I Left My Pillow in Montereeeey...A Quick Trip to the Bay Area and Points South
Oct 23rd, 2006 | 04:10 PM
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I Left My Pillow in Montereeeey...A Quick Trip to the Bay Area and Points South
Our family (Mr. Pickle, 18yo dd, 10yo ds, and I) took a quick trip to San Francisco and Monterey in May while we were visiting my dad in the foothills of central California. Thanks to Fodor’s, TTG, www.sfmuni.com, and the Frommer’s “San Francisco on $75 A Day” guidebook, we had a very enjoyable trip on a low budget.
Mr. Pickle and I were originally planning to spend a few days in San Francisco in 2007 as part of a 25th anniversary road trip, but we’ve made other plans. He knew I really wanted to go there, so we decided to go see a few things neither of us had done before that we thought our kids would enjoy as well. We didn’t get to take long strolls, shop, or hang out in cafes, but that just means we’ll have to plan another trip.
Day 1
We left my dad’s house early in the morning for the approximately three-hour drive to the City. We considered taking 280 into San Francisco, but Mr. Pickle decided we should go ahead and drive over the Oakland Bay Bridge instead. As we sat in the traffic jam waiting to get on the bridge, he admitted that 280 would have been a better choice. Fodorites always know!
Once we got across the Bay and into town, we had an easy drive to our motel. Frommer’s recommended the Marina Motel (www.marinamotel.com) on Lombard near the Presidio, and I found a pre-Memorial Day special on their website which gave us a two-bedroom family room for $99 a night, with free parking and a two-for-one breakfast deal at Judy’s Restaurant on Chestnut, just a block or so from the motel. We called ahead of time, as they requested, to make sure they had room for us to park before it was time to check in. We arrived around 11:30 in the morning and were able to drive right in.
I used Muni’s “plan your trip” links to print bus schedules before we left, which made it incredibly easy to get around without our car. After grabbing our cameras, jackets, and water bottles, we were off to our first stop, Coit Tower.
Coit Tower has lovely Depression-era murals, and a spectacular view from the base of the tower and the parking lot – so good that we decided to skip paying for tickets to go to the top of the tower.
We walked down one of the flights of stairs and on past Washington Square to get to our next destination, Fisherman’s Wharf. I had reserved tickets for an Alcatraz tour that afternoon, and we wanted to have a bite to eat and look around a bit.
Lunch was at Boudin Bakery and Café on Jefferson; this place has really expanded since the last time I was there! Our kids enjoyed some of the goofy shaped breads in the window.
Mr. Pickle had clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, and the rest of us had sandwiches. My turkey with Havarti on a croissant was very good. It’s hard to make or buy decent sourdough here in New Mexico, so Boudin was a fun, nostalgic stop for me even though I didn’t buy any bread while there.
Lee Ann
Mr. Pickle and I were originally planning to spend a few days in San Francisco in 2007 as part of a 25th anniversary road trip, but we’ve made other plans. He knew I really wanted to go there, so we decided to go see a few things neither of us had done before that we thought our kids would enjoy as well. We didn’t get to take long strolls, shop, or hang out in cafes, but that just means we’ll have to plan another trip.
Day 1
We left my dad’s house early in the morning for the approximately three-hour drive to the City. We considered taking 280 into San Francisco, but Mr. Pickle decided we should go ahead and drive over the Oakland Bay Bridge instead. As we sat in the traffic jam waiting to get on the bridge, he admitted that 280 would have been a better choice. Fodorites always know!
Once we got across the Bay and into town, we had an easy drive to our motel. Frommer’s recommended the Marina Motel (www.marinamotel.com) on Lombard near the Presidio, and I found a pre-Memorial Day special on their website which gave us a two-bedroom family room for $99 a night, with free parking and a two-for-one breakfast deal at Judy’s Restaurant on Chestnut, just a block or so from the motel. We called ahead of time, as they requested, to make sure they had room for us to park before it was time to check in. We arrived around 11:30 in the morning and were able to drive right in.
I used Muni’s “plan your trip” links to print bus schedules before we left, which made it incredibly easy to get around without our car. After grabbing our cameras, jackets, and water bottles, we were off to our first stop, Coit Tower.
Coit Tower has lovely Depression-era murals, and a spectacular view from the base of the tower and the parking lot – so good that we decided to skip paying for tickets to go to the top of the tower.
We walked down one of the flights of stairs and on past Washington Square to get to our next destination, Fisherman’s Wharf. I had reserved tickets for an Alcatraz tour that afternoon, and we wanted to have a bite to eat and look around a bit.
Lunch was at Boudin Bakery and Café on Jefferson; this place has really expanded since the last time I was there! Our kids enjoyed some of the goofy shaped breads in the window.
Mr. Pickle had clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, and the rest of us had sandwiches. My turkey with Havarti on a croissant was very good. It’s hard to make or buy decent sourdough here in New Mexico, so Boudin was a fun, nostalgic stop for me even though I didn’t buy any bread while there.
Lee Ann
Oct 23rd, 2006 | 04:15 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Day 1 continued
Although I went to San Francisco many times in high school and college, somehow I had never managed to visit Alcatraz. I heeded the advice I got here and booked our tickets a couple of weeks in advance; a wise decision since the boat was quite full. We made sure to refill our water bottles before we boarded, since there are no concessions on the island and food or drink on the boat is expensive.
Alcatraz is a fascinating experience; although we missed some of the talks the rangers gave, the audio tour was well worth the price. Not only do visitors learn quite a bit about the history of the prison, there are also exhibits about the Native American takeover in the 1970s, which I vaguely remember from childhood.
After spending about 2 ½ hours there, we were ready to head back for some dinner. Normally, I wouldn’t spend any time at Pier 39, but Kal said their branch of North Beach Pizza had a nice view and good food – and he was right! We had a lovely view of the water as we ate our pizza, and I got to enjoy the first Anchor Steam I’ve had in years.
We spent a few minutes watching the sea lions, then headed on down Jefferson to find our bus stop. As I walked past a bike chained to a post, I thought, “Hmmm…why are those branches sitting there by that bike?” Suddenly, the light dawned – it was the Bushman’s stuff. Providentially, he was talking to some people and wasn’t in tourist-scaring mode.
By the time we got back to the motel, Mr. Pickle and the kids were beat. We checked in and climbed the stairs to our room.
The family rooms at the Marina Motel have two bedrooms, both with queen beds. The larger room faces Lombard Street, so there is a fairly good amount of traffic noise, even with the window closed. I was worried it would disturb Mr. Pickle, but he slept through it all; I noticed it occasionally, but not enough to keep me awake for long. The furniture was a bit worn, but the beds were very comfortable, and the bathroom had a nice selection of toiletries.
Day 2
We packed up, made sure it was all right to leave our car until the afternoon, checked out, and headed to Judy’s for breakfast. Our coupon was good for the whole family, which makes Judy’s an excellent deal. The portions are huge, too – none of us were able to finish our food. The kids both had huevos rancheros, Mr. Pickle had stuffed French toast, and I had eggs and locally made sausage; all of it was excellent.
We took the bus to Powell Street so we could ride the cable car up to the Cable Car Museum. Ds had a blast hanging on to the pole while filming with the camcorder. We spent an hour or so at the museum, went across the street for some hot drinks and to check our email, then walked down to the Ferry Building.
Lee Ann
Although I went to San Francisco many times in high school and college, somehow I had never managed to visit Alcatraz. I heeded the advice I got here and booked our tickets a couple of weeks in advance; a wise decision since the boat was quite full. We made sure to refill our water bottles before we boarded, since there are no concessions on the island and food or drink on the boat is expensive.
Alcatraz is a fascinating experience; although we missed some of the talks the rangers gave, the audio tour was well worth the price. Not only do visitors learn quite a bit about the history of the prison, there are also exhibits about the Native American takeover in the 1970s, which I vaguely remember from childhood.
After spending about 2 ½ hours there, we were ready to head back for some dinner. Normally, I wouldn’t spend any time at Pier 39, but Kal said their branch of North Beach Pizza had a nice view and good food – and he was right! We had a lovely view of the water as we ate our pizza, and I got to enjoy the first Anchor Steam I’ve had in years.
We spent a few minutes watching the sea lions, then headed on down Jefferson to find our bus stop. As I walked past a bike chained to a post, I thought, “Hmmm…why are those branches sitting there by that bike?” Suddenly, the light dawned – it was the Bushman’s stuff. Providentially, he was talking to some people and wasn’t in tourist-scaring mode.
By the time we got back to the motel, Mr. Pickle and the kids were beat. We checked in and climbed the stairs to our room.
The family rooms at the Marina Motel have two bedrooms, both with queen beds. The larger room faces Lombard Street, so there is a fairly good amount of traffic noise, even with the window closed. I was worried it would disturb Mr. Pickle, but he slept through it all; I noticed it occasionally, but not enough to keep me awake for long. The furniture was a bit worn, but the beds were very comfortable, and the bathroom had a nice selection of toiletries.
Day 2
We packed up, made sure it was all right to leave our car until the afternoon, checked out, and headed to Judy’s for breakfast. Our coupon was good for the whole family, which makes Judy’s an excellent deal. The portions are huge, too – none of us were able to finish our food. The kids both had huevos rancheros, Mr. Pickle had stuffed French toast, and I had eggs and locally made sausage; all of it was excellent.
We took the bus to Powell Street so we could ride the cable car up to the Cable Car Museum. Ds had a blast hanging on to the pole while filming with the camcorder. We spent an hour or so at the museum, went across the street for some hot drinks and to check our email, then walked down to the Ferry Building.
Lee Ann
Oct 23rd, 2006 | 05:05 PM
#4
Joined: May 2003
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Sounds like a fun time was had by all Lee Ann! One of my sweetest memories of SF was having a huge hot fudge sundae at Ghiardelli Square. I am guessing it is still there. That was a looong time ago, but I have other nice memories of sF.
Debi
Debi
Oct 23rd, 2006 | 07:23 PM
#5
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
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Hi LeeAnn, how fun to read about your family time in SF!! I was sorry that I didn't get to see you that trip but no doubt something will work out another time. And you have a fantastic anniversary trip to look forwawrd to! Take care.
P.S. I just remembered, my DH, I and our daughter were flying back to SFO from Florida. This was the early 1970's. Our daughter, about age eleven I think, had the aisle seat across from us. Next to her was a gentleman who started talking to her. He was an Indian Chief from a tribe (probably a Florida tribe?). Anyway long story short he was flying to SFO to join the other Native Americans who had taken over Alcatraz. He told her story after story, his history, the history of his ancestors. He kept her enthralled the entire flight. Good memories!
P.S. I just remembered, my DH, I and our daughter were flying back to SFO from Florida. This was the early 1970's. Our daughter, about age eleven I think, had the aisle seat across from us. Next to her was a gentleman who started talking to her. He was an Indian Chief from a tribe (probably a Florida tribe?). Anyway long story short he was flying to SFO to join the other Native Americans who had taken over Alcatraz. He told her story after story, his history, the history of his ancestors. He kept her enthralled the entire flight. Good memories!
Oct 25th, 2006 | 03:56 PM
#7
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Faina, I'll let you know when I get my pictures online.
On with the report!
Day 3
We had read that there was a farmers’ market Thursday mornings, but the powers that be had just changed it to Thursday evenings. A little disappointed, we went in the Ferry Building and poked around the shops. Dd was delighted to find a travel cup at Sur la Table that would fit in her car’s cup holder. I stopped at Acme Bakery and picked up a loaf of their onion bread, then went to Cowgirl Creamery, where I sampled some delicious cheeses and bought some of their…St. Patrick, I think – should have written it down – anyway, it’s a triple cream cheese wrapped in nettles which is wonderful. I went to Scharffen Barger as well, but just couldn’t bring myself to pay that much for chocolate.
We headed off to Chinatown, passing Jackson Square, where I delighted the kids by reciting the little ditty about Mr. Hotaling and his whiskey. We all enjoyed the sights and scents of Chinatown – the kids in particular were fascinated by the various things hanging in the shop windows.
Lunch was dim sum at Gold Mountain on Broadway. We were still kind of full from breakfast, but we enjoyed a variety of tasty things. Lunch for four was about $20 before the tip.
Waddling back to the bus stop, we headed back to the motel to get the van, got on Lombard, then went south on Lincoln through the Presidio to drive to Monterey. Ds was a little disappointed to find that we wouldn’t be able to spend time at the Exploratorium; if I had realized it was so close to our motel, we might have tried to fit it in.
Highway 280 is a great way to get out of town – thanks to all of you who recommended it. We took a short detour to Half Moon Bay, then drove south on Hwy. 1.
I didn’t realize there were any lighthouses along the California coast before we saw the one at Pigeon Point and decided to make a quick stop. The lighthouse is closed for renovations, but there is a hostel located there that would make a beautiful overnight stay for travelers on a tight budget.
Rather than going out for dinner in Monterey, we planned to eat the cheese and bread we bought in SF, plus whatever else we found along the way. North of Santa Cruz, we stopped at Swanton’s Berry Farm, an organic you-pick place. We gathered enough strawberries for our family plus some for my dad and his lady friend, and bought a berry cobbler for dessert. I thought their prices were quite reasonable, and it was fun to be out in the sun, looking at the ocean while picking dinner.
Our last stop was Santa Cruz, where we found a Costco. An inexpensive Chardonnay and one of their huge chicken Caesar salads completed our dinner preparation.
Lee Ann
On with the report!
Day 3
We had read that there was a farmers’ market Thursday mornings, but the powers that be had just changed it to Thursday evenings. A little disappointed, we went in the Ferry Building and poked around the shops. Dd was delighted to find a travel cup at Sur la Table that would fit in her car’s cup holder. I stopped at Acme Bakery and picked up a loaf of their onion bread, then went to Cowgirl Creamery, where I sampled some delicious cheeses and bought some of their…St. Patrick, I think – should have written it down – anyway, it’s a triple cream cheese wrapped in nettles which is wonderful. I went to Scharffen Barger as well, but just couldn’t bring myself to pay that much for chocolate.
We headed off to Chinatown, passing Jackson Square, where I delighted the kids by reciting the little ditty about Mr. Hotaling and his whiskey. We all enjoyed the sights and scents of Chinatown – the kids in particular were fascinated by the various things hanging in the shop windows.
Lunch was dim sum at Gold Mountain on Broadway. We were still kind of full from breakfast, but we enjoyed a variety of tasty things. Lunch for four was about $20 before the tip.
Waddling back to the bus stop, we headed back to the motel to get the van, got on Lombard, then went south on Lincoln through the Presidio to drive to Monterey. Ds was a little disappointed to find that we wouldn’t be able to spend time at the Exploratorium; if I had realized it was so close to our motel, we might have tried to fit it in.
Highway 280 is a great way to get out of town – thanks to all of you who recommended it. We took a short detour to Half Moon Bay, then drove south on Hwy. 1.
I didn’t realize there were any lighthouses along the California coast before we saw the one at Pigeon Point and decided to make a quick stop. The lighthouse is closed for renovations, but there is a hostel located there that would make a beautiful overnight stay for travelers on a tight budget.
Rather than going out for dinner in Monterey, we planned to eat the cheese and bread we bought in SF, plus whatever else we found along the way. North of Santa Cruz, we stopped at Swanton’s Berry Farm, an organic you-pick place. We gathered enough strawberries for our family plus some for my dad and his lady friend, and bought a berry cobbler for dessert. I thought their prices were quite reasonable, and it was fun to be out in the sun, looking at the ocean while picking dinner.
Our last stop was Santa Cruz, where we found a Costco. An inexpensive Chardonnay and one of their huge chicken Caesar salads completed our dinner preparation.
Lee Ann
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Oct 25th, 2006 | 04:01 PM
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Thanks to a helpful TTGer, we found a number of inexpensive lodging deals in Monterey. We stayed in one of the El Castell Motel’s family rooms for $69 a night. This was another two-bedroom; one huge room with two queen beds and a smaller room with one queen bed. The rate included a continental breakfast with fresh waffles, but there wasn’t really anywhere in the lobby to eat. We ended up eating in shifts in our room. The motel also has an indoor pool, which was supposed to be heated but wasn’t. The kids enjoyed it but it was a little too cold for me.
We planned to spend the morning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium before going back to my dad’s house, but ended up spending almost all day there. None of us had visited it before, and it is just spectacular. It’s a definite must-see.
With a quick stop at Casa de Fruta (another childhood nostalgia thing), we were back home around 8:00 in the evening.
With proper timing and attention to detail, San Francisco can be visited fairly inexpensively. I hope to go back soon with Mr. Pickle for a longer visit.
Lee Ann
We planned to spend the morning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium before going back to my dad’s house, but ended up spending almost all day there. None of us had visited it before, and it is just spectacular. It’s a definite must-see.
With a quick stop at Casa de Fruta (another childhood nostalgia thing), we were back home around 8:00 in the evening.
With proper timing and attention to detail, San Francisco can be visited fairly inexpensively. I hope to go back soon with Mr. Pickle for a longer visit.
Lee Ann
Oct 26th, 2006 | 03:47 PM
#13
Joined: Apr 2003
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Yes, Trippin. A year ago EasyTraveler and I went there, here is the report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34679514
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34679514
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Aug 4th, 2004 03:10 PM
