WOW! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We just moved to the Bay Area, and our first real guest arrives today. I knew that the Fodorites would have excellent info on the top sites in the city, but this blows me away!!!!

Thanks, Stu!
MacPrague

Tell your friends that the weather is like this all the time in early February !!!

Stu Dudley

Thank you for taking the time to post such detailed information. My husband and I are going to San Francisco in March. This post is very helpful. Thank you!

I started another thread describing an area that I think is the prettiest on the Calif Coast. I'll include it below, along with some comments from other "locals".


Posted by: StuDudley on Feb 3, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Posted in: United States

I know lots of people are planning to drive on our beautiful Hwy 1 from San Simeon to Carmel. Here is an article from the SF Chronicle about my favorite spot to explore alond the coast.

http://tinyurl.com/Point-Lobos


Stu Dudley

kimamom on Feb 3, 09 at 01:39 PM
Nice article and very informative. We just spent two nights this past December at the Highland's Inn, this is such a gorgeous area of the CA coast! ***kim***


easytraveler on Feb 3, 09 at 02:18 PM
Great article! Thanks for ;posting it, Stu!

Just to add a couple of other points not in the article:

Sea Lion Point Trail is extremely easy and is wheelchair accessible.

I agree with the author that Cypress Point Trail is the best trail.

My second favorite trail is not mentioned, it's the South Shore Trail - very easy, but not wheelchair accessible. Lots of tidepools for the kids - and grownups too!


SAB on Feb 3, 09 at 07:32 PM
We were there this past Sunday and it was truly a spectacular day. And my favorite places Whaler's Cove and Gibson Beach benefitted from the fabulous weather, the ocean was amazingly calm and seals were sun bathing on the rocks.

My sister was enchanted by the ranger who when she asked for a senior entrance fee, said "at what college are you a senior". Such a charming start to a lovely visit.


CanadaKate on Feb 3, 09 at 09:13 PM
Point Lobos is amazing ... one of my favourite outdoor places ever. If you're anywhere near ... go!

topping - 'cause I'm looking for a walking tour the first week of April

I would add some options to Stu's bike ride to Sausalito. We go a bit earlier and have coffee in Sausalito before continuing on to Tiburon. Stop at Mollie Stone's and pick up a picnic lunch and then backtrack to the Bay Model. It's a fascinating replica of the entire Bay and very informative. There are picnic tables there, at the water's edge where you can eat lunch. Then continue on the bike path north to E. Blythedale Ave, which becomes Tiburon Blvd. when it crosses the highway. Continue on to the wharf where you can take a ferry over to Angel Island if you're early enough, or back to SF if you prefer to head back.

A third option is not to turn on Blythedale but continue on to Corte Madera and then Larkspur and ferry back from there. These add some miles and give you a bigger picture of the Bay.

Starrsy...maybe a 5k walking tour? :-?

In addition's to THEE Stu's recs we enjoyed this gal's walking/eating tours of SF.
http://graceannwalden.net/

The Mangia Tour of No Beach was very good and we are trying to put together a Nob Hill tour in May.

Man...Italy, Greece, SF and a new roof. We definitely want to be you when we grow up.

Question: I see on a map that is about 50 miles to Sonoma from SF. Is it a fairly easy day trip to drive to Sonoma, check out a few wineries, and drive back? We don't mind spending 1.5 to 2 hours in the car (one-way), but we don't really want to spend any more time than that in the car. Thanks, again for the detailed recommendations and walks.

Whatever Stu recommends. I'd like to get on one of his wife's tours.

I HATED the tasting tour I took last time in SF. The guy was just not good.

SF definitely and NYC "sometime". Italy/ Greece - "sometime". A lot depends on how much the next two projects will cost. I'll get one quote this afternoon.


kurieff, you can do a day trip easily, but it's so much fun to spend the night. And, if you've not been to Muir Woods definitely try to fit that in!

Hi starrs

My wife conducts the Victorian San Francisco City Guides tours on March 29, and also on April 19. When DebitNM was out here a week ago, she & her husband went on the tour my wife led - and it poured down rain. Yesterday, my wife also led the tour - and it poured down rain again. Do't know if a rain cloud is hanging over my wife's head or not.

Sonoma is an easy 1 hr drive (or less) from the GG bridge. However, I think the Healdsburg/Dry Creek area is more interesting - although it's about another 15 mins to get there on 101.

Stu Dudley

Stu, I was just thinking of taking the Victorian walking tour as I saw something in the paper a few weeks ago and now you mention it here. I'll have to check the dates to see if I can go on your wife's tour. How fun!

Stu: Is there a ferry connection between Sausalito & Tiberon?

2010

Not Stu, 2010, but no, I don't believe there's a ferry connection between Sausalito and Tiburon. Sausalito ferries are part of the Golden Gate Ferry District and Tiburon ferries use the Blue and Gold Fleet.

I have to chime in here on a couple of things. First, be warned if you print this entire thread it will be over 30 pages long [that was 2 weeks ago].

Yes, as Stu said, it rained while we were on the tour with Mrs. Stu [Stu joined us on the tour as well]. It rained hard, the entire tour. In spite of that, we had a wonderful time. Mrs. Stu knows her Victorians, no doubt about that. She is to Victorians as Stu is to SF ideas!! We learned so much and really got a better feel for SF.

We went on a different SF Public Library Tour - City Scapes and Public Places. That was excellent as well. The gentleman guiding us on that one was as passionate and knowledgable as Mrs. Stu. His cute dog, Norton, accompanied us [he even has his own City Guides name tag].

I can't wait to get back to SF for a number of reasons, but going on more of the City Guide tours is a big part of it. These tours are free [donation after the tour is a good idea] and would be worth paying a lot of $$ for!

We also did the free City Hall tour [we were the only 2 people on tour] and it was really good too. We can't wait to see Milk [due out on DVD next week] now.

And we got a tour at SF MoMA on Thursday night [1/2 price admission] and had only 1 other person on tour.

It is amazing what you can do with little cash outlay.

SF is great, even in the rain. Walking is the way to go.

Deb

While we are in San Francisco, my wife wants to visit a Joann store (She has the quilting bug). We have yet to finalise our accommodation bookings, but I expect that we will be staying close to The Embarcadero. It appears that the nearest Joann store is in the El Cerrito Plaza. Is that an area that is reasonably accessible by public transport and would we want to visit that part of the city for any other reason or is it just a suburban shopping district?

Last time I looked GraceAnn was a gal.
She used to be the "Restaurant Gossip" for the SF Chronicle.
Total kick in the pants.

She and her friends now put out the Yummy Newsletter: www.yummyletter.com/newsletter.html

Good source for SF/Nor Cal foodies.

She's the one who turned us on to places like O'Reilly's Holy Grail (sadly now closed but the BEST peat roasted pork shank I ever had and GREAT roasted beets), Perbacco's, 1300 on Fillmore, Acme Chop House, Little City Meats, XOXO Truffles and a few others, etc.

El Cerrito Plaza is a short walk from the BART station in El Cerrito. Takes about 20-30 mins from D'town SF to get out there.
I used to park my car there or El Cerrito del Norte stations and commute into SF.
You get to take the tube under SF Bay too.

Darnit!!
I missed my chance to throw in a "Ummmmmmmmmm.....Last time I looked GraceAnn was a gal".
Curses!

Thanks, Kal.

Prego, k_r....

In case nobody posted it yet: http://www.bart.gov/

Kiwi Rob, Is your wife looking for a JoAnn Fabrics? I read in one of my guidebooks about another fabric store called Britax. It sounds like an amazing fabric store. However, my guidebook is also three years old, so I'm not sure if Britax is still around, but it looked like a great fabric store.