fshjones

I will be bringing my family which includes myself, husband 14 and 16 year old and my Mom to San Francisco. We plan to go north first to the Redwoods and then south to Monterey. Our final 4 days will be in San Franciso. Due to needing two rooms we will be staying at the Embassey Suites by the airport in SF and renting a car. I need help in suggestions for restaraunts - I have read the forums and have seen the Tipsy Pig mentioned and Pizzeria Delfina. Another other suggestions - my kids love seafood but do not like the Asian cuisine. We had planned on the 5 hour SF tour that takes the ferry to Sausalito and then back across the GG to Nob Hill and Chinatown and also a trip up through the wine country. Another other suggestions with a 14 and 16 year old?

tovarich

The Winchester mystery house in San Jose.The kids will love it.

fshjones

Thanks, I will definitely look into that.

janisj

Just a comment about staying at SFO -- that is not a very good location for seeing San Francisco. You do not need a car in SF and driving/parking in the city is a real pain/expensive.

Normal parking rates are $25 (if you are lucky) to over $40 a day. Plus the congestion/hassle of driving back and forth every day.

If it was me - I'd rent a car for the first few days and then return to SF, drop the car and stay IN San Francisco.

You don't need an airport hotel to get family accommodations.

Check out the Cow Hollow Suites -

montereybob

Agree with janisj that staying in central SF with no car is the best option. Overnight parking is too expensive and driving in the city is aggravating. Use BART, taxis, and cable cars. The Embassy Suites is too far out of town.
Teens will love the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park. Also watching surfers from the cliffs just north of the Boardwalk.
They will also like renting bikes and riding on the Monterey Bay Recreation Trail that goes for miles along the coastline. You can rent the bikes at several places along the trail.

bennnie

I recently went to SF for a business trip and had a 1/2 to myself to tour. I have teenagers and kept thinking about all of the great things I saw that they would have loved - primarily Golden Gate Park. There was so much there that they would have really enjoyed including the science museum, the Japanese garden. Of course the cable cars would have been a big hit. Fisherman's Wharf is tacky but they still like that stuff.

I took the subway (BART) out from the airport and took a cab back to the airport. Long long trip either way. Public transportation in SF was great. I would agree with trying to stay in the city and use public transportation to get around (assuming your mom was up for it, as you do tend to do a bit of walking when using public transportation).

Enjoy your trip.

MonicaRichards

I would not advise the Winchester Mystery House as a stop from SF with four days. Maybe if you were going to be in San Jose but that's quite a drive and it's not ALL that. There is much cooler stuff to see, like Sausalito, Muir Woods, etc., than the Mystery House.

J62

Be prepared for chilly weather. Many travelers make the mistake of thinking June in Californa = warm weather.

It's an annual ritual - families from all over the world show up in SF in summer wearing shorts, tank tops and flip flops, then end up making a bee line to the Fisherman's Wharf gift shop to get their SF logo fleece jackets. Locals are dressed in long pants, long sleeves, and jackets.

november_moon

I agree with Monica about nixing the Winchester Mystery House. If you were going to be in SJ, I'd say consider it. But I wouldn't make a special trip to SJ to see it.

Is Alcatraz on your list of things to do in SF? It is really neat and your kids will probably like it.

Another thing that is fun are the staircase walks - there are several "streets" in SF that are staircases, which is unique. You can take a walking tour with SF City Guides or get a map and wander around on your own.

If your kids are interested in science, the Academy of Science has a great new facility in Golden Gate park. There are a lot of other neat things to see in Golden Gate park as well - the Japanese Tea Garden is popular, the DeYoung Museum is great, the park is also a great place to ride bikes and picnic.

janisj

I didn't think the Winchester Mystery house was a recommendation for while visiting SF. I assumed tovarich meant it as a stop on the way back from Monterey to SFO. Then it makes sense -- not as an excursion from SF.

I personally don't usually recommend the mystery house - but w/ teens it could make a fun detour on the way back north.

sf7307

>>

If you want to do Alcatraz (and I would), make reservations in advance. They're cancellable, and the tours do sell out.

BTW, I live very near the airport Embassy Suites and although it's perfectly nice, I wouldn't choose to "commute" on vacation either. It's easily a 30-35 minute drive into the city. However, if you do decide to stay there, check back here for restaurant recommendations -- there are loads of good restaurants nearby.

StuDudley

>>It's easily a 30-35 minute drive into the city.

suze

I LOVED the Winchester Mystery house. I saw it as a kid growing up in California. To this day I think about that place! It really made an impression on me (i was a little younger though, more like 10 or so). And no I wouldn't drive out of my way to see it, only if you're in the area.

Dayenu

Whatever you save on hotel, this we be "eaten up" by car rental, gas, and most of all, parking fees.

Look into getting 2 cheaper rooms or a suite in Van Ness - Lombard street area and buses.

lss1

definitely Alcatraz Tour...also have the children been to a Rainforest Cafe...it is a chain, but is pretty fun, reasonable and good

fshjones

Wow - this is great - this is my first time on this site and I love all of the feedback -

>> I would love to no where the stair case walks are - that sounds interesting -

I'm actually probably stuck in the Embassy Suites with the rent car since I went through hotwire - we will be up north for 2 nights, south in Monterey for 2 nights and 4 nights in SF - 1 day I would love to drive up to the wine country so basically that would leave 2 days in SF - i have heard that Muir Woods is great and will look into the Alcatraz Tour - I would still love suggestions on places to eat that are reasonable to feed a family of 5 - a good Seafood place

sf7307

I would love to no where the stair case walks are - that sounds interesting -

They're actually all over the city, it's not just a few or concentrated in a particular neighborhood. Take your pick:

http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/vallejostreet.htm

fshjones

Stu - I found your posts on a different forum and copied and pasted them - they were awesome!!

lss1

There are so many places at Fisherman's Wharf...that is where you would pick up the Alcatraz Tour, and I am sure the teenagers will enjoy "hanging out" there a bit...You will find seafood there...I took a group of high school seniors to SF a few years ago. We, too, stayed at Embassy b/c we needed the large suite accommodations. It was nice and the breakfast is always good. Of course, we chartered a bus for our transports into the city, so we didn't have to worry about transportation...We also visited Muir Woods, Golden Gate Park, Lombardy Street (the crooked street), and the little shopping area where Ghiradelli is located, took a cable car ride with commentary, so we got to see a lot...We went to Carmel, Pebble Beach, and Monterey...loved the Monterey Bay Aquarium and since they were high school students, it was nice to point out Cannery Row- where Steinbeck refers to in many of his writings...

fshjones

Iss1 - that sounds exactly the path we are taking except taking a trip up north - thanks for the suggestions - any suggestions on places to eat?