My partner and I just booked a week in a B&B in San Francisco. I've never been and my partner was there for like a day twenty years ago. We're excited! but have next to no idea what the do. Anyone have any suggestion of what we should do there?
My parents went to SF about a year or two ago and they did some winery tours with wine tasting. They said it was great and they really enjoyed it. Might be cool if you like wine.
So much depends on what you're into. There's lots of touristy sightseeing stuff, beautiful drives up and down Route 1 on the coast, an amazing diversity of food of all types, the famous Castro bar/club scene, if that's what you're into. Within about 90 minutes drive from SF, there are a bazillion wineries, and there are tours you can go on. For the more airy-fairy types, Mt. Shasta is about a 4 hour drive, and Harbin Hot Springs, an amazingly calm and peaceful hippie hot springs resort is about 90 minutes from downtown SF. There are also lots of hiking, camping, and other outdoorsy activities within SF and nearby. What sort of things do you most enjoy doing?
We're sort of eating in restaurants, drinking in bars and wandering around on foot kind of people. Although we usually hit a museum or two and and a show or two if possible. The winery tours seem like they could be fun. To be honest our vacations tend to be more about having a new venue to experience each other in. We sort of just like to check all the boxes: the excursion tour, the funky straight couple from some podunk place that we unexpectedly strike up a friendship with, the walking tour, several afternoon happy hours, shopping for funky crap you would never buy at home yet somehow you still love upon returning, the two or three touristy things that everyone will expect you to have done when you come home, generally some sort of stage or dinner show, the one fancy romantic dinner with a breathtaking view, the one evening out at that club where we were probably just a touch too old that went a touch too far and was fabulous. I suppose we're actually rather run of the mill tourists...
I visited there maybe 15 years ago? It was a fun place. And bring LOTS of money. Among the most expensive places I have been too, it might even be more pricey than New York, these days. But it is very pretty, and I liked the hills. Though it did seem to have an oddly 'superficial' feel to it...somehow, I didn't feel like I was really 'connecting' with people. Hard to explain. But to each his own. The winery tours were fun; I used to work in the wine business, so that gave me a certain edge on the red carpet getting rolled out.
I'm from SF, and the winery tours are great, but recently that region was hit with a 6.0 earthquake last weekend so...its a bit of a mess right there right now. You should definitely check out the Castro area and the SOMA district. There are so many interesting things to see around there. Dolores Park is a great place to chill Golden Gate Park have Academy of Science which I recommend checking out its HUGE, there is also the Japanese Tea Garden which is across from the Academy of Science. There is also a segway tour you can take and its also near the Academy of Science.
It depends what you're interested in. I can tell you some of the most popular tourist places are: academy of sciences, Japanese tea garden, china town, peir 39 I think, downtown sf. Also some places I might suggest are japan town, sutro baths, colt tower, the old fashioned arcade, golden state park( not sure about the name but I'm pretty sure golden is in it) i think there's a conservatory around the area, I've been a few times. If you have a chance walk across the golden gate bridge. Also there are different areas like the mission district ( Spanish area), north beach(Italian), and there's also castro which is where a lot gay or trans people live. I'd definitely check out china town and go to some of SFs gardens/nature parks. Also to experience some of SFs character, downtown would be a good place or one of the peirs. The tenderloin is where all the homeless people live. Hope you have fun on your trip.
I recommend considering visiting: The famous island/prison Alcatraz USS Pampanito (WWII submarine in Fisherman's Wharf near Pier 39) USS ###### (WWII aircraft carrier across the bay in Oakland) Coit Tower (if you're looking for a good view of the city). Besides that, I don't have any recommendations that others haven't already mentioned.
I thought Lassen peak was far cooler than Mt Shasta and worth the extra drive. The redwoods are awesome to see up close. You don't realize how small and insignificant you are until you stand next to one of them.
I've been to San Francisco three times. It's absolutely one of my favorite cities in the country. I like Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the cable cars, Chinatown, and Lombard Street.
If you are planning to visit Lombard Street, make sure to check the tourist hours, because of the high volume of tourist and the high noise level, the people living around that area have become fed up with how the city handling it so they basically petitioned to the city to have certain hours where only residents can drive through there and won. I do suggest checking out Lombard street, great view of SF to take pictures of
Was in SF two years ago.. love it. When at the Castro area … go to Dolores Park - a lovely place with a great view back at the city.
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I asked all my clients at work today for suggestions--it's amazing how many of them had been there and how exuberant they all were in singing the city's praises. I'm excited for the trip!
