Hi all. Doing a Vegas trip and flying to SFO for the last day before heading home. I arrive in SFO at 7:35am on a Southwest flight. Leaving on a red-eye SFO-EWR at 10:30pm so I have a full day to enjoy SF for my first time!

One thing I know I want to do is head out to a local beach to see (and touch!) the Pacific Ocean. Living in NJ I have never seen the Pacific. Any beaches that are OK to walk around on the way from the airport to the City? I saw Rockaway Beach, Pacifica and the State Parks further north. Any sugestions?

I will have a rental car and I will probably be searching and posting more questions but on my short list for the day:

1. Pacific Ocean beach (first thing in the AM)
2. Chinatown lunch
3. Fisherman's Wharf
4. Alcatraz tour
5. Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Park
6. Perhaps Berkeley or Stanford if there is time.

I am thinking of parking in the Fisherman's Wharf area and taking a comprehensive tour but is it worth venturing into Oakland to see Berkeley? Am I too amitious in trying to see all this in 10 hours?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Marc

Forgot to mention I would like to ride a Cable Car as well. I certainly am the consummate tourist!

;-)

Ocean Beach is basically the whole west side of SF.
Ride the streetcar out to it, or better yet, park out at the beach and ride the streetcar into DT and do all your sightseeing.
The classic overlook on the North side of the GGB is always worthwhile too.

If you are going out to Muir Woods, it is a very (very!) short trip to Muir Beach once out of the parking lot and heading west from the Woods. Muir Beach itself is a small beach but pretty and with a beautiful view of the City. There is an overlook point about 1/2 mile north of the turnoff for Muir Beach which will give you a more sweeping view. If you have an extra hour, drive a little further to the north and have coffee or a meal in Stinson Beach - the views on the way are terrific, and there are places to pull over. On the way back, drive over Mt. Tamalpais to re-join Shoreline Drive and then onto the freeway.

Just a word of caution - you'll get carried away by the views, the beauty, etc. Make sure you have enough time on the drive back so you aren't rushing - the coast and Mt. Tam roads are very curvy and require steady concentration.

In San Francisco, you could take the "L Taraval" or the "N Judah" streetcars to the very ends of these lines - you would be about a block away from Ocean Beach in either case. However, driving out to Ocean Beach is not hard, and parking is plentiful out there.

I wouldn't try to go to Berkeley. 10 hours will barely scratch the surface in San Francisco.

One bit of advice for not spending too much time in line for a cable car is to ride the California Street Line. Hop aboard in front of the Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero. On the return trip, get off at Grant Street, walk through Chinatown to North Beach. You'll enjoy the flavor of several of SF neighborhoods this way.

Have fun!

Awesome suggestions guys...keep 'em coming!

I agree about skipping Berkeley and I just booked a 4:30 Alcatraz island tour with Alcatraz Cruises. 2.5 hour tour means afterward I can start to head for the airport!

Gores, what time is your flight back (10 or 11?) You'll probably even have time for dinner or at least a nice snack after Alcatraz. Head to the Ferry Building (along the Embarcadero, south/west of where you'll be for the Alcatraz Tour and in the direction of SFO). It's a great place to visit (renovated ferry building is now a food market) and has lots of places to eat - quick and otherwise. The wine bar is fun for an hors d'oeuvres-type dinner.

Oops, make that south/east of the Alcatraz ferry terminal, not southwest.

http://tinyurl.com/3yc7qg

Flight leaves at 10:30 so I would definitely have time for dinner. Thanks!

I would take I-380 and I-280 from the airport to where SR 1 splits off and becomes 19th Avenue in SF. Turn left at Sloat Blvd. (major E-W arterial) and head west past the zoo to the Great Highway, which parallels the beach. Drive north along the beach until the road climbs past the Cliff House, and then have a late breakfast at Louis', a long-standing and pretty decent diner overlooking the remains of the Sutro Baths, just before the crest of the hill. There's ample parking around, and a leg-stretch down to the baths (in either fog or wind or both, most likely) will definitely get your motor started.

Gardyloo's driving suggestions above are great with one exception - DON'T turn left at Sloat & 19th, for you will be badly busted if you do. I don't think you can take a left on 19th anywhere. Turn right on Sloat, go to the top of the block in the left lane and swing a U turn. Then proceed towards the ocean.

O.k., so you are landing at 7:30 a.m. or so - here's how I would advise a friend on your time frame:

Pick up the car and drive into S.F., heading down to Ocean Beach as above. If Louie's isn't crowded, get your breakfast there. Short walk around the Cliff House area. Back in the car, head down Geary Blvd until you reach Park Presidio Blvd. (Park Presidio is what 19th Ave. turns into as it becomes the approach to the GG Bridge). Get onto Park Presidio heading north. You'll be on the bridge very shortly. Maybe stop in Sausalito for coffee or breakfast. Get onto Highway 1 either from Sausalito or from the freeway and follow Shoreline Highway until you bear right at the Muir Beach/Mt. Tam fork. You are driving straight towards Mt. Tam now. Take a left turn at the Muir Woods exit. Do your Woods thing,then head to Muir or Stinson Beach as I described earlier.

You should be back in the City by mid afternoon. Any commute traffic would be opposite to your direction on the way into SF. Park the car downtown in one of the garages. I would have an early dinner first, then take a cable car ride after the evening commute rush is completely over (people do ride them to and from work, you know).

Leave yourself plenty of time for the driving legs of your visit, and you should be able to do all or almost all of the above without rushing.

dovima, isn't there a left turn lane at Sloat from 19th Ave?

There IS a left turn lane on 19th turning onto Sloat but it is in the opposite direction - going south. There is no such lane on 19th at Sloat going north - although some drivers seem to think so, from the number of accidents that happen at this intersection!

Oh dear.

Not to worry, dear Gardyloo. They really should put a corresponding protected left turn in the north bound direction there. But that intersection is serious business - I believe a pedestrian waiting to cross the street was killed yesterday in the aftermath of a car accident. Shudder.

Ocean Beach, you can take bus 38 going to either 48th avenue or... suprise! Ocean Beach OK to walk to water if you're not afraid to have sand in your shoes Or follow the promenade.

Have lunch or dinner at the Cliff House restaurant.