warmer clothing). You might get lucky and get nice weather, though. I know CA’s had a very rainy season this year - normally it stops raining at the end of March but my mom and friends tell me it’s still raining off and on.

My suggestions for stuff to see and do in SF include taking a bus from downtown up to Haight street and walking around the upper Haight. Of special interest, of course, is the corner of Haight and Ashbury, on which you will find a Gap and a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream store. Walk across the street to Golden Gate Park and wander through the park. You can visit the aquarium there (very different from the one in Monterey), walk through the (free) botanical gardens, visit the (not free, but very cheap) Japanese tea garden, and even walk all the way through the park to Ocean Beach. You can catch public transportation back downtown from there if you don’t want to walk all the way back.

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This is what I’m looking for! Thanks for the suggestions, and as I said before, keep em coming. I’m going to add Haight Ashbury onto my list of things to do.

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Just watch your step.

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Sonoma recommendations:

You probably don’t want to try to drive downtown and park on the square- the parking spaces are usually full in the summer. But you could probably find parking a short ways (a block or two, most likely) off the square if you wanted to.

Sonoma is inland from the coast. In the Bay Area, that generally means hot, sunny, and dry. Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, bottled water, et cetera. You don’t want to get dehydrated while wine-tasting.

Here are some wineries I’d recommend visiting:

Valley of the Moon Winery, actually about 5 miles from Sonoma.

Sebastiani Winery, a few blocks from the town square.

Ravenswood Winery, a long walk or a short drive from downtown. Just don’t let it slip to the staff there if you like White Zinfandel.

They all make nice, reasonably-priced wines.

There are also tasting rooms on the square.

Mission San Francisco Solano is located on the square in Sonoma.

We usually stay at Best Western Sonoma Valley Inn when we go there. It is within walking distance of the square downtown, and is more reasonably priced than hotels right on the square.

While you’re there, you should be sure to eat at the Basque Boulangerie Cafe on the square. They have very yummy sandwiches (my favorite is the roasted garlic), breads, and nice inexpensive wines by the glass. There are usually lines stretching out the door, though. Cucina Viansa is also supposed to be excellent, though I’ve only managed to make it there for the wine bar, not for a full meal.

If you like cheese, Sonoma is a good place for you- there are two good cheese-factory shops in town: Sonoma Cheese Factory and Vella Cheese Company. A warning: the Chili Cheddar at Sonoma Cheese Factory is addictive.

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Yes, it just rained last weekend. That was very late for it to be raining here, and it almost never rains in the summer (but it has been known to rain in the summer, just to prove to East Coast visitors that we don’t know what we are talking about).

Only do this if you are not allergic to pot smoke. Mr. Neville took me to the Haight once, and I found out then I am allergic to pot smoke- I had a fairly nasty allergy attack, and we cut our visit short.

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This is a very handy thread: I’m going to be in San Francisco for a week at the beginning of June for the first time in my life.

My first port of call - for purely personal reasons - will be the Golden Gate Bridge. My grandfather went to America from Ireland in the early 30s and family legend has it that he got some sort of job on the bridge in the very early stages of its construction. But he left, or was sacked, or for some other reason ceased to work there (he wasn’t much of a boozer but had suffered badly in the Great War while serving with the British Army, in which he had enlisted in 1916 when pissed … but that’s a whole different story) and as a result descended into vagrancy, which culminated in him being deported back to Ireland.

Any offers of assistance from SF Dopers will be gratefully received, particularly if you can recommend what beers to sample.

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Here are some more winery listings:

http://www.sonoma.com/wineries/alphalistings.html

We liked Clos du Bois, Williams-Selyem, and Chateau Souverain

Iron Horse and Gloria Ferrer are nice, too, especially if you like champagne.

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Another winery near Sonoma that you might want to go to:

Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves

I am not affiliated in any way with any of the places I am recommending. The wineries aren’t giving me free wine for recommending them, and the cheese factory isn’t giving me free Chili Cheddar cheese. Which isn’t to say that they shouldn’t be :stuck_out_tongue:

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There’s no aquarium in GGP now - the Steinart Aquarium and the rest of the California Academy of Science is currently across the street from my office on Howard, between 4th and 5th. (This is the downtown aquarium Troy McClure referenced)

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is worth the time if you’re into aquariums. It will be a full day trip though, as it’s two hours south of SF.

Even if your hotel has parking, it may not be worth renting a car, especially as quite a few hotels charge for parking - some charge $30 a day. :eek: BART will easily take you from SFO or OAK for about $5 per person. As for in-town transit, you can get Muni passes good for a calendar week (Monday - Sunday) for $12 - unlimited bus/streetcar rides, and $1 extra for cable cars, or “Passports” that include cable car rides - $20 for 7 days, $15 for 3 days. You can buy these at SFO in the baggage claim area, or at several locations in the city.

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If you haven’t bought your plane ticket yet, a bit of advice: fly into Oakland instead of SFO if you can. SFO gets many more weather-related delays and cancellations than Oakland.

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For evening entertainment check out Beach Blanket Babylon it’s the dictionary definition of “a hoot”.