Nothing better than getting your dumplings steamed!

I'm making a copy for our 9-19 weekend trip to SF.
Had a great latte at Mario's one morning. Ditto Puccini's.

I recall the first time we went for an early morning walk in NoBeach and found the tai chi people in WashSq. Surreal with the sunrise.
Anybody seen my ((L))? I wonder where I left it?

Big Red,
If you have a car, and the weather is not pouring down rain, I'd take a few short jaunts up or down the coast.
Muir Woods and Muir Beach would be a nice combo. There is an "Olde English" style pub/B&B at the road to Muir Beach - I believe they might serve a tea or lunch menu.

Or drive out to Fort Cronkhite, in the Golden Gate headlands - there are roads throughout the area leading to lookouts and beaches.

Or - on another tack entirely - drive up Mount Diablo, in the East Bay.
If the weather is clear, you'll be able to see the Sierras. Spectacular!

I happen to think that 6 to 8 hours would be enough for a taste of Pt. Reyes - perhaps you could make a preliminary foray to the closer beaches and then come back with your wife to do more exploring.

Bravo to you for wanting to explore on your own!

Big Red- If you are into watching Gourmet cooking, you can go over to the Calif.Culinary Institute and watch the kids cook and then they will serve you lunch....Full-service, student-staffed restaurants serve both lunch and dinner

California Culinary Academy
625 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

Call and check on times. It was GREAT when I went when spouse was in a meeting all day...

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I will not have access to a car so getting way out of the city-proper will be nearly impossible.

I would like to rent a bike to get to some of these more remote areas. I have found a couple places on the net that show bike rentals at around 25/day. Are there anymore reasonable places?

Also, the convention is in the Moscone. Any suggestions for things close to there?

The Moscone Convention Center is only a couple of blocks southeast of Market Street between Kearney and Stockton - 3rd & 4th on the other side of Market. Nearby are SF Museum of Modern Art, Ansel Adams Center, Yerba Buena Gardens, the cable car lines, Union Square, etc.

Also nearby is the Visitor's Center, where you can pick up literature, brochures, maps. Though, I've found even better literature in the foyer of the San Fancisco Center (a huge indoor Mall on Market between Powell/5th and Stockton/4th).

Wow - what great suggestions! I'm adding them to my list for my next visit to S.F.

Here are some things we've done - and places we've eaten - on previous visits. Wander for ages through Chinatown. In addition to a great dim sum meal at Yank Sing, I love to go into any Chinese storefront eatery - the kind where nobody speaks English - and point to what I want (based on dishes eaten at Yank Sing). I take my finds to the park in Chinatown for a picnic meal/snack. North Beach is also great for wandering, especially if you like cafes, for coffee or lunch!

The cable car museum was pretty fun. The walk from Coit Tower, mentioned previously, is fabulous. I think Fodor's S.F. guide describes the walk & the sights on it.

Another adventurous meal you could try is sushi - I went to a little place off Union Square (can't remember the name), but I bet the locals could suggest places to go.

There are lots and lots of great quick eats places dotting the city. They are (almost) all good for lunch...look for the longest lines...there is a reason...

Yank Sing is so over-rated. You'll wait in a long line to be seated - at which point you'll be inundated with food choices before you've even been given water or tea or have a chance to catch you breath. Ambience is zero. It's like a tourist trap.

I'd take any place in Chinatown over YS anytime.

This site has made me excited and hungry, and I'm another local! What about Mama's in Northbeach for a great breakfast!(right on the corner of the park, near St. Peter and Paul church) And, of course....House of Nan King for the best Chinese food ever! (edge of Chinatown/financial district on Kearny I think) Have to agree with Cafe Trieste...there is nothing better! As far as sightseeing...what about things like Mission Dolores, or, my personal favourite, The Palace of Fine Arts....the perfect place to have lunch and just walk around and relax! (Is there anything more gorgeous in this city?) A little house envy tour of Pacific Heights, walk up or down Lombard street (the crooked part), a walk along Baker Beach with the mouth of the bay and a view of Golden Gate Bridge, Haight Street (peace and love), or Alamo Square and the famous "Painted Ladies" (the famous view with the Victorian houses with the city skyline in the background)
(Just had my brother here on a 3 day visit, so the sightseeing is fresh in my mind!) Have a great time Mr.BigRed!!!!! It's a great city!

Just realized, some of the things I mentioned you might want to do with your wife......but, maybe it will give you an idea of some things NOT to miss. Hope you enjoy your trip. The great thing about SF is, it's a small city. So, you can do a lot in a small amount of time. If you like to walk, you can be downtown, Union Square, Chinatown, Northbeach, Fisherman's Wharf, etc. easily from Moscone. And, our transportation system is elaborate, so you can get around the city easily. You will have a great time. You will also find that SF people are very friendly. So, don't hesitate to ask people for ideas, they will be happy to point you in a direction or give you suggestions once you are here. Just be sure to bring comfortable shoes. You will walk a lot! Enjoy!

Thanks for all the great suggestions..we've incorporated alot of these items into our (my) plans....

We're leaving in about 2 weeks and I thought I'd re-top this to see if anyone else had any suggestions or if the previous posters had anything to add.

Leaving in a little over a week!

We really enjoyed our walk down the Filbert Steps from Coit Tower. At the bottom, we walked through Levi's Plaza, turned left, and saw the Fog City Diner across the street. (Correct me if I'm wrong with directions, San Franciscans.) We had a very enjoyable lunch there - good food at reasonable prices. Friendly staff even gave my husband a t-shirt for his birthday. Speaking of which, does anyone know of a good map showing the pathways and roads on Telegraph Hill?

You might also like to spend some time on your own at the Maritime Museum and Aquatic Park. Ghirardelli Sq. has restaurants if you get hungry. And, if you're there with your muni pass in hand, hop the cable car next to the Argonaut Hotel and ride it up the steep, steep hill (stand on back ramp of cable car for full effect), hop off at Lombard St. and walk down the crooked part. It's not that far of a walk back to the Aquatic Park area. Or you can take it further up to the Cable Car Museum where you can see the fascinating workings of the cable cars for free.

Hey BigRed,

This is the best thread I've read in AGES!!

Kudos to all of you SF fodorites!

...and the San Jose suggestions...LOL!!!

Thanks to everyone who has contributed?here is my short list?what else?
Coit Tower
The Walking Tours from the Public Library?(which is best?)
Wandering around Chinatown
Wandering around Fisherman?s Wharf
Perhaps getting bike and going over to Sausalito, riding along the Presidio, etc
City Lights Bookstore
SF MOMA
North Beach?
Angel Island?

Food Thoughts
Almost everywhere that SF Pam suggested
Fog City Diner
And is the The Stinking Rose over-rated?

The Stinking Rose is not a place that I would return to given the wide variety of places one can eat in SF, but I can't say one should never go. In my opinion there are far better places to eat but some visitors like the novelty of it , plus as I have learned in taking visitors around SF, some visitors like to go to places that others (their friends back home) have heard of and don't think their trip is complete if they haven't been to such places.

Agree with SAB about Stinking Rose..I wouldn't go back. City Guide walking tours: I have taken a few and my favorite was the Ferry Bldg. I believe it is on Sundays. They have a Chinatown tour so if you are planning on going there anyways you can do the tour then.

Grace Waldron does walking tours of North Beach. See if you can find her website through sfgate.com. If I didn't mention Swan's Oyster Depot before, the article on crab in SFin yesterday's Chronicle reminded me to do so. Have a crab Louie!

sorry one more thing: The Diane Arbus Exhibit at MOMA is not to be missed! This exhibit includes her photos and some fascinating information on her life including notebooks, family phots and correspondence.

Pammer-http://www.graceannwalden.com/

We took her "Mangia Tour" a few months ago and had a good time. Very nice lady and a total kick in the pants when she starts telling SF and Julia Childs stories.
We're going to do the Nob Hill Tour and maybe the Mission Distr. tour in '04.

Big Red-Fog City Diner is still one of my fave places. I love the good old fashioned meat loaf plate especially on a cold foggy SF day...but I also got a salmon steak or two that were "ono-liscious".

I agree with the comments about the Stinkin' Rose.
It was fun the first few times. But, if 3rd degree garlic is your choice, by all means. Just make sure you're not flying home the next day or they may ask you to take a seat out on the wing!