I will be in San Fransisco alone for one day. Then travelling to Milpitas. Can anyone suggest some "must sees" or "must do's"???

I was at San Francisco recently and there is much to see even in one day. Some must sees in my opinion are:

-Golden Gate Bridge
-Oakland Bridge (Views of San Fran.)
-Chinatown
-Lombard Street
-Fisherman's Wharf (Many Tourists)
-Alcatraz Island
-Trolley Cars

Down in the Milpitas (Silicon Valley) area you could see:

-Winchester Mystery House
-Intel Mueseum

Hope this helps, any other questions please let me know.

Please don't waste your time on the Winchester House! The Tech Museum in San Jose is interesting and there are nice little restaurants on San Pedro Street. Life is pretty bleak in Milpitas. In SF, do as much of the "tourist" stuff as you can fit into your one day. There are great walking tours of Chinatown, ride the cable cars, go to Ghirardelli Square, walk the GG bridge. Think Alcatraz would take up too much of your only day, but you could take a ferry over to Sausalito for great views and photos.

Kam gave you excellent advice. I'd just add a walk around North Beach. It's right next to Chinatown. Have fun!

I agree 100% with Kam on skipping the Winchester House. It is a total waste of time and money.

Not to be picky but the Oakland Bridge is actually the Bay bridge.

There are two things that I would see while in Milpitas. Bear in mind that Milpitas is not exactly a tourist destination. Drive across 880 to Tasman and take a look at the Cisco campus on Tasman just before you get to Zanker. It is about 5 minutes from the center of Milpitas. This is not a tourist desitnation but it will sure give you an idea of what Silicon Valley is all about. It is a pretty impressive sight. And while you are looking at it, bear in mind that Cisco is planning an even larger one in San Jose. One other attraction that is pretty nice but not publicized very much is the San Jose Mission on Mission boulevard in Fremont. That is a very short drive from Milpitas.

I also highly recommend the High Tech museum in downtown San Jose.

Oops--forgot the mission in Fremont. That's probably the nicest attraction near Milpitas. If you have the time to get to Livermore and the weather's not too hot, go visit Concannon and Wente Bros. wineries. When you are in Milpitas, you are about 20 minutes away and there's a fantastic restaurant at Wente. The only other thing I can think of is the Gilroy Garlic Festival---in July but haven't seen the exact date this year. Again, if it's hot, don't go. It's certainly a unique thing here in California.

Why dont ya go shopping with a fat person and look for an exploding can of soda or have you Been there and Done That.

Alcatraz, fisherman's wharf, Golden Gate Bridge (all are close and can be done in a leisure day)

Leigh,

My favorite San Francisco attraction is the cable car. I could ride them again and again. It's a good way to experience the "hills" of San Francisco. Hang on the outside of one, just don't hang out too far, or you might lose a body part or two when another one comes whizzing by in the opposite direction. The best/longest/most scenic ride (in my opinion) is the one at Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square.

Have fun!

Sandi

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will start out at Fisherman's Warf. I can't wait to ride the cable cars! Then a walking tour would be terrific. After Milpitas I have another day. I think that I will drive down to Big Sur. From what I have read, it is worth the drive.

Hi Leigh,
If you are into art you might check out the Museum of Modern Art in SF. I hear they have an exhibition of Margritte running at this time.
Alcatraz is pretty cool and somewhat depressing, but it really doesn't sound like you would have enough time.

If you drive down the coast on Highway 1 after leaving Milpitas, I would highly recommend stopping in Carmel and Monterey and taking a trip down 17 mile drive. Its very scenic and gives you some great views of the ocean.
Are you renting a car, and in what city?