Hi

Me and my partner are going in to Frisco in October for 2 weeks and we've found an excellent hostel thats really good value for money but Im just wondering if anyone can recommend places to go & explore in San Francisco, I know of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge but Im curious to know what other places of interest there are.

Also does anyone know of the areas to avoid and what the weather is like in October time and what you can expect to pay for a meal over there and what is the standard tipping charge.

Ive also heard Frisco is quite expensive is this true?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Jo

I have been to San Fransisco and its great. I was rather young though. It was rather glum in the weather department though, (Smog).
A site I use:
www.virtualtourist.com
plenty of tips.

Hia,

You will have a FAB time in San Fran, it is one of my fave places in the world. Its gorgeous!

Weather - Take lots of different clothes and layers! San Fran is full of micro climates, so one minute you can be really warm, the next windy and cold and whatever the weather is doing, it is very cold on Alcatraz.

Things to do -
Defo take a walk over the golden gate - its gorgeous, Try walking or cycling from Fishermans Wharf, but don't be fooled, it can be quite a hike, espesh if its warm.

Do Alcatraz by night - good fun and rather spooky.

Ride the trams - wicked fun!

There are loads of museums and general gorgeousness, just do it all!

Hire a harley and take a trip out for a day - excellent fun!

Get one of the guide books for San Fran and explore as much of it as you can.

Eating and drinking can be expensive - same as any big city to be honest, but there are deals to be had too. The chowder is gorgoeus"


Have a fab time, I'm dead jealous!

x

I love San Francisco. Sadly it is true though, it is fairly expensive. If you can get out of the city itself, I would highly recommend getting out to some beaches on the California coast, and for the ultimate trip, to Yosemite which is absolutely breathtaking. The city itself is great, you should do Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39 (sealions and pelicans and great views of Alcatraz). You also have to ride on the running board of a cable car (v. scary!) and walk all the way up Nob Hill (the name is no joke).

San Francisco is one of my favourite cities - been there loads of times. Some stuff to do, relatively cheaply:

Ride the cable cars to Fishermans's Wharf
Spend time exploring the Wharf area, especially the old ships and the submarine that you can walk round, USS Pamanito
Go and see the SeaLions at Pier 39
Eat a bowl of Clam Chowder in a Sour Bread bowl
Look round the shops in Ghiradelli Square
Go to Chinatown - under the Chinese Gate and then explore the shops during the day, and the restuarants for relatively cheap meals at night
Walk round Little Italy and see the coffee shops and the book shops (City Lights is a must) where the beat generation hung out
Go up Coit Tower for a fantastic view of the City
Visit the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park
Hire a bike and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to the beautiful town of Sausalito and then get the ferry back


Some of the tours you can book from the Wharf area are very good. Alcatraz is a must, but there's a good one to the Redwoods, and some round the Wine country north of SF, and the one to Monterey is also good.

Take a mixture of clothes ,and just enjoy yourself!

Chris

PS Don't call it Frisco - the locals hate it!

Hire a bike and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to the beautiful town of Sausalito and then get the ferry back. Chris
You could also get a bus to the south side of the bridge, walk across the bridge, and then taking the minor road which branches off to the right after the car park walk, down to Sausalito (about 1.5 miles from the bridge). Sausalito is a nice, refined little harbour town with some cafes and restaurants on the front. As Chris mentions, you can then get the ferry back to SF, passing Alcatraz.
The Wells Fargo bank/museum (Montgomery St) has a western carriage you can sit in.
There's a trendy bar/nightlife in the suburbs - around Union St (Cow Hollow) I think - but you'd need to check that.
San Francisco is a nice city, with more a European feel than most American cities.

Thanks for all the info that was great and really informative theres so much to see and do and it looks like we will be pretty busy during our 2 week stay.

Looks like I better start saving.

And sorry I called it Frisco I was being lazy I couldnt be arsed to type San Francisco. :)

Jo

Go up to Twin Peaks.

Near 360 degree view of the city
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks_%28San_Francisco%29

If you’re going to San Francisco, Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. If you’re going to San Francisco, You’re gonna meet some gentle people there.

Scott MKenzie has left the building:)

He talks of San Francisco, he's from Hunter's Bar
I don't quite know the distance
But I'm sure that's far
I'm sure that's pretty far :huh:

Just thought of something else.

There's a great restuarant called "The Stinking Rose". A garlic restuarant - they even sell garlic ice cream!
http://www.thestinkingrose.com/

After you've been and eaten, come out and cross the road and go into the bar called The Saloon, immediately opposite. Sit at the bar, order a beer, and listen to some great live blues music.

Oh, I'm jealous, want to go back soon.....

Hi Jo,

Wonderful suggestions from everyone! The weather in Northern California in October is glorious. But it can change very fast, as others have said. Remember, the Donner Party was trapped by early snow in the Sierras in late October. :o And didn't get out till the next spring, so watch the weather if you're going to be outdoors.

San Francisco is expensive. Nowhere in California is cheap, but the Bay Area is especially bad.

For lunch or dinner in San Francisco, try Tadich Grill. This place has been around since the Gold Rush days. 140 years. Not a long time to you Brits, but an eon to us yanks. Especially those of us on the west coast. Nothing is old here or stays the same for very long.

http://dinesite.com/info/rstrnt-299683/??&t=0

Tipping is about 15-20% of the total bill depending on the service. Check your bill to make sure the tip hasn't already been added. No need to tip twice. Alot of places will just add a tip if they see the customers are foreigners. Not to cheat you, but in some countries, tipping is non-existent and people don't realize they're supposed to leave a tip. If something isn't right about your meal, speak up! Don't be rude of course, not that you would anyway, but you'd be surprised at how restaurant staff or managers will give you free desserts, free drinks, or a free meal by way of apology. We yanks overdo everything.

If you can, visit Mission Dolores and the small cemetary there. It was featured in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Vertigo.

http://www.missiondolores.org/#

http://www.mistersf.com/cinema/index.html?cinvertigo.htm

The missions are an integral part of California's history, and well worth seeing. My maternal grandmother went to mass here every.single.day. Well into her 80's. There were 21 missions founded by the Spanish. Mi abuela loved Dolores, but my favorite is Mission San Jose at the foot of Mission Blvd. in Fremont, Ca. In college, I lived in a rickety building overlooking the cemetery there. Yeah, it was QUIET.

http://www.inn-california.com/sanfrancisco/Alameda/MissionSanJose.html

To see Chinatown, walk. The traffic is unbelievable. There are walking tours available. But what's to stop you from just walking on your own? Heh.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/sanfrancisco/0029020033.html

If you'll be at the Golden Gate (GG) bridge anyway, visit Fort Point. All of this is run by the National Park Service.

http://www.nps.gov/fopo/pphtml/planyourvisit.html

http://www.nps.gov/goga/home.htm

Fort Point is at the base of the GG Bridge. It started out as a military installation in part to defend against, hold onto your hats, the British! Who wanted to claim San Francisco. Bwahahahahaaa! So they say anyway.

If you are visiting California, I implore you to rent a car and see the rest of the Bay Area. So many people just come to see San Francisco and never realize what lies just beyond the city. I was born and grew up there, and it is one of the most interesting places on the planet. But I'm biased. ;)

The city of Oakland is a short drive across the Bay Bridge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco-Oakland_Bay_Bridge

Or, like alot of locals, if you don't want to drive, you can take the Alameda/Oakland ferry to various destinations. Check out their website.

http://www.eastbayferry.com/

If you have time, visit the city of Alameda, an island literally within sight of San Francisco. The husband and I lived there when we were first married, and we wanted to stay, but real estate prices were just too much. When our kids were small, a trip to Ole's Waffle Shop on Park Street for breakfast was a special treat for them. We haven't been there in awhile, but it's an old fashioned american diner, with terrific omelets, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, burgers, fries and steaks.

http://bayarea.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/dsc06920.JPG

If you are so inclined, you can also visit the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier, I think. Docked at Alameda Point.

http://www.uss-hornet.org/

Oakland is considered "working class" and San Francisco's ugly step-sister, except for the hills, covered with multi-million dollar homes with multi-million dollar views of the Bay. But Oakland is a cool place all on it's own. Home to the Oakland Raiders, it has it's own thriving Chinatown. Eat at Tin's Tea House on Webster Street. Great dim sum, and alot less than you will pay in touristy San Francisco. Hey. October is baseball season. Take in an A's game while you're there.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=oak

http://www.oaklandnet.com/

http://www.tinsteahouse.com/

Lots to see and do at Jack London Square. Named for? Um, I'm not sure...:P

http://www.jacklondonsquare.com/

The Oakland Museum has wonderful exhibits on California's history.

http://www.museumca.org/

Get a picnic lunch and relax in the sun at Lake Merritt. Rent a kayak, and paddle around. Oakland is spared San Francisco's fog, and has true Bay Area weather.

http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/parks/lakemerritt.asp

IMHO, the Oakland Airport beats the hell out of SFO. It's smaller, easier to navigate, the people are friendly and parking is cheaper. Whenever we fly it's ALWAYS out of Oakland. Always.

Go south to Silicon Valley and the city of San Jose. You can visit the Winchester Mystery House.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Mystery_House

http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

Don't get me wrong, I feel for Sarah Winchester, she lost both her husband and her only child. But the woman was a nut. A insanely rich nut, but a nut nonetheless. It's said she slept in a different room every night to confuse the spirits of those her husband's guns had killed. She was also obligated to provide a place for the spirits as well. Hence the construction that continued for over 35 years until her death. With all her $$$$, who was gonna disagree with her or tell her she was crazy?

If you drive south along Hwy 101 http://www.us-101.com/ stop in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Cambria, Hearst Castle, too many to list. I don't want to give you directions because who knows what roads will be closed, or will be closed with detours thanks to Cal Trans? And you'll be cursing me.

If you're feeling adventurous, visit the Gold Country, http://www.calgold.org/ or Sacramento, which is California's capitol, and an interesting place. Especially Old Town. Who knows, you may see our Terminator governor. :D

More tips on west coast travel from another thread. Scroll up to see my post on the Blue Angels, Alcatraz, and Fleet Week.

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=843646#post843646

Whew. I'm tired. You and your partner have a wonderful time and a safe trip home. If I can be of any assistance, just pm me.

:) Sierra

PS Don't call it Frisco - the locals hate it!

Thanks, clogginchris. :hihi: If you didn't say it, I was gonna have to.

I've been a couple of times in October and would echo what everyone has said about the changeable weather - take a bag out with you in the day thats big enough to put a jumper or jacket in cos at some point you'll need it, and other times it'll be gloriously sunny.
A couple of (very touristy) things to do that I loved are taking a trip down the pacific highway to monterey and carmel - make sure you grab seats on the right hand side of the bus for the views! Also I'd recommend some time mooching round Haight-Ashbury round all the bookshops and boutiques if thats something that would interest you. If you eat seafood (I don't, but still loved it) there's a restaurant at fisherman's wharf called the Fransiscan, virtually all glass so it has stunning views over the bay, and the fish eaters I was with said that the seafood was excellent.
Didn't notice if anyone else mentioned this, but whilst you are at fisherman's wharf, watch out for the bushman.........

Take a trip into the wine making regions Napa and Sonoma - its a fantasticly beautiful region.

That was some fantastic advice Sierra thank you, and thank you everyone, I cant wait to relay this all back to my boyfriend he is going to be well impressed.

Thanks you all

Jo

The tram museum is good and it's free

Hi Jo,
Remember, the Donner Party was trapped by early snow in the Sierras in late October. :o And didn't get out till the next spring, so watch the weather if you're going to be outdoors.


Hey Sierra

I doubt that many people in the UK are aware of what happened to the Donner Party. I certainly had never heard of them until I worked on a video game that included their frozen, partially eaten (cannibal) corpses!

San Francisco was the second US city I visited after NY (this is before I moved to the 'States).

My memories of that trip are getting wasted at a goth club and a seagull dumping on my colleague. Perhaps that doesn't sound good to others, but I had a whale of a time there.

Another time I went, I met a stripper from Sheffield who used to go to King Teds! She offered me a lap dance, but being a Myers Grove boy, I had to decline.

Umm...I'm not painting a good picture here am I? Poop, alcohol and strippers.

I really am quite cultured - honest! :P

I went thinking "California - it'll be warm and sunny!". Summer can actually be pretty cold due to the fog - so I was a bit nipply. Be sure to have some warmer clothes as Sierra suggests.

Of course - the seafood is awesome. There are plenty of places down by the water to check out. Oh and if you get chance and fancy some great steak - head over to a restaurant called 'Ruth's Chris'. I think there's supposed to be even better somewhere, but every time I go to Ruth's Chris, I cannot believe that a cow can taste so good. Poor cow. :(

SF is a great place - certainly more compact with more things in easy reach than LA. It's definately one of my favorite US cities. Enjoy!

Hey Sierra

I doubt that many people in the UK are aware of what happened to the Donner Party. I certainly had never heard of them until I worked on a video game that included their frozen, partially eaten (cannibal) corpses!

San Francisco was the second US city I visited after NY (this is before I moved to the 'States).

My memories of that trip are getting wasted at a goth club and a seagull dumping on my colleague. Perhaps that doesn't sound good to others, but I had a whale of a time there.

Another time I went, I met a stripper from Sheffield who used to go to King Teds! She offered me a lap dance, but being a Myers Grove boy, I had to decline.

Umm...I'm not painting a good picture here am I? Poop, alcohol and strippers.

I really am quite cultured - honest! :P

I went thinking "California - it'll be warm and sunny!". Summer can actually be pretty cold due to the fog - so I was a bit nipply. Be sure to have some warmer clothes as Sierra suggests.

Of course - the seafood is awesome. There are plenty of places down by the water to check out. Oh and if you get chance and fancy some great steak - head over to a restaurant called 'Ruth's Chris'. I think there's supposed to be even better somewhere, but every time I go to Ruth's Chris, I cannot believe that a cow can taste so good. Poor cow. :(

SF is a great place - certainly more compact with more things in easy reach than LA. It's definately one of my favorite US cities. Enjoy!


WHAT.

There is a video game about the Donner Party?! With their frozen, cannibalized corpses?! For real? Why am I not surprised? Awww heck! Why not?! Everything is fodder for video games these days. People in the UK have never heered tell of the Donner Party? Are you sure?

Should we tell 'em?

Ok. Since headup spilled the beans, this really happened folks. This group of people came by wagon train from Independence, Missouri in 1846. This was a common starting point for wagon trains. Today, the St. Louis Arch in Missouri symbolizes the "gateway to the west".

After making their way halfway across the country, surving an indian attack or three, crossing deserts, mountains, enduring thirst, hunger, and a cholera outbreak, they finally made it to the Sierra Nevada mountains. California was just on the other side. But the weather was so nice, and they were so tired, they stopped to rest. And dallied too long. The snows came early that year, and the rest is history.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/donner/

There is the diary of Patrick Breen, who was one of the survivors. Which makes for interesting, if depressing reading. It looks like the pages are all out of order.

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/images/ark:/13030/tf10000759

And of course! How could I forget Ruth's Chris Steak House? The lamb chops are good too.

http://www.ruthschris.com/

I feel funny talking about steak and the Donner Party in the same post. :gag:

My father always used the story about "those poor bast*rds in the Donner Party" to illustrate his point about "not wasting time, g*dammit!"

And, as you can see from headup's post, if you want, you can certainly find, er, a good time in San Francisco. There is a thriving red light district, but you won't get directions from me. I figured most people just wanted to see the sights. And this is a family forum.

Sounds like YOU certainly had a good time there headup. And you remembered at least some of it. :hihi:

:) Sierra

I've only been once, but it was fun, it's such a small city we just walked everywhere. It feels a lot safer than L.A. (it might not be but thats the feel you get). We did all the touristy things like the trams, Alcatraz, the Museum Of Modern Art, Coit tower, GG bridge, Giardellis (spelling?) chocolate factory, the piers etc, but some of the less touristy bits are just as interesting.

p.s. The Castro area was ok, but a bit too over the top tourist trap "look at the fags in their fag village" for my liking, the better clubs and pubs (if thats your bag) are south of Market Street.

I went to SF a few years ago with a previous partner. it was a lovely city to visit

my highlight was a sea plane trip over the golden gate bridge
it wasnt that expensive! you can get the plane from fisherman's walf!

also we had a few drinks at the cocktail bar called top of the mark, it was lovely and overlooked the bay

have a great time

of the 'big five' great coastal cities of the world (SF, Vancouver, Rio, Sydney, and Cape Town) Cape Town is by far the most beautiful. Different class.

San Francisco is a great city and I really enjoyed being there. However, it has a higher than average population of homeless people, commonly known as 'panhandlers'. They can be pretty brazen when asking for money, to the point where it becomes very annoying.

There are also areas that you might not want to visit after dark, I think it's called the Tenderloin district. Seemed fine during the day but after dark it took on a very different atmosphere. Please don't let that put your off, as I said before it really is a great city.


For a little boost after a long flight, try a piece of cheesecake in the Macy's restaurant, they're huge ....:)

they reckon the (short) skyscrapers are immune from earthquakes, but I'm not sure I believe them.

that's where you want to be though if there is a quake on the Bay - up one of the big blocks. What a spectacle. Enjoying a cocktail as the sun goes down, you'll be able to watch all the other tall buildings quiver and shake. You'll think that one of them is definitely going, and just hope to hell yours, the one you definitely cannot see, isn't shaking worse than theirs.

No, but I've been to San Lorenzo's, hope this is of some help.

The great thing about SF is its compactness and its excellent public transport system.I enjoyed visiting its Chinatown and the quay-side,but this was some time ago.It is avery liberal city and some peoples' conduct may shock the prurient,although I enjoyed the spectacle.

"Better wear a flower in your hair" but dont bother going to Haight-Ashbury. They've all gone long ago. Nowaday's they'll just think your Gay :hihi:

"Better wear a flower in your hair" but dont bother going to Haight-Ashbury. They've all gone long ago. Nowaday's they'll just think your Gay :hihi:

Even if worn by women?

Oooh, am so envious, I love San Francisco. When I went, which is about 15 years ago, the queues for Alcatraz were phenomenal. We were advised to book in advance which we did, we went down to Fisherman's Wharf and did it late morning and tickets for that day were already sold out by noon. I'm sure that they can be easily booked online as this was before the internet boom.

I would definitely, as others have advised, travel around California, there are some great suggestions. We did the Highway 1 road trip, Big Sur, Carmel, Santa Barbara etc, all stunning. Sadly we ran out of time to do Yosemite but managed the redwood forest and did the Death Valley, Vegas, Grand Canyon drive which I would highly recommend.

Prices must have gone up sine I was there as it was very cheap in my view, although I did live in London at the time. The food is fabulous too. Have a wonderful trip.

Even if worn by women?

You could hold a flower between your teeth and dance to a Mexican Mariachi band on Knob Hill

Eee yee ya ya ! Con es luna que tiene !

Nobody's mentioned SF's Chinatown. IMO the best on the west coast and probably the east coast as well

Nobody's mentioned SF's Chinatown. IMO the best on the west coast and probably the east coast as well

The best Chinese food that I ever had was there. I stuffed my face for the 2 weeks we were in the States. We did do a 10 mile hike in Havasu canyon but that alone cannot account for how I somehow managed to lose weight despite huge meals and all American breakfasts every morning.:huh:

The best Chinese food that I ever had was there. I stuffed my face for the 2 weeks we were in the States. We did do a 10 mile hike in Havasu canyon but that alone cannot account for how I somehow managed to lose weight despite huge meals and all American breakfasts every morning.:huh:

MSG is ACE!! :hihi:

The best Chinese food that I ever had was there. I stuffed my face for the 2 weeks we were in the States. We did do a 10 mile hike in Havasu canyon but that alone cannot account for how I somehow managed to lose weight despite huge meals and all American breakfasts every morning.:huh:

Chinese food isn't fattening. I can stuff myself silly at an "all you can eat buffet" and never gain a pound. Four hours later I'm hungry again. As for the other food I eat while on vacation I feel I need a stomach enema after two weeks and the grease seems to be permanently stuck to my tonsils and palet and no amount of mouthwash and gargles seems to get rid of it.

I'm just used to my wife's good wholesome and healthy home cooking after 38years

Chinese food isn't fattening. I can stuff myself silly at an "all you can eat buffet" and never gain a pound. Four hours later I'm hungry again. As for the other food I eat while on vacation I feel I need a stomach enema after two weeks and the grease seems to be permanently stuck to my tonsils and palet and no amount of mouthwash and gargles seems to get rid of it.

I'm just used to my wife's good wholesome and healthy home cooking after 38years

I didn't solely eat Chinese food! Chinese food here is fattening, it's full of oil and sugar. I had blueberry muffins and pancake stacks with gallons of maple syrup every morning and lost weight.:confused:

I didn't solely eat Chinese food! Chinese food here is fattening, it's full of oil and sugar. I had blueberry muffins and pancake stacks with gallons of maple syrup every morning and lost weight.:confused:

It's full of MSG!! Jesus! :gag:

It's full of MSG!! Jesus! :gag:

I haven't eaten Chinese in years. I OD'd on it as a student.:gag:

I didn't solely eat Chinese food! Chinese food here is fattening, it's full of oil and sugar. I had blueberry muffins and pancake stacks with gallons of maple syrup every morning and lost weight.:confused:

Yech! That's even worse than the breakfasts i eat on holiday. I'll go for a ham, cheese and sausage omlette with a side order of corn beef hash and French toast.
I cant stand anything doused in syrup. Sickly is the word that comes to mind It seems to be the favourite of many Americans however.
Count yourself very lucky you managed to preserve your figure but losing weight? :huh:
Not bulemic right? :) Just Kidding !

I haven't eaten Chinese in years. I OD'd on it as a student.:gag:

Good to hear! MSG is a chemical that rots the liver or something :gag: :D

Yech! That's even worse than the breakfasts i eat on holiday. I'll go for a ham, cheese and sausage omlette with a side order of corn beef hash and French toast.
I cant stand anything doused in syrup. Sickly is the word that comes to mind It seems to be the favourite of many Americans however.
Count yourself very lucky you managed to preserve your figure but losing weight? :huh:
Not bulemic right? :) Just Kidding !

Oh!! What's 'french toast', a really crap take on french cars? Like, it never gets warm? :D

Oh!! What's 'french toast', a really crap take on french cars? Like, it never gets warm? :D

It's a kind of toast fried in butter but maybe a better description would be a heart attack special. Fortunately this and corn beef hash are things I only eat away from home but they do taste good If you've seen a bath tub with a lring of grease around it that's what my mouth feels like after a week or two of that stuff.
Restaurants here show a calorie count against each item on a food menu. If you read them instead of sensibly ignoring them you might end up a slavvering, pitiful, whimpering creature picking miserably at an asparagus salad and retrun home after the holidays as foul tempered as a bear with a sore ass :hihi:

It's a kind of toast fried in butter but maybe a better description would be a heart attack special. Fortunately this and corn beef hash are things I only eat away from home but they do taste good If you've seen a bath tub with a lring of grease around it that's what my mouth feels like after a week or two of that stuff.
Restaurants here show a calorie count against each item on a food menu. If you read them instead of sensibly ignoring them you might end up a slavvering, pitiful, whimpering creature picking miserably at an asparagus salad and retrun home after the holidays as foul tempered as a bear with a sore ass :hihi:

Like 'lurpack' here then! I love the stuff!! I want that menu right now . . . . :(

the worst Thai meal I ever had in my life was in the Mission district of SF. We refused to pay for the food it was that bad, except for just the rice, which we ate because we were starving.

but that was a total fluke and my friend who'd been to the same restaraunt numerous times before with no complaint, couldn't understand it. Usually it's definitely a good place to find good quality, inexpensive food.