Pat

We are taking a cruise in Sept. with a 1 1/2 day stopover in San Francisco. We will be docking at Pier 35, Fisherman's Wharf. Can anyone suggest what to see - what not to miss? It will have to be accessible to where we dock, or with reasonable accessible transportation nearby. We do want to see Alcatraz Island. Any ideas would be appreciated.

kam

The actual tours onto Alcatraz leave from Pier 41 or 43---anyone can tell you on the Wharf. Go early and get your tickets because it is very popular. Rent heatsets which will give you a historical perspective of the island, wear a jacket and sneakers as the footing is not good. The other very SF thing to do is to book tickets for "Beach Blanket Babylon"--a high energy. SF, cabaret show which I cannot begin to describe to you but wild and silly and very SF institution. It's at the Club Fugazi (Powell and Columbus) in North Beach,not far from your ship's pier (take a taxi). Call (415) 421-4222 at least 4 weeks in advance for tickets. Before you can have dinner in North Beach which is SF's Little Italy---Moose's, Washington Square B&G, or Rose Pistola if you can get a res. That plus a few cable car rides and a trip down to see Ghiaradelli are all you are going to have time for. BTW, Pier 39 is Disney---very touristy--don't stick around. Have fun. Sorry you have so little time.

kam

P.S. My son who frequently takes friends up to the city tells me it is the Red and White Ferry Fleet and they leave from Pier 41---walking distance for you. He says it's worth it, even in iffy weather!

S.Entwistle

The Cable Car Museum, Chinatown if you're into Asian stuff, North Beach district is good for italian food. If you're into swing music, there's a lot of great clubs in SF. Check out www.NCLS.com for a listing of events.

Paul Rabe

People who've spent any time in or near SF know this so well, it's easy to forget not everyone is aware of this. While in SF, buy some sourdough bread: it's the best sourdough I've found! One of my grandest memories of visiting SF is munching on this bread while holding onto the cable car ring with one hand!

Ray Russ

Well, being a resident here for the past decade I suggest the following:
1) Palace of Fine Arts/Exploratorium
2) Golden Gate Park-specifically the Asian Museum and the Museum of Science and Man
3) Muir Woods (across the Golden Gate bridge)
4) The Sunday "beer bash" at the Lone Star Saloon on Harrison & 9th. Great for laughs when the crowd starts to lossen up and they have the gerbil packing contest (use your imagination).

Enjoy your stay..

kam

You're right, Paul, we do forget about our sourdough bread--would you believe we live here and nobody in our house likes sourdough??? Only my mom in Pennsylvania who would kill for it. Anyway, the real tourist thing is the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl---you can get it everywhere along the Wharf. Warning---it's not crab season, so those guys you see the tourists munching on have been living in captivity for awhile or they come from farther north of here! Have fun!

Polly

Someone help me out here. Can't remember how to find this place, but in Chinatown there is a fortune cookie factory that will let you watch them make these little morsels...as long as you don't take pictures. I found it via one of the tour books...Fodor's? Frommer's? AAA? Can't remember which. Very interesting. Does anyone know how to find it?

Joyce Drummond

Have been to San Francisco a number of times. I love to stroll thru Pier 39 and look at all the shops and they have a lovely carousel (sp?). Also, one of my favorite chinese restaurants anywhere is Kan's in Chinatown. Not too expensive, even. As others have said, the Alcatraz tour is pretty interesteing, too.

ray seva

Yeah...that fortune cookie company is on Stockton Street, between Pacific & Clay. I forgot the name, but I"ve been there lotsa times (one of those places I just know about w/o bothering to remember the name; beside, it's in Chinese). It's really neat; very cheap...and they even "customize" messages.

Doris

After all that sightseeing, stop for an irish coffee at the Buena Vista. Yum!

Whitney

I too loved Alcatraz, Pier 39, and the Buena Vista. I would stay away from Muir Woods unless you're a real nature lover - it's just really big trees. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company (Forrest Gump themed) restaurant at the very end of Pier 39 is fun and has great food. Ghirardelli Square has some upscale shopping and a store that sells their delicious chocolate. Bring a jacket, as it is around 60-70 degrees even in August.

Pat

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions. I'm sure we will enjoy our visit - short as it is. I know we want to come back for a longer visit and see everything everyone has recommended!

MAG

I went too. Was in Frommer's California 92 guide. It's the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Company, 56 Ross St. "It's a tiny place, where a single woman sits at the end of a conveyer belt and folds messages into the warm cookies." Previous location (leading to the shop) said, "Ross Alley, a passage connecting Washington St. & Jackson St. Along the left-hand side of this alley are a number of Chinese sweat shops, hiding behind boarded-up screen doors - an eery reminder of the bad old days. Toward the end of the block is the Golden Gate Fortune Cookies Company.

I went in 1992 so no idea what it's like now. Have fun!

CCB

If you're up for it and the skies are clear (although some fog could actually give a dramatic effect), you should walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. The view there is pretty spectacular, and you can walk off the calories from eating all that sourdough bread. And Masa's is really as good as they say it is -- you don't just eat there, it's a real dining experience. You'll need reservations.

Joe

You shouldn't miss visiting the Marina district. It's wonderful place spend an afternoon. Plenty of shops and scenic walking paths. Reserve a table for dinner at Plumpjacks. The food is as good as it gets in the Bay.

Peggy

We are natives of San F. and find it interesting to read of all various suggestions. Most are free or low cost. We feel a tour around the city would give you a good birds eye view from many of the hills. Ocean Beach is good to see or touch if you haven't been to the Pacific. Golden Gate park has many beautiful spots depending on your liking. Flower gardens, Japanese Tea Garden for Tea, DeYoung Museum or Aquarium.. Bagels from the House of Bagels on Geary St. in the Richmond district is a tasty treat with salmon from the deli just a few doors away in the next block west. Take it into the G.G. Park for a picnic.

Alcatraz is the least expensive way to see the City from the bay and the excursion there is well worth the time spent. My husband's grandparents met there just after The Quake of '04. It was a Military base then and he a pharmacist there. She came with a boat of other girls to the USO dance.

Enjoy yourselves... anything you do there will be a great memory in a most beautiful city!