Hi All,

Thanks for all the great help so far on other posts.

My husband and I (40-50 and fit for lots of walking) will be in SF and Carmel Nov 1-6 to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

I have a couple of set reservations and times along with some ideas of what we'd like to do and see (Thanks, Stu, for the great guide to your city). I'd love any comments or suggestions anyone can provide.

Arrive SFO at 10:00am Saturday. Will pick up rental car and go directly to Mandarin Oriental to park and hopefully check in or at least leave bags. We are thinking we should get a 3 day Muni pass? Where?

Sat:
Go over to Ferry Bldg. Market to browse and have lunch.
Explore Embarcadero, Union Square, and Chinatown - dinner at Hunan Home's. Maybe work in a cable car ride? Maybe wait till Sunday.

Sun:
I have already purchased Alcatraz tix for the 9:00 am tour/ferry.

We'd like to spend the afternoon in Golden Gate Park (I know it is not as intuitive, but I'd already made Alcatraz res and DeYoung is closed on Mondays. Plus, it seems Sun. afternoon is a good time to be in the park with roads closed). Hoping to see Tea Garden and De Young. Walk or maybe rent bikes depending on time.

Can anyone recommend a good route over from Pier 33 to the Park where we could do a little neighborhood strolling and have some lunch as we work our way from our Alcatraz visit to the Park? Through North Beach? Union Street, Fillmore? Hayes?

By 4-4:30 pm Sunday, we will need to be back at the hotel. We are going to visit friends who live over the GG Bridge in Marin somewhere around 25 min from the city.

Mon:

Morning
Was thinking Marina district to Palace of Fine Arts to Crissy Field and Ft. Point.

Afternoon
Explore Mission/Castro/Noe Valley

We have 9 pm reservations at Gary Danko.

Tuesday morning:
Head south for our 2 nights in Carmel. Any recommended route or lunch stops?
We will be staying for 2 nights at L'Auberge Carmel with dinner there one night.

I welcome any input. We love good food and wine, neighborhoods and scenery, history and architecture, and hiking/walking. We have spent a day in SF before (Fisherman's Wharf and such many years ago), but have never really explored it much.

Thanks!

3-day passes are sold at many places, including SFO, all BART stations (they are combined bart/muni, go to the muni window), cable car ticket booths.

From pier 33 take bus line 10 or streeetcar F to Market st, go to a bart station, enter on muni, take line N to Golden gate park (going to 48th avenue)

Line N is underground, and it's the fastest, but you won't see much. You can take a bus on Market going to the park, slower, but you can look out of the bus window: lines 5, 21, 7, 71.

Thanks Faina!

Do you suggest we go straight from Pier to Park or is there a way to partially walk/partially bus with maybe a stop in a between for a neighborhood walk and lunch?

Does our overall plan seem sound?


Now that I am researching SF, I am sorry I am going to miss the big GTG weekend by just a week.

>>Sat:
Go over to Ferry Bldg. Market to browse and have lunch.
Explore Embarcadero, Union Square, and Chinatown - dinner at Hunan Home's. Maybe work in a cable car ride? Maybe wait till Sunday.<<

This seem like a good plan to me.

>>Sun:
I have already purchased Alcatraz tix for the 9:00 am tour/ferry.

We'd like to spend the afternoon in Golden Gate Park (I know it is not as intuitive, but I'd already made Alcatraz res and DeYoung is closed on Mondays. Plus, it seems Sun. afternoon is a good time to be in the park with roads closed). Hoping to see Tea Garden and De Young. Walk or maybe rent bikes depending on time.<<

Sundays are fun in the park - especially if the weather is nice. I would rent a bike. I think I've seen several rental paces on Stanyan


>Can anyone recommend a good route over from Pier 33 to the Park where we could do a little neighborhood strolling and have some lunch as we work our way from our Alcatraz visit to the Park? Through North Beach? Union Street, Fillmore? Hayes?<<,

It's quite a long walk from Pier 33 to GG park - and there could be lots of very steep hills to climb - depending on the specific route.

From Union St to the Park, or getting to the Fillmore st shopping district from Pier 33, you're going to encounter some monster hills. There is also a monster hill from Union St to the Fillmore st shopping district. If you go via Hayes Valley - you'll likely have to walk through portions of the Tenderloin, which is an area I would not recommend to people wanting to "fall in love" with San Francisco.

I think I would probably wander over on Bay St to Union St by foot, Have lunch on Union St, and then take the 22 Fillmore bus to Haight St. Get off & head west on foot through the lower & upper Haight neighborhoods (interesting areas), and then into the park. The bus goes through the Fillmore St shopping district, so as you pass through it - if the area looks interesting - get off & explore.



>>Mon:

Morning
Was thinking Marina district to Palace of Fine Arts to Crissy Field and Ft. Point.>>

One of my favorite areas in the City. Don't forget to explore Ft Point & take in the view from the upper ramparts.

>>Afternoon
Explore Mission/Castro/Noe Valley<<

Major hills again, depending on your route. You might find the Mission the least interesting, so save it for last.

I would take a Market St street car (F above ground, K,L,M below) down to Market & Castro. Get off & explore the Castro. Then take the 24 Divisadero bus from Castro, south down Castro & get off on 24th street to explore the Noe Valley (very steep hill from Castro to Noe Valley). Then get on the J-Church heading downtown, sit on the eastern/right side of the car for good views, and get off at 18th street & explore the Mission, or stay on the J-Church to bet back to the Embarcadero. Lots of buses run down Mission to get you back downtown, or you could return to the J-Church at 18th st (streets higher than about 20th are quite steep from the Mission to Church St).

>>We have 9 pm reservations at Gary Danko.<<

Anniversary dinner, I bet.

>>Tuesday morning:
Head south for our 2 nights in Carmel. Any recommended route or lunch stops?<<

I would take the coast all the way down from Ocean Beach in SF to Carmel. 280 or 101 will be quite crowded with commute traffic.

Stu Dudley

Thank you! It is always hard to get a good feel for distances and, as my map is FLAT, hills! I figured we would need a combo of walkng and the bus to be practical.

A few follow-up ???'s

Although we are hopping around a bit to different areas, does it seem that our overall plan is sound? Timing generally ok and not overplanned? Obviously, we will be flexible and make adjustments, but just want to make sure it is not a stupid start.

On Sunday, assuming we stop on Union St. or Fillmore for lunch, any specific recommendations? We love everything (sushi, burgers, French, ethnic, etc...), but like lunch to be fairly casual such as a great soup, sandwich, salad vs. a full entree meal.

On Monday, one more distance/logistics question.... if we take public transport to start out in the Marina district, can we walk all the way from Palace of Fine Arts to Crissy Field and Ft. Point? From my map it seems there is a path or trail there? Or will we need a connection by public transport?

Best to all - we are very excited for our trip! As always, the more I learn about a place the more I think I need a whole month (at least) to really explore it properly.

Happy Travels!

>>Although we are hopping around a bit to different areas, does it seem that our overall plan is sound? Timing generally ok and not overplanned? Obviously, we will be flexible and make adjustments, but just want to make sure it is not a stupid start.>>

I think your plan offers a lot of diversity. Of course, in Nov the weather may be a factor if it's raining.

On Monday, you may decide to dawdle in the morning, and perhaps run out of time - but you could skip the Misson & still have a full day.

>>On Sunday, assuming we stop on Union St. or Fillmore for lunch, any specific recommendations? We love everything (sushi, burgers, French, ethnic, etc...), but like lunch to be fairly casual such as a great soup, sandwich, salad vs. a full entree meal.>>

On Union, Perry's is an institution/landmark place - burgers, sandwiches, fries, etc. It's been there for over 35 years. Betelnut is an excellent Asian restaurant with outside tables if it's nice. It's quite popular. For sandwiches, there is an excellent sandwich shop (with tables inside), on the southwest corner of Union & Steiner - across the stret from Rose's cafe, which is also a nice place for a casual lunch outside if the weather is nice.

On Fillmore, there are many options also, but we dine there less than on Union for lunch so I'm not as familiar with them. We've had dinner many times at Elite Cafe, but they have changed hands since we dined there last. SPQR (or something like that) is quite popular. There are a couple of outside burger type places on the east side of Fillmore - you'll see them.

>On Monday, one more distance/logistics question.... if we take public transport to start out in the Marina district, can we walk all the way from Palace of Fine Arts to Crissy Field and Ft. Point? From my map it seems there is a path or trail there? Or will we need a connection by public transport?>>

Walk - the Crissy Field trail along the Bay is spectacular. If you would be doing this on a Sunday, hundreds of locals would be spending the day there with you. There are sandy beaches with people running their dogs, picnikers, etc. It's a great place for strolling along and admiring the Bridge, Bay, Golden Gate, downtown skyline, and nature in general. When they developed Crissy field a few years ago, they tried to keep it as "natural" as possible - and they did a great job. I think you will really like this stroll. I mentioned on another thread that I've often felt like rounding up a carload of people walking along the tacky souvenir shops at Fisherman's Wharf, and depositing them at Crissy Field/Ft Point and asking them if this latter venue is more enjoyable than the Wharf.

Stu Dudley

"Tuesday morning:
Head south for our 2 nights in Carmel. Any recommended route or lunch stops?"

I recently ate at two interesting places in Moss Landing with my sister from Atlanta.

The Sea Harvest is right off the road (1) and easy to spot. Very easy to zip past it because the entrance is just before a bridge. Look for the Kayak Connection sign and slow down. They have a dock there that the sea lions have taken over and are fun to watch. Get a table on the enclosed patio and watch the sea otters while you lunch.

Phil's Fish Market and Eatery is a little harder to find, so if you decide to go there, look at the Trip Advisor Map and print it out. My sister thought Phil's was a little more 'authentic' and they certainly serve lots of good lookin food emphasis being more on food and less on view.

You sound like you like outdoor activities, and if so, you might be interested in kayaking on Elkhorn Slough at Moss Landing or, less effort, the pontoon boat: http://www.elkhornslough.com/

We also had an excellent dinner at the Green Valley Grill in Watsonville and I see they serve lunch as well. You can read my review on Trip Advisor. Sis was very impressed. www.greenvalleygrill.com

If you like Annie Glass, their factory is in Watsonville and sometimes you can get good prices on their seconds. Just right off the freeway, last Watsonville exit - Riverside Drive and Harvest. There is an exit sign for Riverside Drive. www.annieglass.com

If you do go down 1 as Stu suggests, you could stop in Davenport at the Whale City Bakery for a coffee and piece of pie. YUMMMM My sister likes their artichoke rolls but I don't care for them. Great berry pies. Oh, the strawberry stands will probably be closed but sis loves to pick strawberries at the organic farm just nort of Davenport.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/whale-city-b...rill-davenport

If the weather is bad (hopefully not) on the day you have to drive to Carmel, I would not take 1 all the way from San Francisco. I have gotten very quickly from San Francisco to San Jose at afternoon commute hour by using the carpool lanes on 280. Don't know what the morning commute is like. 280 is so much prettier a drive than 101.

From San Jose we use a couple routes to get to Carmel. Most often we go 280, 85, 101, 156 East, to 1 South. This could be your bad weather alternative. Another would be 280, 85 S, 17 to Santa Cruz, to 1 South but I would not go 17 if the weather is bad.

If you do go 17, stop in at Los Gatos and have a coffee at Los Gatos Roasting Company on Main St. or lunch - I love their turkey and brie cheese on baguette. There are some cute places to shop as well. Pizza My Heart is on Santa Cruz Ave. close to Main and they have excellent pizza by the slice. Very crispy crust, love the veggie pizza. They started in Santa Cruz. www.pizzamyheart.com There are plenty of upscale places to eat in LG but I'm giving you interesting, inexpensive places.

Also, there is a wine tasting room for Flemings-Jenkins (Peggy Fleming) a couple doors down from LG Coffee Roasting Co. She has her gold medal winning lime green ice skating outfit on display and you can pick up some free maps of the area indicating tasting rooms all the way down to Carmel.

My favorite shops in Los Gatos are Maria's Antiques: www.shopmarias.com/ and Napa Style: www.napastyle.com

Another good spot for lunch would be Gayle's Bakery in Capitola. www.gaylesbakery.com Check out Capitola after lunch. Again, lots of cute shops.

Thanks again, Stu! Perfect info - you are very generous with your vast knowledge I feel somewhat organized now ... or, at least like I've got a good basic plan!

Wow, Ronda! Many thanks as well. This gives us many great options and the detail is appreciated!

OK, I'd better stop with the questions or I am going to need a month to do everything.

I'll report back....
Happy Travels everyone!

I totally skipped over Half Moon Bay so if you want more info on it, say so and perhaps someone more familiar can give you some ideas.

I have a question--Will you be using your rental car in SF? If not, I would suggest that you wait to rent one until you leave for Carmel. Parking at the Mandarin will be very expensive especially if you are just going to leave the car there until you leave. Many rental agencies have offices in SF and permit airport drop offs with no charge.

Thanks again, Ronda. I have a few ideas for Half Moon from another thread I read so if we decide to stop there, we should be fine.

SAB - yes, we thought about the car parking expense, BUT we will be driving out to visit friends on Sunday night (live over the GG Bride about 25 minutes north of the city) so will need a car then. We figured that between the airport transport and needing the car for Sunday night, we'd just pay the extra to have a car the whole time as it seems easier. It is good to know, however, that renting in town is an option as I wasn't sure when we made our plans.