TRAVEL San Francisco: Touristy Things to do in San Francisco

It took me nearly 40 years to get myself some good, quality time in San Francisco.  When I finally got there, I really wanted to do some typical touristy things.  I wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge and the Ferry Building, I wanted to go to Coit Tower and Ghiridelli Square, and I wanted to see a Redwood tree.  I did all of those things and much, much more!  I still feel like I haven't scratched the surface in SF yet though, and even after a few solid trips to the Bay Area, I'm always thinking about the next visit.

So anyway, I decided to share my favorite tourist attractions in SF. 

Alcatraz - Definitely plan a visit to the notorious "Rock," where you can stand in the prison cells of notorious criminals like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly.  Surrounded by the freezing water of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was believed to be inescapable. Get a ferry from Pier 33 to the island, and visit for either self guided or formal guided tours.  You'll walk up to the prison buildings and tour the cell block, exercise yard and other locations.  Besides being a popular tourist attraction, the island is also a historic site, and is operated by the National Park Service. Tickets during peak season can be hard to get, so plan ahead!

Coit Tower -  to get a bird's-eye view of the city, you'll want to venture to the top of Telegraph Hill, to the Coit Tower.  Built in 1933, some say the 210-foot tower resembles a fire-hose nozzle that stands as a tribute to firefighters.  You can take an elevator all the way to the top, or if you're feeling it, challenge yourself to take the nearly 400 steep steps up and down.

Ferry Building - The Ferry Building marketplace is open all week, and everything you could possibly want to eat will be there.  Amazing coffee, cured meats, burgers, biscuits, fresh seafood galore!  Try some tasty crab at Slanted Door, anything at Boulette’s Larder — it’s hard to go wrong. If you happen to be there on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, you’ll get to experience the famous farmer’s market, which is among the best in the U.S.

Fisherman's Wharf - if you're in search of food, shops, entertainment, and waterfront views, a visit to the Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 is a no-brainer.  Clam chowder in a bread bowl is a must have, or just sit and people watch as street performers of all kinds do their thing, though I've heard people complain that the street performers haven't changed in years. Either way, it's still an entertaining experience.  This is also where you'll find hundreds of lively sea lions on the marina's western docks.

The Golden Gate Bridge - The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the strait between San Francisco and Marin County. The bridge has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and CA, and is one of the most photographed bridges in the world. Its famous red-orange color was chosen to make the bridge more easily visible through the thick fog that frequently shrouds the bridge.  You can drive, bike or walk over it, and you can pretty much catch a view of it from everywhere in the city.

Muir Woods - one of my very favorite tourist attractions, Muir Woods National Monument was established in 1908 to protect a redwood forest from destruction.  The trees' ages range from 400 to 800 years, their height up to 250 feet.  It is truly a spectacular, awe-inspiring sight.  Flat easy trails loop through the groves, you can make this stop for a quick scenic walk, or hike the numerous trails for a few hours.  Tour buses routinely visit Muir Woods, or you can take a drive and park at the entrance.

Cable Cars - the trolleys operate today as more of a tourist attraction, though many residents say that they actually use them daily.  They're definitely worth the experience. They're a fun, unique ride, running between Market Street and Fisherman's Wharf. A a nice day, prepare to wait for a ride, and to get the best experience, be sure to stand on the running boards!

Lombard Street - located between Hyde and Leavenworth streets, Lombard Street is what's known as the world's "crookedest" street, though it's actually neither the crookedest or steepest in SF.  With eight hairpin turns to reduce the hill's steepness, Lombard Street has a speed limit of 5 mph, and is lined with flowered walkways -- and throngs of picture-snapping tourists. Photo ops are best from the bottom looking up. 

Chinatown - the tourist section of Chinatown is mainly along Grant Avenue, from Bush to Broadway.  There are 24 blocks of crowds, packed densely with shops, markets and restaurants.  Be sure to make a pit stop for some authentic dim-sum.  And don't miss the Golden Gate Cookie Factory, where apparently, every day, two women make over 20,000 fortune cookies by hand. 

What's your favorite tourist attraction in San Francisco?  What have I missed?

TRAVEL San Francisco: How to Navigate BART

BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit, is a safe, reliable and fast public transportation system in San Francisco.  For over 40 years, BART has connected the San Francisco Peninsula with Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Walnut Creek, Dublin/Pleasanton and other cities in the East Bay.

I found BART to be a very user friendly system, as well as an inexpensive way to get around the city, but some people get confused and panicked with public transportation, imagining trying to navigate the different lines.

First, do a little homework!  Look over the map and figure out where it is that you need to go and which line you need to take to get there.  Also, don't be afraid to ask a friendly looking passenger for a little help if you're confused.  Not all BART passengers are as cranky and aloof as they look.

In my opinion, BART fares are average as a form of public transportation.  Fares are based on how far you travel. To check fares, visit the Fare Calculator. Discounted tickets are available , and kids four and under ride free. BART tickets are plastic, basically like a credit-card with magnetically encoded value.  Fare gates automatically deduct trip fares from the stored fare value on ticket.  It certainly is an eco friendly alternative to driving, and it'll save you a bundle on the super high gas prices and parking rates that you're going to find in the city. 

I have an awesome app called HopStop, which has always been super helpful in being prepared for riding BART.  The app provides directions via subway, (and bus, regional rail, walking, and/or bicycle). It also offers multiple route suggestions, schedules for hundreds of trains, and official transit maps for many cities including, but not limited to, the Bay area.  You'll never get lost again! 

TRAVEL San Francisco: Yummy Good Eats part three... Dinner

I absolutely love eating out in San Francisco.  There are an overwhelming amount of amazing, offbeat places to check out, there is always something for everyone, always an option for just about any type of food you are looking for.  I know I have just scratched the surface with the spots I was able to visit.  I'm only going to highlight three restaurants today, but I have plenty of other places to tell you all about, that's for sure!  At some point, be on the lookout for another post about some more great eats in the city of SF!

My favorite dinner experience was at Foreign Cinema, in the Mission District.  There was such a super cool vibe - just an excellent, unique ambiance. Without even taking the food into consideration, the experience itself was great. If you're seated in the partially covered and heated outdoor area (definitely worth it), you'll be treated to an old foreign film being played on a big outside wall - sometimes with audio. The service was great, the waitstaff very friendly and accommodating. The menu was fantastic - a bit fancy, but great and eclectic and ample.   The food was excellent, I had a Burratta Salad as an appetizer, and it was absolutely mouthwatering.  I also had a fantastic steak, which was cooked to perfection.  Keep in mind that you get what you pay for, so be prepared for a pricey meal. Note: There is an extensive oyster bar, wine list and cheese menu, and the desserts were amazing.  Also, they have a weekend brunch on Saturdays, which I did not go to, but I would guess is amazing.

Late one night wandering around Union Square, I stepped into King of Thai Noodle on O'Farrell Street, mainly because it was open and I was hungry. And even though it looked kind of like a sketchy strip mall type of restaurant, it was packed. I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised with my meal.  My huge bowl of noodle soup was piping hot, really tasty and cheap, and it came out quickly.  It was totally tiny and cramped inside, but the service was good and fast, and I would definitely stop in again to try another noodle bowl.

John's Grill, a very well known seafood/steakhouse right in the heart of the city, is apparently a favorite with locals and celebrities.  I went there early one night with friends for dinner based on some really good yelp reviews, and was happily surprised that I didn't have trouble getting a table. I'm assuming because it was pretty early at about 6 pm. Two of us had the Filet Mignon, which was cooked perfectly. The menu didn't mention that the steak came with sides, so we each ordered a side, and ended up with way too much to eat! I had the Roquefort Salad to start, and it was huge - could have easily been a dinner salad because it was covered with shrimp, and there was enough for at least two. Our waitress looked like she didn't want to be there and wasn't friendly, but I suppose she did her job. They didn't have mojitos or the particular wine that we were hoping for, unfortunately. The atmosphere was kind of neat though, old timey wood walled steakhouse feel with nice dim lighting. If you like dessert, I highly recommend the chocolate mousse - it was fantastic. Overall, the food was very good, just priced pretty high in my opinion - our bill was $180 for two salads, 2 steaks, 2 sides, 1 seafood dinner, one glass of wine and one dessert.

Be sure to stop back next week! I'll be posting about some of my awesome experiences in traveling through California.

TRAVEL San Francisco: Yummy Good Eats part dos... Lunch

As I mentioned in my previous post about a few San Francisco breakfast spots, I never really realized how important the food industry is to Bay Area travelers.  After spending a few days in the city, I realized that there are just so many wonderful and eclectic choices and options.  I sometimes found it hard to make a decision, and ended up just eating in areas that I was wandering through.

Showdogs

One great lunch that I had was at a dive-y little spot in the Tenderloin called Showdogs, right on Market Street. There was nothing really fancy about the place, but I was kind of drawn to the fact that it was so unpretentious.  I ended up going simple with the basic all beef dog, some super tasty house made slaw, crispy thin fresh cut fries, and the kicker - a fresh house lemonade. So yummm!  Everything I ordered was delicious, the service was pleasant and speedy.  Overall it was fairly expensive for a hotdog place, but I loved the simplicity of my meal and would definitely go back to try out some other good looking things on the menu.

Clam Chowder in a bread bowl

While wandering around Fisherman's Wharf one sunny day, I had my eye out for a place to get the much heard about chowder in a bread bowl.  I chose Sabella and La Torre's sidewalk stand on Taylor Street, though there were plenty of other places to get pretty much the same thing.  I think I chose Sabella's because there was enough of a line to make it seem like the food would be good, but not too many people to make the wait annoying.  The bread was great, soft and gooey, and the chowder was pretty darned good.  It was thick and creamy, just wish there were a few more clams in there.  Initially it was a touch bland, but with some extra salt and pepper it worked.  At under 10 bucks, I thought it was fair for the amount you got.  The service was quick, and I chose to eat mine outside in the sunshine, though they do offer tables inside.  The only real downside was being stalked by seagulls hoping for a bite, but you can't blame the establishment for that! 

Pad Thai

I've never had Thai food before, so I popped into Osha Thai on Embarcadero for a late afternoon lunch one day.  I really liked the loungey vibe of the place, it was very quiet, spacious and not busy at all.  It looks like they'd have no trouble accommodating a large group.  Also, I have to say, the chairs were super comfy.  I ended up going with a Spring Roll, Pad Thai and an order of Udon Soup, based on the tasty sounding description in the menu.  It was very good, rather spicy.  The portions were generous, and the meal presentation was really nice.  I definitely could not finish everything.  I felt like it was kind of pricey, but probably justified by the atmosphere and service.

Where have you had lunch in the city of San Fran?  I had a super sandwich at a deli in Sausalito and I need to find an equally good sandwich spot that I can walk to from Union Square.  Any recos?

Check back for a review of a few great dinner spots I visited!

TRAVEL San Francisco: Yummy Good Eats, part uno: Breakfast

One thing that I never realized, is that San Francisco is as famous for its restaurants and food trends as it is for the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars.  With upwards of 3500 places to eat, more than any other major city in the US, travelers routinely cite restaurants as a factor in their decision to visit.  Who knew??  Yep, the eclectic restaurants of San Francisco are a main attraction, drawing people from all over the world, and I made a point to try some restaurants that had great reviews on sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor.

Dottie's True Blue Cafe

For breakfast, you have to try Dottie's True Blue Cafe.  It's located on 28 6th Street in San Francisco, a bit of a sketchy neighborhood in general, but not too bad.  The thing about Dottie's is that it is so well known, there is almost always a line out the door, which some people just can't handle.  A few people wandered by, attempted the line, then left before being seated.  My thought process is that a great breakfast is worth the wait, so I was prepared.  I am a definitely a breakfast lover and Dottie's did not disappoint.  The atmosphere was authentic and vintage-y.  Nice and dim, which was good for an early morning visit.  The service was good, and the servers were super pleasant and attentive.  But the corn bread, oh the corn bread... (with jalepeño jam) was worth the wait alone.  The coffee is pretty good and piping hot, and the server was quick to top it off a few times.  I had the Smoked Whiskey-Fennel Sausage, Mushroom and Spinach Scramble - it was as amazing as it sounds, the portion was excellent and the price was fair at under $12.  The people at the table next to me got an order of pancakes which looked so fluffy and amazing, I was jonesing for a bite.  Based on the oohs and ahhs, I'm pretty sure they loved it.  The menu was pretty extensive and they also serve lunch.  If I had time, I would have definitely visited for one of their yummy sounding salads or sandwiches.  No doubt I'll go back.

Bob's Donut and Pasty Shop, through the window

I also had a stop at Bob's Donut and Pastry Shop, located on 1621 Polk Street in San Francisco.  There were tons of great choices, but I am partial to glazed donuts, and theirs were amazingly ethereal.  The place is open 24 hours a day, so everything is super fresh, and you get the feeling you are in an old-fashioned (pre-Dunkin' Donuts chain store) donut shop, with lots of regulars sitting about bantering.  I heard a lot of people talking about how great the Maple Butter Bar was, and they also made these massive donuts that were the size of your average bundt cake!  The coffee was so/so, but the donuts were well worth the walk and less than a dollar each!  I will absolutely visit this place again.

Boogaloos, Huevos Ranchero

Probably my favorite breakfast experience in SF was in the Mission District at Boogaloos,3296 22nd St, San Francisco.  I was definitely into the hipster diner atmosphere, ‎and it was a plus that they were playing some good tunes.  The servers were really friendly, and didn't seem to rush you at all, they were attentive but not to the point of being annoying.  I got the Huevos Ranchero, and it was the bomb, seriously authentic.  Really, really tasty, and a super portion.  If nobody was around, I may have licked my plate.  Coffee was good and refills kept coming.  The prices were definitely fair for the amount of food you are served, and the menu had a bunch of great sounding options, they also had plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free choices, if that's your thing.  I'm looking forward to another visit to Booglaoos!

Next up... look out for a post on a few cool lunch spots in the Bay A!

TRAVEL San Francisco: Traipsing About the Bay A

I went away this past week...  I took a little trip out to San Francisco.  A little trip all by myself.

When friends around here heard that I was going off alone they looked at me like I was a little off.  Like going somewhere on my own was weird.  A few people were all like, Wow!  That's so brave of you!  Doing it all by yourself! 

I think they meant that in a positive way?  I am a very independent person.  I don't feel like I need someone with me to be able to do things that I want to do.  I'm perfectly OK with making a solo trip.  Maybe that makes me weird.  Of course I love to travel with my family, and I do often, but it's nice to sort of escape from real life sometimes.  To take a break from every day responsibilities and just wind down.

I was thinking back to a time where I just threw a bag in my crappy car and drove til I was too tired to drive anymore.  All alone.  My first real solo trip.  I had traveled alone to meet up with people before, but never just a time that I knew was just going to be mine.  I think I made it 9 or 10 hours.  And I spent a week not speaking to anyone but the clerks at the places where I grabbed a bite to eat.  It was fantastic.

I regrouped.  I thought about things.  I read.  I walked.  I basked in the sun.  I explored.  I relaxed my tense brain.

Sometimes, for someone like me, getting away is a really good thing.  It's just enough to keep, for a while.

Here is a little smattering of some of the things that I did and saw in San Francisco:

*Walked way down to the Ferry Building and saw the Bay Bridge, all lit up and beautiful in the darkness. 

*Went to Muir Woods and walked though the trails, feeling so very small compared to those massive redwoods.

*Stopped at Muir beach and walked barefoot in the sand.

*Went to Sausalito and got a great sandwich (and cookie) from a cool little sandwich shop.

*Pulled over and stopped for an amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge on a gorgeous clear day.

*Went down Lombard(?) Street, the crookedest street. So cool and steep and narrow.

*Rode BART.

*Went to Monterey, walking along Cannery Row and saw the Monterey Aquarium.  Had a great meal there, mini portions of sea scallops and steak and risotto and a chocolatey dessert thing that just melted in my mouth.  And also a crepe thing that I actually had to force myself to stop eating.

*Visited the tiny sleepy little town of Davenport, where I walked along a secret beach and had a big fat raspberry muffin and a perfect cup of coffee.

*Rode on a cable car.

*Explored a bunch of districts in the city, went to China Town and spent a bunch of time (but not much money!) in the shopping district.

*Got dinner from this amazingly cool restaurant that is outdoors and plays old foreign films on the wall.  Had the best cheese I have ever tasted from there, some kind of mozzarella that I wish I remembered the name of.

*Walked around Fisherman's Wharf and had a great bowl of clam chowder and got stalked and harassed by a gross seagull.  Checked out the smelly seals laying around on the docks, looked at Alcatraz and debated taking a ferry over to see up close.  Went into this cool old time arcade where they had these real, old fashioned arcade games and things that you could play for a quarter.

*Walked and walked and walked.

*Ate and ate and ate.

Ah, there were so many more amazing things!  I want to write it all down so I don't forget any of it!

I am so glad I went, so glad that I didn't chicken out and find some great excuse to keep me from such an awesome week.

The only bad thing was that I FORGOT MY CAMERA.  Can you believe that??!  All of the pictures that I am posting were from my iphone.  Unfortunately they are nothing spectacular, but definitely enough to remind me of some great moments.  I did some tweaking and editing of course, but overall a few not so bad shots.

I will be following this post with some in depth reviews of the things that I did - including places I ate, stayed and visited on my trip.  So be sure to come back to check out my thoughts on things to do in the iconic city by the bay...

I am already thinking of the next destination for another solo trip... any ideas for me?  Where would you go if you were going on a solo trip?

Traipsing about the Bay A

I went away this past week...  I took a little trip out to San Francisco.  A little trip all by myself.

When friends around here heard that I was going off alone they looked at me like I was a little off.  Like going somewhere on my own was weird.  A few people were all like, Wow!  That's so brave of you!  Doing it all by yourself! 

I think they meant that in a positive way?  I am a very independent person.  I don't feel like I need someone with me to be able to do things that I want to do.  I'm perfectly OK with making a solo trip.  Maybe that makes me weird.  Of course I love to travel with my family, and I do often, but it's nice to sort of escape from real life sometimes.  To take a break from every day responsibilities and just wind down.

I was thinking back to a time where I just threw a bag in my crappy car and drove til I was too tired to drive anymore.  All alone.  My first real solo trip.  I had traveled alone to meet up with people before, but never just a time that I knew was just going to be mine.  I think I made it 9 or 10 hours.  And I spent a week not speaking to anyone but the clerks at the places where I grabbed a bite to eat.  It was fantastic.

I regrouped.  I thought about things.  I read.  I walked.  I basked in the sun.  I explored.  I relaxed my tense brain.

Sometimes, for someone like me, getting away is a really good thing.  It's just enough to keep, for a while.

Here is a little smattering of some of the things that I did and saw in San Fran:

*Walked way down to the Ferry Building and saw the Bay Bridge, all lit up and beautiful in the darkness. 

*Went to Muir Woods and walked though the trails, feeling so very small compared to those massive redwoods.

*Stopped at Muir beach and walked barefoot in the sand.

*Went to Sausalito and got a great sandwich (and cookie) from a cool little sandwich shop.

*Pulled over and stopped for an amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge on a gorgeous clear day.

*Went down Lombard(?) Street, the crookedest street. So cool and steep and narrow.

*Rode the BART.

*Went to Monterey, walking along Cannery Row and saw the Monterey Aquarium.  Had a great meal there, mini portions of sea scallops and steak and risotto and a chocolatey dessert thing that just melted in my mouth.  And also a crepe thing that I actually had to force myself to stop eating.

*Visited the tiny sleepy little town of Davenport, where I walked along a secret beach and had a big fat raspberry muffin and a perfect cup of coffee.

*Rode on a cable car.

*Explored a bunch of districts in the city, went to China Town and spent a bunch of time (but not much money!) in the shopping district.

*Got dinner from this amazingly cool restaurant that is outdoors and plays old foreign films on the wall.  Had the best cheese I have ever tasted from there, some kind of mozzarella that I wish I remembered the name of.

*Walked around Fisherman's Wharf and had a great bowl of clam chowder and got stalked and harassed by a gross seagull.  Checked out the smelly seals laying around on the docks, looked at Alcatraz and debated taking a ferry over to see up close.  Went into this cool old time arcade where they had these real, old fashioned arcade games and things that you could play for a quarter.

*Walked and walked and walked.

*Ate and ate and ate.

Ah, there were so many more amazing things!  I want to write it all down so I don't forget any of it!

I am so glad I went, so glad that I didn't chicken out and find some great excuse to keep me from such an awesome week.

The only bad thing was that I FORGOT MY CAMERA.  Can you believe that??!  All of the pictures that I am posting were from my iphone.  Unfortunately they are nothing spectacular, but definitely enough to remind me of some great moments.  I did some tweaking and editing of course, but overall a few not so bad shots.

I am already thinking of the next destination for another solo trip... any ideas for me?  Where would you go if you were going on a solo trip?