West coast options
 

My wife and i and son (22yrs old) are going to visit my mother in LasVegas. We will be in Vegas for 5days plus 2 travel days.
we are NewYorkers and dont get to the west coast often.
My wife and son are good walkers and would like to visit another city like SanFran or somewhere where the food is good. I know thats kinda vague :0)

Is fishermans wharf still a place to see, i was there 40 uears ago, my guess things have changed ???

When will this be?

oh sorry, first week or second week in august 2021

Locals here don't consider Fisherman's Wharf to be part of San Francisco. We reserve it for the tourists. Quite tacky. I've lived in/near SF since 1975, and the Wharf was much better in the 70s than it is now.

Here is something I posted quite a while ago.
https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/


Stu Dudley

Normally I'd invite you up to Seattle. But we're still not doing so good here with the Covid pandemic and all.

I think San Francisco is fun. I loved Fisherman's Wharf and riding the cable car. I grew up in Los Angeles. That and San Diego would be another option.

How many days would you have?

I think SF would be okay; as stated Fishermen's Wharf is pretty touristy, but there are plenty of other places to visit in the Bay Area, and access to good food is certainly not an issue (Covid restrictions notwithstanding, like anywhere.)

Ordinarily I'd recommend the Monterey Bay area for its wonderful variety for scenery, lovely towns, good food and wine, etc., but the second week in August is when Monterey Car Week occurs (numerous car shows etc.) and finding accommodation becomes very difficult and expensive throughout the region.

Coming from LV, I'd probably be looking at some location where you could get a respite from the August heat. SF would certainly qualify, and you could make it even better by spending some time on the coast north of the city. I might be inclined to fly into SFO, get a car (very pricey this year) and drive up the coast, maybe to Mendocino County or even up as far as the redwoods (around 4-5 hours from the Golden Gate along US 101.) You could even return with a stop or two in the wine country, maybe a night around Sonoma, where there are numerous opportunities for walking and eating well.

It will be warmer than SF (but nowhere near Las Vegas or even east coast heat and humidity) but I might also look at flying into Portland and touring around the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, and the Hood River Valley. This is a very scenic and diverse area with waterfalls, orchards, active water sports, fun museums and even a scenic stratovolcano where you can ride a chairlift up to the permanent ice fields on the side of the big mountain. Just for a thought experiment, look at these websites - Hood River Fruit Loop - and a very fun hotel/resort complex that might be right up your alley - McMenamin's Edgefield. You might also be able to find accommodation for a night or two out on the coast - look at Cannon Beach, Astoria and Ilwaco, WA, next to Cape Disappointment at the (awesome) mouth of the Columbia River. Google the places on this map to see what you think. https://goo.gl/maps/iSvff2DENd5f2aSr8

Of course you'll need to stay aware of restrictions or closures as the pandemic situation develops or (hopefully) recedes.

After Las Vegas I doubt Fisherman's Wharf would be "too tacky".

Thats funny and true.... but we’re visiting my mom, been there multiple times, might go try and catch the pawn shop boys at Gold&Silver

August isn't really a great time to visit the central/north coast for 'beachy' things. That is our hottest month -- which you'd think would be a good thing . . . Unfortunately the very hot inland temps often cause an inversion so when it is 95°, 100°, maybe 110°+ inland (totally normal) -- it can be 62° and foggy/crappy on the coast. But maybe after August in Las Vegas cool/cold/fog sounds good :)

Now -- the heat doesn't always cause cold/fog on the coast and sometimes it can be great, but that's unusual. Locals head to the coast in late Sept/Oct which is glorious - that's 'summer' on the pacific coast. We can always identify summer tourists in SF -- they are in shorts, blue knees . . . and brand new fleeces/sweatshirts >;)

But any time on the coast is great -- the redwoods are fabulous, the coast is beautiful. I'd probably fly to SFO or OAK or SMF and drive up to the north coast. Mendocino, Avenue of the Giants, Ferndale, Trinidad, the State and national redwood parks. The area will be massively less crowded than the Monterey Peninsula and the redwoods are fabulous whether is is sunny or fogged in.

https://www.littleriverinn.com
https://benbowinn.com
https://gingerbread-mansion.com

Good food is not a problem and the are good wineries and craft breweries throughout the region. Just a few to get you started:
https://www.pacificstarwinery.com
https://lostcoast.com
https://www.madriverbrewing.com

Sorry it just bugs me when "locals" talk down to visitors like that. Heck I could tell people not to go to the Space Needle here in Seattle I guess :-) but that wouldn't be good advice.

Who was talking down?? I just said what most people naturally assume is summer, ain't necessarily so on the eastern Pacific coast. I think I made it clear that the coast is great but maybe not if they are hoping for beachy/basking in the sun. If a local can't explain that who will?

I guess including not one but two smileys isn't enough . . . :(

How are you planning to get to San Francisco? It's quite a long way from Las Vegas. I would think this would be a great chance to go to the Grand Canyon, and the lovely towns of Flagstaff and Sedona. They are quite elevated, so are not terribly hot in the summer, and they are drivable from Vegas.

Info
 

any recommendations for lodging in SanFran

august 5-9 2021, once this is complete i can relax and reread all the touristy stuff

We were in SF at that time last August celebrating our 35th with friends. When we go up there with more than just the two of us (about once a year) we like to get a 2 bedroom suite at the Cow Hollow Inn. You'd appreciate it with an adult son, in the heart of the Marina district with good restaurants along Chestnut Street (on which the suites overlook) and on Union (the residential part) a few blocks south of Lombard. One of the best parts of the suites is that it has two full bathrooms in addition to a living room, dining area, and full kitchen.

You can catch the No. 30 Muni on Chestnut, which will take you down to Fisherman's Wharf area, then up Columbus through Little Italy, China town, and Union Square.

I've stayed here twice but it's been awhile ago now. It's a couple blocks off Union Square.

https://www.andrewshotel.info/

The farther away I get from Union Square, the more I enjoy San Francisco.

I would stay in the Union St/Cow Hollow & Marina area (Surfergirl's rec), or the foot of Market St at the Embarcadero.

Stu Dudley

I agree with Surfergirl. Union Square isn't the best right now and you probably aren't staying there to shop. Parking is going to be the biggest issue. If you won't keep the car, the Holiday Inn Express on Northpoint is another option. It's called the HI Fisherman's Wharf but isn't right at FW.

Disclosure: I stay at my sibling's house in Burlingame when I visit, usually go to Golden Gate Park and maybe the Mission district. Drive across the Golden Gate bridge and maybe visit the parks along the north and west edges, but I don't spend any time around Union Square anymore. When all of the restaurants in the Ferry Building were open, we would sometimes eat there (La Mar nearby has an outdoor patio)

There are also some nice beaches to visit south of San Francisco, as well as pedestrian streets in some of the South of San Francisco towns, so the question is, do you really need to stay in The City itself? During the pandemic summer I spent one night at a hotel in Redwood City, after taking a boat trip out of Half Moon Bay, since my family asked me not to spend the night after that trip with them.

Ya know . . . I might re-think things and go somewhere other than SF this summer. Down the coast to the Monterey area, or farther south like Santa Barbara, or maybe Sonoma County (besides the wines/vineyards, SC has a beautiful coast between Bodega Bay and Gualala). Any of those would be great. SF is just 'difficult' right now. The homeless problem can usually be overlooked/ignored but with the reduced numbers of tourists and downtown workers there are more in-your-face interactions and camps are set up on many sidewalks. I last stayed at the Sir Francis Drake and it was really disheartening. (I usually like to stay along the Embarcadero - often at the Hyatt for the views/Ferry Bldg/transport options but I wouldn't right now.)

San Francisco is not just Downtown/Union Square/Civic Center. That area has been a mess for a while, as have most downtown districts (including Seattle and Los Angeles). But there is no reason you can't enjoy the coastline from Marina Green and around to Fort Point, Bakers Beach, Lands End and across the Golden Gate to the Marin Headlands, Mill Valley, etc. . Just be aware that parking is always a problem on sunny days, and bring warm clothing. August CAN be very foggy although it is becoming less so.. (Fog is worst along the coast and Golden Gate Bridge can get socked in). But after Las Vegas you may enjoy the natural air conditioning. I always liked the sound of the fog horns at night.

PS the entire coastline can be foggy so going down to Carmel or Santa Barbara won't make much difference.