My daughter and I are planning a spring trip to San Francisco. We will be there 5 or 6 days. I would welcome any hints about interesting things to see and do for a thirteen year old girl.
I especially would like to know about the ease/accessibility of seeing the Sequoias/Redwoods. Specifically where is the best park to see them? Can you drive there on a day trip or do you have to rely on a tour?
Thanks for any tips

For redwoods you have a choice of Muir Woods in Marin or Big Basin and Henry Cowell in the Santa Cruz mountains. Given the choice, I would choose Big Basin. A lot of people choose Muir Woods because it is on the way to the wine country and they combine the visits, but I think the trees at Big Basin are more spectacular.

Both are easily done in a day trip from SF. I would definitely recommend driving rather than taking a tour because then you will be able to enjoy things at your own pace and stop along the way if you see anything that interests you.

While in SF, I suggest getting a city pass, which is a pass for all Muni buses and subways and cable cars - that way you can ride public transportation all over the city without having to have change. You can buy them at the visitor's center at the Powel and Market BART station - there are also a bzillion brochures and pamphlets for stuff to do in SF there.

Off the top of my head, here are some things:
* riding the Cable cars
* taking a boat ride out on the bay.
There are several cruises to choose from - Alcatraz, under the GG bridge, Angel Island, Sausalito. It just depends on what you want to see.
*Golden Gate Park is a nice place to visit - I remember the Japanese Tea Garden and the Academy of Sciences being my favorite as a kid.
*The Exploratorium is also fun. My sister-in-law really enjoyed it when we took her there and she was about 13 at the time.
*Chinatown is fun - wander around, have some dim sum. If you are interested in a walking tour, City Guides is a non-profit org through the public library and they give great tours www.sfcityguides.org - they give several tours around the city.
* Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 are very touristy, but you can get clam chowder in a bread bowl, watch the street performers and buy all kinds of tacky souveniers. It's also where the bay cruises leave from.

The best place to see the redwoods would be Big Basin (www.bigbasin.org) in the Santa Cruz Mountains near San Jose. Although others may suggest Muir Woods, the redwoods in Big Basin are more impressive. Close to Big Basin in nearby Felton off of highway 17 is Roaring Camp (www.roaringcamp.com) where you can take a steam train tour through the redwood forest. Your daughter should like that a lot. While you could do Big Basin and Felton as a day trip, it would be preferable to stay overnight nearby if you have time (ie: Santa Cruz or San Jose). You can get to Big Basin from SF via 280 south to 85 south and exit onto Saratoga Road which will turn into highway 9. Stay on highway 9 until highway 236/Big Basin Way and turn right. This leads you into the park. Other things that your daughter would find of interest in the San Jose area include the Tech Museum of Innovation (www.thetech.org) and the Children's Discovery Museum (www.cdm.org)
Have a great trip.

Alcatraz and The Japanese Tea Gardens are great places to visit with a 13 year old. Instead of taking one of the 'tour' cruises, you can take the commuter ferry to Sausolito. We did it at sunset and had a great view. I think a 13 yr old is too old for the Children's Museum. A nice day trip by car, could be to Carmel/Monterey. They are nice town and there is a great acquarium in Monterey.

Anyone seen the Scharffen-Berger chocolate company tour in Berkeley? I'm thinking to visit with my children soon.
Thanks!

I think visiting the Tech Museum in San Jose, Santa Cruz, and the Aquarium in Monterey are all good suggestions. At 13, your daughter is probably too old to enjoy the Children's Discovery Museum.

You might consider spending a couple nights of your trip in either Santa Cruz or Monterey to see more things down that way. If I were planning the trip, I wouldn't stay in San Jose just because there are more things to see in Santa Cruz and Monterey and since San Jose is on the way to both those places, you can stop on the way there or back.

In Santa Cruz, the Boardwalk would be great for your daughter. The wharf is also nice to walk out on and see the sea lions and have some chowder. West Cliff Drive and East Cliff Drive are some great places to see some surfers. Steamer's Lane on West Cliff is great and there is a small surfing museum at the lighthouse there. East Cliff Drive also goes past some nice beaches to hang out on and takes you right into Capitola Village, which is a cute little place with shops, a beach, and some restaurants and cafes. It will be too cold for swimming in the ocean unless you rent some wetsuits, but the weather should be nice enough for just hanging out.

With a 13 year old girl..I'd suggest all the usual places that folks have listed here with a few more 1)tea at the Clift or the Fairmount 2)Point Reyes National Seashore. There is alot to see here. If you check with the visitors' center you will find out about the Miwok(indian) Village, the best beaches for hiking, the Tule Elk Range etc. Depending on when you are there in the Spring the wildflowers might be in bloom. It's pretty magnificent. This is about 1.5 hours from SF and an easy drive. While in downtown Pt Reyes Station head for the Station House Cafe. 3)Angel Island..beautiful walks, you have to get there by ferry and there is now a museum(I think) at what used to be the immigrant processing center(there's got to be a more pc term?)You can hit Muir Woods and the Redwoods while you are in the area. 4) The show..Big Blanket Baylon and dinner in North Beach and just in case...I do not know what you pay for manicure/pedicure but there are several places in SF where you can get both for $15. I recommend "The Perfect 10" on Church Street at 24th Street. 13 year old girls tend to like this stuff. And..a walk across the golden gate bridge. Crissy Field in the Marina is also a great place to go. You can walk along the shore, see the golden gate bridge, listen to the wave organ and end up with a visit to Fort Point. (Where Kim Novak got faint in "Vertigo").

Also..you can see Muir woods on your way to Pt. Reyes. There is Audobon Canyon Ranch as well which is free and a nice place to visit..see egrets and cranes(near Stinson Beach). Just on the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge is the Marin Headlands. You can get some great vistas and hike a bit. I don't know if it is open to visitors but the Marine Mammal Center is there. They nurse sea lions, otters and seals back to health and just made for a 13 year old girl..there are often rescued baby creatures as well.

Thank you all for your wonderful responses...you have given a great deal to choose from!

As always with this Forum, the advice is excellent and I truly appreciate it.
Tim

Be aware that there's only one night for BBB that allows under 21s. It has nothing to do with the content of the show but is because of licensing laws in the city. I believe it's Thursdays, but call ahead. Your daughter would love it. Agree with Pt. Reyes which is one of my favorite places in CA. I would also go to Big Basin for the redwoods and would take my daughter to "Surf City, USA", Santa Cruz for a look around.

Pam pretty much covered all of the cool things to do -- make up an itinerary including those she suggested and your daughter will have a very memorable vacation!

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In addition to some of the great suggestions that you have received, I would add the Rosicrucian Egytian Museum and the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. The Japanese Gardens in Kelley Park south of downtown San Jose are also very nice. The History Museum of San Jose is also nearby and is very interesting. Contrary to what what J Correa has said, there is quite a lot to see and do in San Jose and it would be a good idea to stay overnight there. Downtown SJ would be the best place since many of the attractions are within walking distance. You can do Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel as day trips from San Jose. If you stay in San Jose on a weekend you can get a better deal on a room than in Monterey or Santa Cruz.

Oops, sorry for the typo, that should be Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.

Mark, I didn't say there wasn't a lot to do in San Jose. I said that I would choose to stay in Santa Cruz or Monterey rather than San Jose. Maybe it's because I live there, but I don't really see it as a vacation destination. If I were planning a vacation, I would choose to stay someplace more scenic, but that's just me.

Oooooh, it's been so long since we had a good "San Francisco or San Jose?" discussion.

So, should Tim spend his time with his daughter in San Francisco? Or how about San Jose? Everyone, let us know your opinions......

J Correa, I understand your point of view that since you live in San Jose that often residents do not take advantage of the different attractions in their own city. Although there are things to see in both Santa Cruz and Monterey, and I do like them both, I would not say that they have more to offer than a large city of close to a million people such as SJ. SJ does have scenic mountains and Alum Rock Park is one of the nicest parks in the city, which is also why it is known as "Little Yosemite" The Guadalupe Gardens and the Municipal Rose Garden in addition to Kelley Park also provide a great escape from the city.