San Francisco

[Maddy]

I have the urge to get a bit of independence and take myself overseas on my own, and the place I'm looking at going is San Francisco. I'd be able to travel in November, have a decent amount in savings but definitely not limitless, and am really interested in any ideas about what to do, where to stay, and so on. Anyone who knows the area have any suggestions?

[Tim]

I've only been there once (unless you count 2 trips to the airport [which you'll obviously see XD] and 2-4 to the greyhound station, which I don't see you going to, and I wouldn't suggest it :P), I live something like 269 miles away, so that puts a damper on visiting there for me, XD

I went there in middle school on a trip with a computer science class I wasn't even in. (They invited me because of a power point I made in my science class, rofl)

Pier 39 is DEFINITELY worth checking out. That place was so amazing to visit. Can't suggest places to stay, unfortunately. School paid for hotels, don't even remember which one. :P

Sadly, you'll probably miss seeing the Sea Lions at Pier 39 in November, but it's still an amazing area of San Francisco.

[olides84]

Well, there's the touristy stuff like cable cars, alcatraz, the golden gate bridge, pier 39/fisherman's wharf. Ghiradelli Square if you like chocolate. There's a musical called Beach Blanket Babylon that I went to when I was in high school...it's a lot of fun and I think it's been playing for like 30-40 years or something. And just eat. There's lots of great food, especially in Chinatown and the hole in the wall burrito places in the Mission district. Oh and the Castro and Haight-Ashbury, although neither is as counter-culture as they once where, but there's still some alternative shops and signs of their past. There's also tons of museums if you are interested. Just so much to do and such a cool city. And of course there's stuff to do across the bridges in Berkeley and Marin, or down the peninsula where I grew up

[Lexington]

I was born in San Francisco, and love going back to visit.

The main drawback - getting an affordable place to stay. Hotel rates in SF are extremely high. On a positive note, there are plenty of youth hostels there. If you don't mind living in a bit tighter quarters, it's a great way to save money, and maybe meet some fellow travellers. Also a plus - the public transportation system is good enough that you won't need a car.

One thing I'd recommend for somebody who's never been to San Francisco - the GoCar tour. GoCars are small yellow three-wheelers that basically run on a lawnmower engine. You strap on a helmet, start it up, and turn on the radio. The radio then guides you along the tour, pointing out a lot of neat things along the way. If at any time you want to stop and check out something in depth, you can just stop and do that, and pick up the tour when you're done.

There are a few drawbacks:

* the longer you stay out, the higher the rent charge becomes.
* if you're not used to driving a motorcycle or moped, the vibrations can make your arms go numb.
* we had two people in ours, and we're both on the large side. So we had trouble getting up the big hills - I had to get out and walk. But that was actually kind of fun.
* It can be a bit nervewracking driving a little go-kart across actual streets. Nobody seemed to have an issue giving us wide berth, though.



Other than that, it'll come down to personal preferences. Things I like in San Francisco: Chinatown, riding the cable car, the Exploratorium, eating in JapanTown, and the Japanese Tea Garden.

Lex

[Victor]

It's amazing how unfamiliar I am with San Francisco despite being from across the bay bridge. And by amazing, I mean so damn sad. x_x

[Taurusguy92]

I saw this thread and had to post it!!!!

+ YouTube Video

[Chip]

Maddy, if you go we MUST have an EC meet-and-greet. I know that there are at least a handful of ECers within spittin' distance of San Francisco. I'm from Sacramento, an hour away, I know we have people from SF, east bay, San Jose, Davis, and surrounding areas.

[Markio]

Originally Posted by Victor

It's amazing how unfamiliar I am with San Francisco despite being from across the bay bridge. And by amazing, I mean so damn sad. x_x

Me too, minus the bay bridge access point. The good thing about November though is that there is typically less fog around the winter time (in the Northern Hemisphere), meaning you would have better chances of a nice view of the bay.

[lakid594]

definitely check out alcatraz and angel island

EC meet up would be pretty cool, im about 50 min away

[IsItSo]

Being from the East Coast, one of my favorite things about the West Coast is the superiority of their Mexican, Chinese, and Vietnamese food.

[IanGallagher]

I'm in LA which evidently, or according to the movie 'Milk,' Harvey Milk called the "gay Disney World." Everybody is open here and a lot are accepting. We're in a town where film runs rampant. I was scared of being bi in some places, still have some of that timidness but then I remember I'm part of the legacy spanning from Brando to James Dean and even Collin Farrell (read up on rumors off the set about the gay sex scene). Out here being bi helps - Brando's own words.

[Maddy]

Originally Posted by Lexington

I was born in San Francisco, and love going back to visit.

The main drawback - getting an affordable place to stay. Hotel rates in SF are extremely high. On a positive note, there are plenty of youth hostels there. If you don't mind living in a bit tighter quarters, it's a great way to save money, and maybe meet some fellow travellers. Also a plus - the public transportation system is good enough that you won't need a car.

One thing I'd recommend for somebody who's never been to San Francisco - the GoCar tour. GoCars are small yellow three-wheelers that basically run on a lawnmower engine. You strap on a helmet, start it up, and turn on the radio. The radio then guides you along the tour, pointing out a lot of neat things along the way. If at any time you want to stop and check out something in depth, you can just stop and do that, and pick up the tour when you're done.

There are a few drawbacks:

* the longer you stay out, the higher the rent charge becomes.
* if you're not used to driving a motorcycle or moped, the vibrations can make your arms go numb.
* we had two people in ours, and we're both on the large side. So we had trouble getting up the big hills - I had to get out and walk. But that was actually kind of fun.
* It can be a bit nervewracking driving a little go-kart across actual streets. Nobody seemed to have an issue giving us wide berth, though.

I've already started looking at hostels and checking out Hostelling International, I'm more than happy to stay in a hostel. If I find myself desperately needing privacy I could get a private room for the night. I also can't drive so the public transport thing is a huge bonus.

The GoCar tour sounds pretty amazing! I definitely plan to check that out.

Originally Posted by Chip

Maddy, if you go we MUST have an EC meet-and-greet. I know that there are at least a handful of ECers within spittin' distance of San Francisco. I'm from Sacramento, an hour away, I know we have people from SF, east bay, San Jose, Davis, and surrounding areas.

Definitely!

[Shevanel]

Originally Posted by IsItSo

Being from the East Coast, one of my favorite things about the West Coast is the superiority of their Mexican, Chinese, and Vietnamese food.

I disagree about the Chinese. NYC/Long Island Chinese is <3

[Maddy]

I've booked my tickets and I'll be there from November 3 to 17 All the suggestions have been awesome, and if anyone has any more I'd love to hear them.

[RedState]

West coast, blah! Overrated
East Coast is much better...visit DC, you would love it

On a side note, if you are interested in going to see the famous Alcatraz, I would advise getting a ticket pretty early as they tend to book up pretty far in advance.

Be careful in The Castro...that area can bite back

[Tornadored]

Gorgeous Place! Lived there half my life and loved it! Like others said it can be expense so so bring the money! Oh and if you have a chance visit some neighboring towns like Sausalito, Half-Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Berkley etc...