I will be going to San Fran in November for 10 days - staying two days in Sonoma, two days in Redwood City with family and the rest of the time in San Fran. I'm thinking of booking 2 nights in Napa also. Questions: Must sees in San Fran and should I book the 2 nights in Napa or stay in San Fran the balance of the time? Other than immediate San Fran, where could I take a short drive to that's scenic?

Drive to Half Moon Bay.

We're just back from San Francisco--two ideas would be Muir Woods/Sausalito/Tiburon which is very close to the city. OR drive down to Monterey, Carmel area for an overnight-gorgeous scenery along the way. Carmel is an adorable town, and Monterey is a must also if you've read any Steinbeck. Aquarium is great too..

San Francisco Attractions
Places with great views
Get an AAA map

Without a car
Downtown, North Beach, Wharf areas
1. Coit tower – views west & toward financial district. Early in the morning.
2. Jack Early Park – East of Grant between Chestnut & Francisco. Perhaps smallest park in SF.
3. Top floor of the parking garage above the Police station on Vallejo between Stockton & Powell
4. Where Vallejo ends (temporarily) just east of Jones. There is a lookout & small park for a picnic. If you arrive from Vallejo & Jones (vs. the stairs from Taylor), there is an unusual street entrance to this area. This is a public street so don’t feel like it is a private residential area & avoid it. You can also walk there from the prior view spot #3 – go up Vallejo stairs west of Mason. This is one of my favorite lookout spots. It is included on Attraction #5 (stairway Walk #4) – see “Attractions” section of this guide)

Farther out – take Muni
5. Twin Peaks in the afternoon
6. Randall Museum – go up to top of hill. Best in the late afternoon.
7. Bernal Heights hill
8. Billy Goat Hill (off Beacon St or walk up hill from south end of Castro). Best in late afternoon
9. Kite Hill – Yukon & 19th St. Best in late afternoon.
10. Anywhere along Broadway between Webster & Lyon. Best spot is at Lyon. Two of the richest men in the U.S. live close buy on Broadway. Lots of luxurious mansions. Walk down the stairs at Lyon.
11. El Camino Del Mar & then Lincoln Blvd going East through GGNRA & Presidio – killer views of the Golden Gate and the bridge. I always take guests on this route. Stop at China Beach. No Muni available on El Camino Del Mar. Take #18 to Palace of Legion of Honor & walk El Camino Del Mar to Lincoln & then take #29, or walk entire route. Lots of places to stop. Great for biking. A perfect ½ day tour would be a visit to the Palace of Legion of Honor (great Rodin statues) and then a beautiful walk down El Camino Del Mar (It’s downhill), through Seacliff (more Mansions – Robin Williams lives there), and then up Lincoln until your legs start to holler, then get on the #29 bus. This is a spectacular area. Try to do this on a clear day. DO NOT MISS.
12. Golden Gate Bridge – late in the day.
13. South West corner of Mission Dolores Park (20th & Church). Take the J-Church there & sit on left side going outbound & right side inbound. Get out & enjoy the park & view. J-Church stops there

With a car
14. From Treasure Island early in the morning. (left lane exit off Bay Bridge)
15. Lookout at north end of GG Bridge (late in the day) – but continue on to next viewpoint (#16)
16. GGNRA north of GG bridge. This is probably the BEST view of SF. You can look through the bridge & then above the bridge to SF and all the way south down the San Mateo County Coast on a clear day. Do this late in the day. Take the first exit past the lookout (#15) off the GG Bridge going North (marked Alexander Ave). Turn left the first chance you have, & go under 101. Follow the sign back to SF, but just before getting on 101, make a right turn up the road & follow this road. It’s easier to find than this description might indicate (get a AAA map & take a road called Conzelman). Old WWII bunkers & gun turrets along the way. DON’T MISS.
17. From Sausalito – late in the day
18. From Tiburon – late in the day (or take the Tiburon ferry from Pier 1)

By Boat
19. Alcatraz - late in the day or in late June/early July

My favorites - 16, 5, 11, 14

Places to shop, browse, & people watch
When my wife & I want to shop and enjoy the “ambiance” that makes SF unique, here is where we go.
1. Fillmore St, between Jackson & Sutter. Also walk down Cottage Row (off Bush). Do this in conjunction with City Guides Walk “Pacific Heights Mansions” Sat & Tuesdays at 11:00 (see later description of City Guides). Lots of restaurants & coffee shops (Starbucks, Peets, etc)
2. Union St (between Gough & Steiner), Fillmore (between Union & Chestnut), Chestnut St (between Fillmore & Broderick). If you do this on a sunny Sat or Sunday morning, Chestnut will be loaded with young professionals (yuppies? – is that term still used) going to/from their exercise classes or having breakfast/lunch at one of the many cafes on the street. There are many restaurants in the area (my favorite is Isa on Steiner, North of Chestnut).
3. Polk between California & Green. South end can be a little ruddy, but north of Washington gets better. My favorite restaurant (if someone else is buying) is La Folie near Green. One of my wife's favorite stores is Brown Dirt Cowboy near Union. Good specialty food store at Leonard’s on Polk & Pacific.
4. Hayes St between Franklin & Fillmore, and Gough a few blocks south of Hayes. Lots of unique shops on Hayes. The area around Hayes is a little ruddy, so don’t venture too far west or north. Citizen Cake (Gough & Grove) is a great spot to indulge yourself with cookies & desserts etc, and Absinthe on Hayes is a restaurant that we frequent – both are especially good for lunch/brunch.
5. Sacramento St between Baker & Maple. Many “high class” shops & antique stores. This is located in a residential area with lots of Victorian houses. Many stores will be closed on Sunday.
6. 24th Street between Chattanooga & Douglass, and Church between 24th St & 30th St. This is the Noe Valley. Lots of unique shops along 24th St. Our favorite coffee shop is at Churc & 30th St
7. Union Square area. This, of course, is the downtown shopping center. It’s quite different from the other “neighborhood” shopping areas which we prefer, but we always manage a few trips - especially around Christmas. Shops a few blocks west of Powell on Sutter & Post have some unique stuff. We enjoy this area early in the morning, before all the “street people” wake up. When I worked in The City, I enjoyed walking in this area during lunch time on week days.

Neighborhoods
When we travel through cities in the US & Europe, we love to wander through neighborhoods where people live. We do the same in San Francisco.

I recommend that you obtain two resources for the “Neighborhoods” and “Attractions” section of this guide.
Stairway Walks in San Francisco by Adah Bakalinsky. 27 walks through The City. I’ve taken most of them and they are fantastic. You will wander through areas that tourists seldom see and you will discover why we pay over 1 million dollars to live in SF in an OK 1 bedroom 1,000 sq. ft. house, or pay $1,500 per month for a studio. I recently saw this book at the Rand McNally store on Market St. & you can probably get it at Amazon.com.
San Francisco City Guides – free walks. www.sfcityguides.org . Sponsored by the SF Public Library. Over 28 unique walks given by volunteers who all share one common thing – they are passionate about San Francisco and the subjects that they cover. You will notice that I “push” City Guides quite a bit. When my wife & I retired (early) in ’99, I wanted to spend more time learning about the city where I was born & where I have lived (or close by) most of my life. I went on a few City Guides walks & thought that they were exceptional (and free) My wife liked them so much that she is now a volunteer with City Guides and conducts a few walks herself. The “Haight-Ashbury” walk is given by someone who lived there through “the summer of love” and still remembers it. The “Pacific Heights Mansions” by a person who has lived there all her life. Many of the guides are retired history teachers. Tours are usually 2 hours or less. They sometimes change tour days, so check the internet schedule for the time you will be visiting. Twenty additional tours are conducted in October & May.

1. Noe Valley. 22nd St to 30th St & Dolores to Douglass. Centered around 24th & Noe. There are a lot of small Victorian houses in this area and it has always been known as a “working class” neighborhood. If you go in the morning, you will see a lot of moms pushing around baby buggies. Lots of young people, but not the same type as you might see around Chestnut St. Take the J-Church from downtown (sit on the left side) & get off at 22nd St. Continue walking south on Church & admire the Victorian houses on the east side of Church. At 24th St, turn right & walk to Diamond & then back to Church on the other side of 24th (lots of unique shops on 24th). Walk south on Church (perhaps stopping for lunch at Chloe’s near 25th). Turn right at 30th & walk down to Sanchez & then right/north back to 24th.. Eric’s on Church (Chinese) and le Zinc (French) are two restaurants that I enjoy. Allow a couple of hours for this walk once you get to the Noe Valley.
2. Haight-Ashbury. I don’t ever recall walking down Haight St (I was born a couple of blocks away over 50 years ago), but my wife & I have spent a lot of time walking the streets north & south of Haight. The Haight neighborhood is less “kooky” than the Haight Street, although the street is certainly interesting.. There are a lot of lovely Victorian houses in this area (on Masonic, south of Haight), and pretty streets (Delmar). I recommend that you take the SF City Guides “Haight-Ashbury” tour – Sundays at 11, meet at the library at 1833 Page. You will see where Janis Joplin & The Grateful Dead lived, and where Danny Glover lives. Allow 3 hours for the tour plus a walk down Haight (not included on the City Guides tour). A Perfect Sunday would be a visit to the Haight in the morning (all the weekend Hippies are there on Sunday), followed by an afternoon bicycling in Golden Gate Park.
3. North Beach. Believe it or not – this is really a residential neighborhood. Again, I recommend that you take the City Guides tour “North Beach” Sat & Tues at 10 am - meet at 666 Filbert St on steps of St Peters & Paul Church, and also “North Beach at Night” 3rd Monday at 7:00pm meet at Spec’s café 12 Soroyan Pl.
4. Dolores Heights/edge of The Castro. If I wanted to move back to The City, the area around 20th & Sanchez is where I might want to live. Many Victorian homes on Liberty between Castro & Noe. Do walk # 19 in the Stairway Walks book to see this neighborhood. This area has great views of downtown. Allow a little over an hour for this walk. The J-Church will get you close to the start. Get off at 20th St. & enjoy View #13 of Downtown. Perhaps continue on to the Noe Valley after this walk.
5. Pacific Heights. Take the City Guides tour “Pacific Heights Mansions” Sat, and 1st & 3rd Tues at 11am. Meet in Alta Plaza Park at top of stairs, Pierce & Clay. You will see Danielle Steel’s house (old Spreckels mansion) and the last time I took this tour I saw Robin Williams picking up his son at school. The Fillmore Shopping area is close by. If you can’t make the City Guides tour, follow walk #7 in the Stairway Walks book. Allow 2 hours plus an additional hour for shopping on Fillmore.
6. Presidio Heights. Wander the streets north of Sacramento (Washington, Clay, Jackson) between Divisadero & Maple. Sacramento St Shopping too.

Attractions
I have to limit my list to a dozen or so. Therefore, I’ll tell you where I will take my aunt from Denmark when she visits. Again, get the Stairway Walks book and the City Guides schedule, or this list will not make a lot of sense.
1. Alcatraz.
2. Financial District at lunchtime on a sunny day. Stop at the Wells Fargo main office on Montgomery & visit the free museum. Have lunch at Justin Herman Plaza. Explore Embarcadero #1,2,3 & 4. Walk in Yerba Buena Gardens. Walk along the Embarcadero (next to the bay) from about pier 15 (walk out on the fishing pier #7) to Pacific Bell Park. Visit the park on non-game days. Enhance this with a City Guides tour of “City Scapes & Public Places” Fridays at 10 – meet at the Native Sons monument at Montgomery/Post & Market St (I have not taken this tour, but my wife has) Allow 3-4 hours plus the tour (2 hrs).
3. Cable Cars – I still get a kick out of taking the cable cars. Get on the car at the Hyde/Beach turn-around (Ghirardelli Sq), sit/stand on the left side (facing east) and get off just before Union Square (don’t go all the way to Market St – too many pan-handlers). About mid-route, get off the car & visit the Cable Car Museum at the corner of Washington & Mason. It’s very interesting & free. Allow 1 ½ hrs.
4. Walk #1 in the Stairway Walks book – Yerba Buena & Telegraph Hill (Coit Tower) followed by Walk #2 in the same area. You might do this walk in conjunction with the City Guides walk of “Coit Tower Murals” Sundays at 11AM. Walk #1 is one of my favorites. Allow 3-4 hours. You will walk the famous Filbert St Steps. A perfect Saturday morning would be a visit to the Farmers Market first thing in the AM, followed by this walk
5. Lombard St - squiggly portion. Do walk #5 in the Stairway Walks and if you still have the energy, add on walk #4. Both are in the Russian Hill area. Start on Polk (shopping street) & do this early in the day. I like walk #4 (one of my favorites) better than #5 – but both are great.
6. Victorian Houses. There are thousands of Victorians scattered throughout the city. The most photographed ones are “postcard row” on Alamo square. City Guides does two Victorian walking tours. “Landmark Victorian of Alamo Square” 1st & 3rd Wednesdays and 1st & 3rd Saturdays at 11. The tour starts at 824 Grove. If the owner is at home, you may be able to visit the interior of 824 Grove (one of only 2 Victorian interiors that you can visit in The City, to my knowledge). It is one of the most outrageous interiors I have ever seen. It was featured on HGTV recently. City Guides also offers “Victorian San Francisco” Sundays at 2:00 starting at 1801 Bush (& Octavia). This tour goes into a little more detail & you see more houses. The other Victorian interior that you can visit is the Haas-Lilienthal House at 1735 Franklin. Open Wed 12-3 and Sun 11-4. This is not a City Guides tour, so there is an admission.
7. Golden Gate Park - Great on a sunny Sunday when they block off traffic on a section of the park. Great for biking. There are a couple of bike rental places on Stanyan near the Park.
8. Farmer’s Market – every Saturday morning at the Ferry building at the foot of Market St. (you’ll see it) from 8:30 or so till 1pm. More active in Summer months. Many restaurants have booths serving food, which would be much more fun than a hotel breakfast. Even tourists will find some souvenirs. Great place to people watch.
9. Beach Blanket Babylon at the Club Fugazi on 678 Green St. Zany show – real fun. Teatro ZinZanni at about Pier 33 is one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent years. More expensive than BBB, same zaniness, some very good “European Style” acts, and you get dinner served.
10. Walk across Golden Gate Bridge in the afternoon on a fogless day. Do this if you are not doing Views # 15 & #16
11. Fort Point under the SF side of the GG Bridge. Old Civil War fort with good views. Kinda fun to watch the waves pound the shore on a stormy day.
12. Chinatown. Walk along Stockton between Sacramento & Broadway. Do not tour the Grant St section – it’s full of tacky shops. City Guides offers a tour, but I have not taken it.
13. North Beach at night – mainly Columbus Ave., north of Broadway. Probably the most active section of The City in the evening – lots of outdoor café’s that seem to be open all year round.

Stu Dudley

Wow, Stu! That was incredible information you gave. I'm going to bookmark this.

What a fantastic reply Stu!!! Don't know when I will be back in SF...but am printing that out anyway.

Cocktails at The Carnelian Room or Cityscapes Restaurant for nice views?

I just got back from S.F.

Must-Do

The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero has wonderful shops and places to eat. If you are there on Saturday there is an impressive Farmer's Market that is probably the best in the country. Excellent views of Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge. You can catch ferries to Sausalito, Oakland, and Tiburon here.

City Hall is one of the most beautiful public buildings I have ever seen. Open to the public and the free tour is worth an hour of your time.

The California Street Cable Car has much shorter lines because it does not go to Fisherman's Wharf. It does go to Chinatown. Riding any Cable Car at night is much easier, many people are not out then and they run until Midnight. Riding any Cable Car is a 100% must-do.

Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge is extraordinary when the weather is warm and clear. Free, and the #28 and #29 buses stop right at the Toll Plaza.

I enjoyed walking all the way up Montgomery Street from Market Street until the Filbert Street Steps. This takes you through the Financial District (and right next to the Transamerica Pyramid), Jackson Sq. (many pre-Earthquake buildings), and up Telegraph Hill. Eye-popping views of the Bay and Downtown when you get to higher elevations. Very steep and not recommended for the out-of-shape or mobility impaired.

Chinatown was great, I didn't find the Grant Avenue corridor to be too touristy. Washington and Jackson Streets also had many places to eat and shop.

If you are interested in California history, Mission Dolores is a great idea. Not only is it the oldest building in S.F., the attached Cemetery is peaceful and beautiful.

Columbus Avenue in North Beach was lively and interesting, it had a real neighborhood feel.

The Castro Theater on Castro Street shows old movies and is a beautiful neon-lit building.

Think Again

Coit Tower has very long lines and I found that the view from the top of Telegraph Hill was spectacular all on its own. If there is no line, do it, but it is not worth a 1 Hour + wait.

Lombard Street (crooked part) is a killer uphill walk from the East or South and you can see it from the top from the Cable Car on Hyde St.

Ghirardelli Square is not very interesting, and the Ghirardelli Shop doesn't sell anything I couldn't get at home. Swarming with tourists!

Golden Gate Park at the Haight Street entrance was filled with aggressive drug dealers, teenage runaways, and street people. I can't speak for the rest of the park, but this corner of it was not great.

Liked it, but not essential

Fort Mason is a decommissioned military base that has a great restaurant (Greens) and quiet views of the Golden Gate.

Lotta's Fountain on Market Street is a gaudy Victorian treasure. It is of high historic value since it was a meeting place for 1906 Earthquake survivors.

The Cable Car Museum lets you see the machinery in action and is thorough on the workings of the system.

Marina Blvd. is fun if you like gawking at hideously expensive houses while walking along the water.

Alamo Square's Victorians-contrasted with-Skyscrapers view is probably one of the most photographed sights in the world. Somewhat worth the steep hike for the "I was there/I saw this place on TV" moment.

Berkeley is worth visiting just for Ameoba Records (another branch is on Haight St.) and Chez Panisse.

I went to SF (not called San Fran, haha) for a week last year and thought it was great.

I used a CityPass which I thought was well worth it; I would have gone to all of the places covered anyway. Here is a link to the website. http://www.citypass.com/city/sanfran...ml?id=L3PSHTLw It includes 7 consecutive days of public transportation, including busses, street cars and cable cars (which I would not have been jumping on and off of at, I believe, $3 per ride). The Exploratorium is mostly for kids so I would not have gone there if I had known. Asian Art Museum is fantastic.

I loved the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. If you have a city map, you will notice that Golden Gate Park is not to scale compared with the rest of the map. They are not kidding; the place is HUGE.

If you have a car and can get around, here are my favorite things to do there. Some have already been mentioned:

1) Twin Peaks
See the view of the entire peninsula from the top of Twin Peaks
This is a great view of the city! But it’s always cold and windy up there. Bring a warm jacket.

Start at about 17th St and Market St, heading West on 17th.

Turn South on Twin Peaks Blvd
And just follow that street. It’ll take you up to the top of two peaks, called Twin Peaks, which have red and white radio towers on them. There are a few parking lots and you can get out and see the entire city, 360 degrees.

If you continue on the same road when you leave, you’ll exit on a street called Portola Dr.

2) Eat authentic Chinese food at the House of Nanking
It’s on the N. corner of Columbus & Kearny
919 Kearny St
(415) 421-1429

Details: Carryout is available. Entrances and walkways are wheelchair friendly. Parking has been arranged for customers.
Ways to Pay: Cash Only
Hours of Operation: weekdays 11a-10p, Sat noon-10p, Sun 4-10p, open 365 days a year


3) Pier 39
A very popular touristy place is to go to Pier 39. You take 101 North (or 280, but if you exit too early on 280, you end up on the opposite side of the peninsula) and exit around 4th or 7th and head to Embarcadero. Do NOT follow highway 80. If you see any signs that show that you're heading to 80, check for cars behind you and back up and get out of there. 80 is a bridge and will take you across the Bay Bridge! You have to turn around at Treasure Island and it eats up a lot of time.

OK, so let's say you safely avoided getting on the dreaded Bay Bridge. From 4th or 7th, head North up Embarcadero. You'll pass a bunch of piers. The even numbers are South. They decrease in number as you drive North. Then, you hit the odds and they increase in number. Pier 39 is very touristy and a fun place to see.

4) Lombard Street
Lombard St is a one-way street that runs from the West to the East. You’ll want to be West of the crooked part before you start. I recommend getting to about Van Ness and Lombard and then heading East.

Hyde and Lombard is where the cool part of Lombard starts. If you want to get there from Hyde St, you can try that too. There is a four way stop sign at this intersection and it gets backed up, generally on weekends, when there are more tourists.
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A few other things about SF

• Don’t call it "Frisco" or "San Fran" around a native. They tend to get very upset.

• There are great museums up North in the old Army base areas, the Presidio. These are excellent places for a drive, too.

• Most streets will say "No left turn." If you really want to go left, suck it up and make three rights. I've been burned by continuing straight on and on waiting for a street where you can turn left. You just can't.

• Most streetlights are on the sides of the street. They don't hang the lights across the intersection by cables because of earthquakes. Between all the neon signs for restaurants, theaters, etc, it's really hard to see the stoplights. Many people run red lights there and there is a HIGH fine in that city for that if you get caught. Many intersections have cameras which take pictures of your license plates if you run a red light. If you have a rental, you shouldn't be too worried about getting a ticket in the mail, but obviously, you don't want to accidentally hit pedestrians or another car. I always tasked my shotgun passenger with keeping their eyes peeled for lights. Some intersections don’t have them at all. Most have stop signs. I tended to slow down a lot at every intersection just in case (and I'm normally a lead-foot).

• If you’re behind another car at a stop on an uphill, don’t get too close. Whether they have a standard or automatic transmission, their car will roll backwards a bit before they get going fast enough to move forward

• If you parallel park on a hill, aim your front tires the same way all the other cars have theirs. You can get fined if you leave all your tires pointing forwards.

• Parking can cost about $30.

• You are allowed to drive in the same lane as the trolley and trolley tracks, just be aware that it might be near you and pulling over to pick up or drop off passengers. Don’t get in its way.

I just got back from San Francisco as well and had a great time. Stu, it was great reading your to do list -- I'll definitely hang on to it for when I return to San Francisco. QC, I also loved the Ferry Terminal Market. We went to Ferry Terminal Market Seafood for lunch with views of the Bay Bridge and the ferries and it was fantastic -- great bay shrimp sandwich on sourdough w/ Silverado Sauvingnon Blanc...yum!

We also loved going to Alcatraz (booked tickets 6 weeks prior), Fort Funston (to watch people flying model planes and playing with their dogs), taking the ferry to Sausalito (we were staying in Mill Valley), hanging out in the Russian Hill area (loved discovering Macondary Lane, the Russian Hill Bookstore and Nick's Crispy Tacos!), taking the California Street Cable Car (it definitely is much less crowded then any other line), relaxing in the Park on the top of Nob Hill by the Pacific Union Club and having a drink at Vesuvio, among other things.

Also went to Sonoma and had an amazing tasting at Chateau St. Jean and went to Lake Tahoe -- absolutely beautiful!

Happy Trails!

Stu, great list. I will be posting it on every "what is there it do in SF inquiry"

Wow, what else is there to add after Stu's post?

If you're a Frank Lloyd Wright fan like I am, stop by the Xanadu art gallery on Maiden Lane just off of Union square - you can't miss the brick exterior with arched entry. Inside, it has a spiral stairway against the wall, like a miniature of the Guggenheim design.

Also, the Marin County Civic Center was another of his designs - blue roofs to blend with the sky and many decorative arches.

Driving Tour of San Francisco

As a native San Franciscan and 30 year resident of the area (I lived in Southern Calif. for 26 years when I was young & didn’t know any better), I’ve come to realize that the thing that makes San Francisco unique and one of the top tourist destinations in the world, is The City’s majestic setting with the bay and ocean on 3 sides, its ethnic diversity, its many different neighborhoods, the “spirit” and love for The City that residents have (they certainly pay a high cost of living for the privilege of living here), and the many different “one-of-a-kind” sites and events that exist in The City. Most cities have a downtown and/or business district that is somewhat similar to San Francisco’s. You will find Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Nike, Virgin records, etc in many cities in the world and San Francisco too, but that’s not why we choose to live here.

When I want to “show off” San Francisco to friends from elsewhere, this is the route I take them on.

Early in the Morning (9:00 or so) head out east on The Bay Bridge (Hwy 80) towards Oakland. Stay in the left most lane, and when you start to approach Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island, exit left towards Treasure Island (only left turn once on the Bridge, but pay attention – it’s easy to miss). Follow the road until you get a fantastic view of San Francisco from a flat area with a large grassy area. Park the car & take in the view. After the view, return the same way you came & take the Bay Bridge back to San Francisco. There are some great views from the Bridge (I used to come home from work this way every workday for about 5 years).

Once back in San Francisco, take the first right off the bridge (Fremont St exit). At the end of the off ramp, turn left on to Fremont St (it’s a one-way street to the left/northwest). From Fremont, take the first right onto Howard, and then the first right onto Beale. Follow Beale southeast until it hits Bryant, and turn left on to Bryant. In two short blocks, Bryant will dead end into the beautiful Embarcadero, which runs along the San Francisco Bay. Up until the ‘89 earthquake, a freeway was perched above this lovely section of the Embarcadero, and it was not an attractive drive at all. All that changed when the freeway was demolished and The City spent a lot of money/time to spruce up this area. It’s now one of the prettiest & most scenic drives in San Francisco.

Continue north along the Embarcadero, past the recently refurbished Ferry Building on the right, and the Embarcadero Center on the left (I worked there for 2 years). As you approach the ultra touristy & tacky Pier 39 complex, turn left onto Bay St. Cross Kearny and then turn left on Stockton. Continue south for a few blocks on Stockton and turn left onto Lombard St (watch for the signs to Coit Tower). Follow Lombard up to Coit Tower where it dead ends. Find a place to park (difficult later in the day) and enjoy the views of the Bay and the City all around you. After viewing everything from the car park area, walk towards the tower and pass the tower (on your left) until you get a good view of the Financial District area. Notice the nice houses/apartments with the great views in front of you – wouldn’t you like to live there for a while? You can visit the tower with the 1930’s WPA murals, and then go up to the top for a little nicer view.

Once finished with Coit Tower, return to the Embarcadero via Lombard, Stockton, and Bay. Turn left onto the Embarcadero towards Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. The Embarcadero kinda turns into Jefferson St (where The Wharf is located). I loathe Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s tacky, tacky, tacky. It’s not what I would show any visitor I wanted to impress. It’s mostly T-shirt shops, wax museums, and fast food places. I can’t understand why anyone would want to visit it. I’ve read that most first time visitors want to tour this area, but few (if any) second time visitors ever return. Follow Jefferson past the Wharf until it hits Hyde St, and then turn left onto Hyde St. Quickly go over the Cable Car tracks where you will turn Right onto Beach Street, directly in front of the Cable Car turnaround.

Note – from here on, I talk about Union Square and Union St. These are two different places and are not close to each other.

You have two options that I suggest for taking a ride on the Cable Cars. The last time I did this itinerary, I dropped our guests (and my wife) off at the Hyde St. turnaround, and then I drove & met them 1 hour later at Macys & Union Square, near the end of the cable car line. You can certainly park the car & everyone can take the cable cars down & back. However, this can add about 1 hour to your journey, and the Powell/Market St turnaround (where you will line up to return to The Wharf/Hyde turnaround) is not an area I like to show guests – it’s full of pretty scruffy looking people/pan-handlers, etc. There is a parking lot on Beach St. just under Ghiradelli Square. If you decide to park in this area, it is perhaps worth the trouble to quickly walk through Ghiradelli Sq and even the Cannery. The last time I was there, many of the storefronts which were used for retail space in the early 70’s (when we first visited), were now taken over by commercial offices. Same with the Cannery. If you want to visit, don’t spend more than 30 mins – there are places you might want to linger a bit later in this itinerary. To take the Cable Car ride you will need to buy a ticket at the kiosk at the turnaround, and then get in line. Sit on the east side of the cable car to get the best views. Once the car is turned around, this will be the side that is the farthest away from where you approach the car to get in (go around to the other side of the car to board). Obviously, use whatever “persuasion” you need to either sit or stand on the outside of the car. Don’t go into the inside section – wait for the next car. After the trip (I still enjoy them after all these years) get off the Cable Car at Union Square. If you choose to do a “round trip” down & back, when you line up to return on the Powell/Market turnaround, make sure you board the Hyde St line (it’s marked on the outside of the car), not the Taylor St line (you will end up returning to someplace else). If you headed out this morning early & got on the Bay Bridge at 9 or 9:30, you should get to The Wharf around 11:00. If it’s much later than this, you had better pick up the pace.

If you do the one way trip on the cable car to Union Square where the main group is picked up by a driver (that was me the last time we did this), then for a continuation of this drive, go to the paragraph starting with “From Union Square, in front of Macy’s”.

If everyone does the “round trip” on the cable cars, leave the Ghiradelli garage by turning left onto Beach and then left onto Polk St. Continue south on Polk to Lombard St and turn left onto Lombard. Continue east on Lombard and after two blocks you will be on The crookedest St in San Francisco. If you see a line of cars as far west as Polk when you approach, go past Polk, turn left on Filbert, and then left again on Hyde until you reach Lombard. This way allows a right turn onto the crooked part of Lombard & is a little faster.

At the bottom of the crooked section, continue straight on Lombard until it hits Columbus St. Columbus is the only street north of market in this area that cuts a diagonal across the other streets. Angle right on Columbus (same direction as cable car tracks) and continue southeast on Columbus. You are now in North Beach, which is San Francisco’s version of Little Italy. This was the Italian section of The City the first half of last century, and the home of the “beat generation” in the 50s. It’s the most “alive” section of The City in the evenings. There are lots of Italian restaurants and outdoor cafes. Continue on Columbus until it kinda angles right on to Montgomery St.

Montgomery street is the heart of the Financial District. Immediately on your left is the Transamerica Pyramid. Continue south on Montgomery, and then turn right on to California St.

Continue west on California St (you will be driving along the California St Cable Car tracks). Proceed several blocks to Powell St (where you will cross another set of cable car tracks).

You are now on Nob Hill, where there are several luxury hotels. Proceed west on California St. Just past Powell, take the first right on to Mason St. The Fairmont Hotel (my favorite) is on the right and the Flood Mansion is on the left. The most elegant mansions in early (1900) San Francisco were in this area. The Flood Mansion is the only survivor from the ’06 earthquake & fire (although, most of the interior was burned). The other (and more elegant) mansions were destroyed in the earthquake & fire. From Mason, turn left immediately on to Sacramento, then left again on to Taylor. On your right is Grace Cathedral. Turn left (east) on California. Immediately on your right is the Mark Hopkins Hotel and further on are more luxury hotels & restaurants. Continue east on California, crossing the cable car tracks on Powell again. Continue on California, and several blocks later, turn left on to Kearny (it’s a one way street). Travel one block & turn left on Sacramento (which is a one way street), and in 2 blocks, turn right on to Stockton. You are now in Chinatown. Notice all the food related shops. Look for roasted ducks hanging from hooks in store front windows.

Continue north on Stockton. Cross Broadway and then angle left on Columbus. In just 1 short block, turn left on Union St (a big park will be on your right in front of you before you turn right on Union). What I just described in the last few paragraphs is the route for those who did the round trip cable car event. If you did the round trip, go to the paragraph starting with “***Continue west on Union St” – the next several paragraphs describe the route for those doing the one way cable car ride with an escort picking them up at Union Square in front of Macy’s.

From Union Square in front of Macy’s, go west on Geary (it’s a one way) and turn an immediate right on to Powell (where the cable cars go). Continue north on Powell to California St and turn left on California.

You are now on Nob Hill, where there are several luxury hotels. Proceed west on California St. Just past Powell, take the first right on to Mason St. The Fairmont Hotel (my favorite) is on the right and the Flood Mansion is on the left. The most elegant mansions in early (1900) San Francisco were in this area. The Flood Mansion is the only survivor from the ’06 earthquake & fire (although, most of the interior was burned). The other (and more elegant) mansions were destroyed in the earthquake & fire. From Mason, turn left immediately on to Sacramento, then left again on to Taylor. On your right is Grace Cathedral. Turn left (east) on California. Immediately on your right is the Mark Hopkins Hotel and further on are more luxury hotels & restaurants. Continue east on California, crossing the cable car tracks on Powell again. Continue on California, and several blocks later, turn left on to Kearny (it’s a one way street). Travel one block & turn left on to Sacramento (which is a one way street), and in 2 blocks, turn right on to Stockton. You are now in Chinatown. Proceed north on Stockton. Notice all the food related shops. Look for roasted ducks hanging from hooks in store front windows.

Continue north on Stockton, cross over Broadway, and when Stockton hits a spot where it intersects with both Broadway & Green St, turn right on Green (make sure you don’t take a sharp right on Broadway). Continue east on Green for a few blocks and then turn right on to Montgomery. Proceed south on Montgomery two blocks and turn right on to Broadway (it’s a big road). Ignore the XXX places, and angle right on to Columbus. You are now in North Beach. See the prior description of North Beach.

Continue northwest on Columbus, and at Union St, angle left (a large park will be on your right in front of you just prior to the turn). Continue west on Union, and turn right on to Hyde St (you will be on the cable car tracks). Continue north on Hyde and turn right on to Lombard St and The crookedest street in San Francisco.

At the bottom of the crooked part, turn right on to Leavenworth, and proceed for a couple of blocks, and then turn right on to Union Street.

***Continue west on Union St. Cross Van Ness (busy street), and just past Gough St, you will enter the very pretty Union St. area. The “main section” of Union ends at about Steiner St. When we first visited this street in the very early 70s, we returned with a poster that said “If you lost your heart in San Francisco, you will probably find it on Union St”. Park the car, get out and explore. If it’s time for lunch, there are loads of possibilities. I like Café de Paris in the 2000 block, and Rose’s Café at 2298 Union (corner of Steiner). There is a simple sandwich shop on Union across the street from Rose’s, which might be the best bet if you’re trying to squeeze this drive into a “reasonable” day. If you started this drive at 9 or so, and didn’t do the cable car round trip and didn’t visit anything near the Wharf, you should be on Union St at 12:30 or so.

After visiting Union St, if you want to see where the rich people live, continue west on Union & turn left on Davisadero, and then right on Broadway. Proceed west on Broadway until it dead ends. In the last two blocks of Broadway, two of the richest people in the US reside – Larry Ellison, and Gordon Getty. Ellison’s house is the strange/wierd one on the north side of the street. Turn around on Broadway & head east on Broadway to Fillmore & turn right on to Fillmore.

If you don’t want to see the rich folks, after visiting Union, head south on Fillmore off Union. Hope your car’s transmission is working OK – during the Tour of San Francisco Bike Race in ’01, Lance Armstrong complained about the steepness of this Fillmore St hill, which he & others had to climb about 5 times.

The Fillmore St Shopping District is another one of our premier neighborhood shopping streets – and my wife’s favorite. The main section is between Jackson & Bush. Continue south on Fillmore (it’s a little gritty after Sutter St).

Proceed south on Fillmore several blocks, past the busy Geary St (you’ll overpass it) and turn right on to Fulton St. In one block you will be in the Alamo Square Historic District and the site of the famous Postcard Row that has been pictured in countless TV shows, place mats, and postcards. Continue west on Fulton with Alamo Square Park to your left. On the corner of Fulton & Scott is the Westerfield mansion -–one of the most photographed Victorian houses in The City. Turn left on to Scott, & there will be more Victorians on your right. Circle Alamo Square, turning left on to Hayes. As you proceed east on Hayes and just after you “crest” at Pierce, look slightly to your left and you will see Postcard Row – with a row of Queen Anne Victorian homes in the foreground, and downtown San Francisco in the background. Park the car ASAP (you may have to turn left on to Steiner to find a spot). Walk along the grass to where Pierce hits the park for the view – you’ll see lots of other people there also & tour busses are always close by. Assuming all the “exceptions” that I stated earlier, and only 30 mins for a sandwich on Union St. plus 1 hr shopping, you should get to Alamo Square around 2:30-3:00.

If you dawdled along the way and are behind schedule (it’s later than 3:00 by now), perhaps skip the next route up to a fantastic views from Twin Peaks. If you choose to skip this section, then after Postcard Row, head west on either Fulton or Hayes, left (south) on Divisadero, then right on Haight and drive for several blocks to get to the Haight Ashbury area (nice Victorians along the way).

In the 1970s, before the GGNRA was formed (see later text), a radio station had a “best view of San Francisco” contest. The view from Twin Peaks won. It’s a little tricky to get there, so pay attention. After Postcard Row, head west on either Hayes or Fulton, and south (left) on Divisadero. Divisadero will kinda flow left into Castro St (follow the traffic). Proceed south on Castro until you hit Market (big intersection), and turn right (west) & go up Market St. Market St will flow into Portola after Market St stops it’s steep uphill climb. Shortly Market St. changes to Portola, look for a Twin Peaks Blvd on your right and then turn right on to Twin Peaks Blvd. & keep following this street up to the “top of the world”. You’ll know when you have arrived at the view point. After the view, follow Twin Peaks Blvd North (not the way you came up – get a map). At 17th St. Twin Peaks will become Clayton. Shortly after crossing 17th, angle to the right on to Ashbury, and then turn right on to Frederick and then left on to Masonic. Proceed north on Masonic to Haight (there are some lovely Victorians along Masonic). Turn left on to Haight.

You are now in the Haight Ashbury district (locals call it “the Haight”). Proceed west along Haight & enjoy the sights & people. Haight will dead end into Golden Gate Park. Turn right on Stanyan, and continue in the right hand lane slightly past the entrance to GG park (no left turn allowed into park). Just past the no left turn sign, turn right on a cloverleaf road that circles into the park. Drive down JFK drive through Golden Gate Park. Notice the wonderful Conservatory of Flowers on your right that was opened up in Sept ’03 after years of restoration. Continue on JFK drive (look for the Buffalos just after Spreckels lake) until you hit the ocean. Turn right on the Great Highway, and continue as it passes the Cliff House & becomes Geary Blvd at about 39th St. Continue east on Geary & turn left on to 36th St. Proceed north on 36th two blocks until it ends at Lincoln Park & then turn right on to Clement. If it’s clear, you can see the Bank of America Bldg. in the distance.

Turn left on 34th St. and enter Lincoln Park. Continue on to the Palace of the Legion of Honor. This is one of our major art exhibition places (along with some other uses). It was built by Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, who married into the Spreckels fortune (sugar), built the museum, and donated it to The City. A few years ago it displayed the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit, last year the Degas exhibit, and also has the largest collection of Rodin statues outside of Paris.

After passing the Legion, take the right (only way you can go) on to El Camino Del Mar. Get the camera ready for some fantastic views of the Golden Gate. I always take guests on this route. You will be driving along a golf course. Just before you leave the course and enter a residential area, park the car & walk to the viewing platform to your left – you’ll see it from the road. Return to the car & continue along El Camino Del Mar. You will enter the Seacliff Area which (I suspect) has the most expensive homes in the City. Robin Williams lives there – look for a dinosaur topiary peeking over a hedge on his home (it’s not on the immediate waterfront). When entering Seacliff, keep left whenever you can – especially paying attention to a “Y” onto Seacliff Ave. Just after this Y, turn left on to a dead end & perhaps have a look at China Beach & the views from there. Continue along Seacliff Rd as it snakes around and exits the Seacliff area at 25th St. Turn left (east) off 25th on to Lincoln. Proceed north on Lincoln for some more exceptional views of the Golden Gate and the Bridge.

Lincoln will eventually twist around, and go under the Golden Gate Bridge. Immediately after it goes under the bridge, look on your left for a sign to the Golden Gate Bridge. Follow this up and cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

Head north across the Golden Gate Bridge. Just past the bridge, take the Alexander Av. exit towards Sausalito. When you get to the stop at the end of the freeway off ramp, turn left & go under Hwy 101. Proceed like you are going back across the bridge to SF, but take the road to the right that goes up-hill, just before actually getting on 101. There will be a sign that says you are entering the Golden Gate National Recreational (GGNRA) area. Continue up on this road – it’s called Conzelman on the map. You will see what are (in my opinion) the best views of San Francisco – The GG Bridge in the foreground & The City behind it. This was formerly a military area that is still laced with bunkers, gun turrets, underground tunnels etc. It was opened up in the ‘70s. The views of The City, the Bridge, and the Golden Gate are breathtaking. You can see down the San Mateo Coast from up here. Go all the way to the top until you hit a much smaller one-way road. On the way up, get out & enjoy the sights. Kids will love the bunkers & gun turrets. At the top where the main road ends, there is the largest gun turret, where you can climb up to for an almost 360 degree view. This view is best in the evening when the sun is in a position to light up the bridge & highlight downtown.

Return the way you came up to this area. Check the time. If there is any time left in your schedule, take a quick pass through Sausalito – otherwise head south back to SF. If you opt for the Sausalito visit, once you get to the junction just past the tunnel under 101, head straight to Sausalito. Just follow your nose (bearing right whenever possible), until you end up on Bridgeway – the main road along the bay in Sausalito. Drive along Bridgeway, enjoying the views back to the City. Continue North on Bridgeway until it joins 101 and you can return to SF over the Golden Gate Bridge again.

Does Fodor's give out awards for the most detailed answers about a place? Stu wins! I can't wait to get back to SF just to follow some of these directions, LOL! Excellent info in both of your posts.

I also list Alcatraz as a must-do, that's my humble contribution to this already quite comprehensive thread.

Was it Fodor, Frommer, Rick Steves, or somebody else who said that a traveler's best investment is a good guidebook?

StuDudley, we need to have a GTG next time I'm in SF....we eat at all the same places!!

Wow, what incredible timing. Just organising my SF holiday for next January. I think I might be set now for things to do!!! Will I need to book the Alcatraz tour way in advance even at that time of the year? Or need to book in advance at all? Hope someone can answer this question. Many thanks, Schnauzer

Thanks Stu ! I am visiting SF in early October..can't wait !

When I lived near SF (nearly 10 years ago now), you could book Alcatraz tickets a week in advance by going online or calling their office, even during peak times. I'd say a couple weeks in advance to get tickets would be sufficient. Definitely do not wait until the day off. They frequently sell out.

Also, don't book one of the latest tours. When I went, we were able to mill about the island and just enjoy the view if we had extra time, so it was nice to get an earlier tour, go on it, and then enjoy some time looking at the scenery before heading back to SF.