cathycon

Hello, my family - myself, husband and 4 kids ranging from 13 to 18, are from Europe We will be on a road trip around california in July and will be in San Francisco for daughters 18th birthday. We appreciate any suggestions as to what to plan for that day and a special, fun dining / entertainment experience that night. Kids eat most anything except seafood. It is our first time in SF so are a bit at sea!

Tomsd

If you check under California and scroll on down - there are at least a couple of discussions on SF Restaurants - especially what's "hot" for the younger set. It might also be a good time for a meal at a place with a great view.

You should also be receiving more comments soon.

And there are also posts on what to do - and I heartily recommend you take a ferry ride of some sort - to experience seeing the Golden Gate from the water, motoring past Alcatraz, over to say Sausalito for a walkabout, whatnot.

The kids (big kids too) will also probably want to ride the cable cars so ask around/google/etc to try and find which stops where you might be able to board without getting stuck in the huge lines. I always suggest - go early.

MichelleY

If you are interested in seeing a baseball game, check to see if you can get tickets to a Giants game.

An 18 year old may want to do some shopping, so Union Square or the shopping center on Market may be an option. have dinner in China town.

Or spend some time in Golden Gate Park. Head to the Cliff House for lunch. Then over to Golden Gate Bridge to talk walk on the bridge. Finish the day with a fun dinner in China town or if you have the money, dinner at a higher end place.

nytraveler

Just so you're aware - the legal drinking age in the US in 21. So although your 18 year old would be able to drink at home she won;t be able to here - not even beer or wine. Restaurants take this very seriusly - since losing their liquor license can mean there's no way for them to make a profit. If she tries to order she will be carded. (in legitimate restaurants they will often card anyone even close to 21 - I had a baby fce and was still being carded when I was 25 and 26.)

(There are clubs that let inunde 21s with fake IDs - but not family places.)

MichelleY

Take a walk, not talk walk on the GG Bridge

SAB

When we travel with teenagers (nieces and nephews) to Europe instead of racking our brains to find something they would enjoy, we tell them to pick something they want to do. We give them guidebooks about where we are going and tell them to let us know what they want to do. If it is not unreasonable i.e. too far from where we will be or too expensive, we accommodate what they want. We find that they become much more engaged in the trip when they do some of their own planning instead of being led from one place to another. So my suggestion is have your daughter (and the other kids for that matter) do some research on what they find interesting about SF--maybe it will be a trip to Alcatraz, maybe shopping around Union Square, maybe the Haight.

You can always check back here to see if what she wants is doable.

Placename

www.chowhound.com

www.yelp.com

Tomsd

Below is a list of 10 restaurants with a view and I generally like Gayot's listings. Brunch at the Cliff House would be great if you didn't go there for lunch or dinner - and the Legion of Honor close by has great views of the Golden Gate from the grassy area. http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/

Walking over the Golden Gate bridge is a "trip" - assuming decent weather, and also - walking along the Marina Green - and seeing the Palace of Fine Arts is fun http://www.palaceoffinearts.org/Welcome.html - as is exploring Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Tea Garden, De Young Museum, etc. http://www.golden-gate-park.com/

And cute/lively neighborhood streets - include Union St and Chesnut St - both in the Marina - close to the Marina Green of course. Well, actually Union St is in Cow Hollow - but it's not that far away. http://www.unionstreetsf.com/

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/bes...tview_3sf.html

Tomsd

Here is a more picturesque web page for Union St (where we lived for years) - and also of Chestnut Street, which we frequented for years. Both have multiple/hip dining options, shopping, etc. Exploring North Beach (SF's "Little Italy") and Chinatown are also fun things to do, as is getting to Coit Tower (panoramic view of SF/the Bay) before the crowds do. http://www.citysearch.com/list/68809

http://www.unionstreetshop.com/ http://www.chestnutshop.com/ http://tinyurl.com/7bjagv8