Had a great trip to SF, here is a run-down of what we did and hotel details:

Arrived Thursday March 17 at 9:30 pm and went straight from airport to our hotel. We stayed at the York Hotel which is on Sutter street, between Hyde and Leavenworth. This hotel was a great value, the room was very clean, had a small fridge and 2 walk in closets. Full size bath tub and good hot shower. The location was fine also, fairly quiet area of the city but not too far away from various attractions. Would highly recommend staying here especially if you are on a budget.

Took the Alcatraz audio tour on Friday morning, had pre-booked tickets with blue and gold fleet via the internet. Highly recommend doing so as we witnessed dozens of people being turned away as Alcatraz tickets were sold out for several days. The tour was great! Very well done audio and loved the fact that you could start and stop the audio at your own pace rather than shuffling along with a large crowd.

After Alcatraz we toured around the Fisherman's Wharf area. Lots to see and do here. It seems to get bashed sometimes on travel forums but I really enjoyed this area of SF. Don't miss the sea lions at Pier 39, they are very cool to watch!

We were not big on spending alot of money on food so we pretty much ate wherever we happened to be whenever we were hungry but the choices are endless. You will never have a problem finding a good meal.

On Friday night we went to North Beach for the nightlife. Went to a few different clubs but ended up at the Crowbar. Not the trendiest of places by any means, but very cool staff and friendly clientele. I would go back there in a heartbeat!

On Saturday morning we headed to Union Square for some shopping. Wow, this is not to be missed! Wonderful stores and everything from bargain shops to high end clothiers.

Saturday evening we spent more time at FW. We both love being by the water so we were very attracted to this area. We also booked tickets for a bay cruise with Red and White for Sunday morning.

Sunday morning we got up early and made our way to the departure area for our cruise. Got on the first boat going out which was nice because it was not nearly as crowded as the later departures were. The cruise was one hour and takes you under the Golden Gate Bridge and then back towards the city and around the far side of Alcatraz Island. Dress warmly for this activity as it can be quite windy and cold out on the water.

Sunday afternoon a friend from San Jose met us and drove us across the Golden Gate to Sausalito. It was a thrill to be on this famous bridge. Sausalito is a pretty place with fantastic views of the bay and the SF skyline. Many wonderful boutiques and restaurants in Sausalito.

Towards evening we made our way back to the city and checked out the Haight-Ashbury area. Loved this!! There are so many friendly, colourful people here. Complete strangers stopped to chat with us several times. The people of SF made a huge impression on me with their friendliness and their generous spirit.

This was our final night and I was sad to be leaving, but glad to come home at the same time. Caught an early Monday morning flight. This is just a basic run down of what we did, if anyone has more specific questions, please feel free to ask! We loved SF and especially the people of this wonderful city!!

Sounds like you had a great time! So many locals say "stay away from Fisherman's Wharf", but look how much you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to report back.

Atilla,

Thanks for the report. San Francisco is indeed a great city and I think it's wonderful you got to do/see so much.

You make me want to get back there, now!

AL

We were there at the same time. Visiting family though, so only had one day in the city. I have always enjoyed FW also, and it was fun to let the kids experience it this time. They have been there before, but didn't remember much and wanted to see it again.

This was our first time doing the Alcatraz tour. I thought it might be cheezy, but we liked it. I can't tell you how many times we have happened to be in the city and wanted to do the tour, but it was sold out. Planning this time solved that problem.

On our one day there, we managed Alcatraz, Fishermans Wharf, Lombard St, Ghiradelli Sq, the Cannery, Buena Vista Cafe, cable cars, and shopping around Union Square. All that before dinner time when we headed back to my moms and were exhausted, lol!

Glad you had a great trip and thank you for sharing

Wow mms, you know how to pack in alot in a short period of time. Good for you! We had a wonderul time around FW and I agree, The Alcatraz tour is definately worth the time.

Thanks for the comments Grasshopper, and Al, I think it's time for you to plan a trip!!

atilla--I guess with being there enough we knew exactly how to route it all to make the most of our time, plus we got an early start. But yes, it was a full day!

Hi atilla, I am so happy that you had a wonderful time! It was fun reading your report.

And mms, WOW, you do move it in SF, I am truly impressed LOL.

A fun city to be in for sure.

>>So many locals say "stay away from Fisherman's Wharf", but look how much you enjoyed it.<<

Locals might say that because they have seen more of San Francisco than most first timers have, and there are other places that the locals enjoy MORE than FW.

Stu Dudley

Well said, Stu. Grasshopper, locals are not recommending against FW in order to ruin someone's vacation. We do so because we love our city and want visitors to see why we do and FW is not one of the reasons.

I was just commenting! I live practically next door to Stu and have a long list of things I would do in SF. But I'm only remarking that people can have fun at FW.

Atilla, glad you have great time and thank you for taking time to write a report!

You didn't mention the cabare on the 1st floor of York hotel, did you miss this one? Another reason to come back

Grasshopper, I understood your comments about FW completely. Stu and SAB, as I said in the report, we love being by the water, this holds true whether we are in SF or Vancouver or any other port city. Hence, the reason we spent so much time at FW. This is not for everyone of course but it is what we enjoy.

FainaAgain, we had a quick drink in the Plush Room actually on Saturday evening before heading out to North Beach. It just wasn't our kind of place though. I am sure there is some wonderful talent playing at this venue on occasion but it just wasn't what we were after. There are many, many reasons to make a return trip and several things that I wish we could have done. So, I am sure we will be back to check more "must sees" off of our list. Thank you everyone for your comments!

I'm staying at the York Hotel in May, glad that you recommend it, and thanks for the tip to pre-book the Alcatraz tour.

Hi toledo,
You have made a great hotel choice. There is a small convenience store located just a few doors down from the hotel and a really well stocked grocery store about a half block away from the hotel. This really came in handy while we were there. Hope you have a great trip!

>>Stu and SAB, as I said in the report, we love being by the water, this holds true whether we are in SF or Vancouver or any other port city. Hence, the reason we spent so much time at FW. This is not for everyone of course but it is what we enjoy.<<

Don't want to beat a dead horse, but is it the Wharf that is not for everyone or being near the water - I presume it's the Wharf.

There is water on 3 sides of SF. You can walk right next to the water along the Embarcadero all the way from SBC park to Ft Point at the foot of the GG Bridge. FW comprised about 10% of that stretch. This Ft Point area is my favorite when I really want to experience the magnificence of the Golden Gate and the Bay. At the Wharf, the t-shirt shops, fast food places, & tacky shops spoil this experience for me.

Stu Dudley

<< Locals might say that because they have seen more of San Francisco than most first timers have, and there are other places that the locals enjoy MORE than FW. >>

You have already pointed out to me Stu that YOU don't like FW and that is partially because you are local to the area. Of course there are other areas that are by the water. For tourists (some of us anyway) FW is an interesting and unique place. No, not everyone is going to like it but WE did. I'm sorry that my activities in your city don't seem meet with your approval, to each his own.

I found FW crowded, but still enjoyable. And I live here. Yes, it's "touristy" but isn't why people come here - to see all parts of the city?

Oh, by the way, there is "the San Francisco movie" on the 2nd floor over the FW aquarium, separate entrance, highly recommended.

Atilla sounds like you had a great trip, we've been to San Francisco twice and really enjoyed it. And I agree with you on Fishermans Wharf, it's a fun place for tourists to visit, we stayed both times at the Raddison on the Wharf with a view of the bay. One of the things we did was to rent a car and go over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods - not far at all from SF ---
and how impressive to see this gigantic woods with huge trees just outside a large city, we included a trip to Sausalito also, and enjoyed that immensely too. The first time we were there we took a day tour of Napa Valley and found that very interesting, the guide was wonderful. Anyway, just thought I would add a few highlights of our trip for anyone who might be considering a trip to SF. So nice of you to share your thoughts with us.

LoveItaly--You should see me when I am in a shopping mode, lol! One time my mom and I along with one of her friends went into SF for the day. We walked everywhere and didn't bother with any other form of transportation. We walked from the bart station down to FW, over to Ghiradellhi and then back to Union Square for some shopping. Can you tell that I am one who doesn't care for "lay on the beach" type of vacations? lol!