San Francisco tour
Mar 15th, 2008, 08:18 AM
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San Francisco tour
Bring warm clothes. When the fog comes in, it can be quite chilly.
Make sure you consider topography when you decide to walk somewhere -- there are some pretty steep climbs involved in cross-town trips.
The Sir Francis Drake hotel is in Union Square, an upscale shopping area, and quite near the theater district. http://www.unionsquareshop.com/ The King George hotel in Union Square is cheaper and gets good reviews. There are several other hotels in Union Square. I trust Trip Advisor reviews of them.
You can walk from Union Square to Market St. and the Westfield SF Shopping Center. Vintage streetcars travel up and down Market St. and you can take one down to the waterfront for a great view of the Bay Bridge, sailboats and occasional container ships. If you continue along the Embarcadero, you eventually arrive at Fisherman's Wharf (see below). Stop at the Ferry Building to visit specialty food, wine, coffee, pastry and cheese shops, and restaurants On a Sunday, you can visit the Farmer's Market. The Hyatt Regency Hotel has rates below $200 and it's just across from the Ferry Building.
San Francisco's financial district is just a few blocks west of the Embarcadero. Omni has a hotel at the lower end of California St. with rates below $200.
You can also climb a bit from Union Square to Grant Avenue in Chinatown. North Beach is a little further, along Columbus Ave. It's where the Italian immigrants settled, and the Beat Generation hung out (City Lights book store). The Saints Peter and Paul church facing Washington Square was built by the Salesians to serve the Italian immigrants. The Washington Square Inn in North Beach is another place you could stay (Trip Advisor: $215)
If you continue north, you will get to Fisherman's wharf, the tourist's mecca -- t-shirts and sourdough bread abound. There's shopping at Ghiradelli square (former chocolate factory) which hosts restaurants with fabulous views of the Bay. The Aquarium of the Bay is at Pier 39 and you can catch a ferry there to tour the Bay (the Sausalito Ferry takes off from the Embarcadero)
If you want to see the Ocean, Muni's #38 bus will take you from Union Square to the Cliff House and Ocean Beach. (Muni maps are at http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/official.htm) There are walks along the ocean. The Lands End trail will take you past can meander past the Sutro Baths, the Legion of Honor, and along cliffs with beautiful views of the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco is a great City! Enjoy your visit.
Make sure you consider topography when you decide to walk somewhere -- there are some pretty steep climbs involved in cross-town trips.
The Sir Francis Drake hotel is in Union Square, an upscale shopping area, and quite near the theater district. http://www.unionsquareshop.com/ The King George hotel in Union Square is cheaper and gets good reviews. There are several other hotels in Union Square. I trust Trip Advisor reviews of them.
You can walk from Union Square to Market St. and the Westfield SF Shopping Center. Vintage streetcars travel up and down Market St. and you can take one down to the waterfront for a great view of the Bay Bridge, sailboats and occasional container ships. If you continue along the Embarcadero, you eventually arrive at Fisherman's Wharf (see below). Stop at the Ferry Building to visit specialty food, wine, coffee, pastry and cheese shops, and restaurants On a Sunday, you can visit the Farmer's Market. The Hyatt Regency Hotel has rates below $200 and it's just across from the Ferry Building.
San Francisco's financial district is just a few blocks west of the Embarcadero. Omni has a hotel at the lower end of California St. with rates below $200.
You can also climb a bit from Union Square to Grant Avenue in Chinatown. North Beach is a little further, along Columbus Ave. It's where the Italian immigrants settled, and the Beat Generation hung out (City Lights book store). The Saints Peter and Paul church facing Washington Square was built by the Salesians to serve the Italian immigrants. The Washington Square Inn in North Beach is another place you could stay (Trip Advisor: $215)
If you continue north, you will get to Fisherman's wharf, the tourist's mecca -- t-shirts and sourdough bread abound. There's shopping at Ghiradelli square (former chocolate factory) which hosts restaurants with fabulous views of the Bay. The Aquarium of the Bay is at Pier 39 and you can catch a ferry there to tour the Bay (the Sausalito Ferry takes off from the Embarcadero)
If you want to see the Ocean, Muni's #38 bus will take you from Union Square to the Cliff House and Ocean Beach. (Muni maps are at http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mmaps/official.htm) There are walks along the ocean. The Lands End trail will take you past can meander past the Sutro Baths, the Legion of Honor, and along cliffs with beautiful views of the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco is a great City! Enjoy your visit.
Mar 15th, 2008, 01:10 PM
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Nice report Marinette.
Just a couple of comments. The Farmer's Market outside the Ferry Building is on Saturdays and also pretty sure Tuesdays.
The Sausalito Ferry in on the Emcarcadero but one goes behind the Ferry Building where the plaza is located and the dock is on the right hand side when one faces the bay. The plaza is a great place to sit and watch the activity on the bay.
The historic street cars that travel Market St., and go around the Embacadero to FW is called the F Line.
Hotel reviews here on Fodor's is very trustwothy also. It is always good to check more than once source.
When enjoying ChinaTown do walk over to Stockton from Grant and also on the side streets as you will see more of where the residents of ChinaTown live and shop.
Just a couple of comments. The Farmer's Market outside the Ferry Building is on Saturdays and also pretty sure Tuesdays.
The Sausalito Ferry in on the Emcarcadero but one goes behind the Ferry Building where the plaza is located and the dock is on the right hand side when one faces the bay. The plaza is a great place to sit and watch the activity on the bay.
The historic street cars that travel Market St., and go around the Embacadero to FW is called the F Line.
Hotel reviews here on Fodor's is very trustwothy also. It is always good to check more than once source.
When enjoying ChinaTown do walk over to Stockton from Grant and also on the side streets as you will see more of where the residents of ChinaTown live and shop.
Mar 17th, 2008, 10:51 AM
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Bus 38 has different routes. Some of them go to Cliff House (48 Ave) some to Ocean Beach.
For the future, Newsom wants to discontinue line 38 Ocean Beach (along with some other lines). Don't know if and when, but it was in the city newspaper.
For the future, Newsom wants to discontinue line 38 Ocean Beach (along with some other lines). Don't know if and when, but it was in the city newspaper.
