PromoTheRobot Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Any Bay area folks want to give me some "must see, must do" ideas while I'm visiting? The Giants are out of town so that's out. (Guaranteed if I come to town the ball club is on the road.) I do plan on having dim sum at least once. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Any Bay area folks want to give me some "must see, must do" ideas while I'm visiting? The Giants are out of town so that's out. (Guaranteed if I come to town the ball club is on the road.) I do plan on having dim sum at least once. PTR My mom visits in October and I really want to go to the California Academy Of Science when she does. It's new and supposed to be really nice. I actually first heard of it when I saw the construction of it featured on one of those shows on TLC or Discovery. Extreme Engineering or something like that. http://www.calacademy.org/ Also, go eat here http://www.scomas.com/ Obviously, if it were fall or winter I would say head down to San Jose to catch the Sharks but oh well. Also, if you want a little drive, Monterey/ Carmel is nice. You can visit Pebble Beach if you like golf and you are into $150 lunches! 17 Mile Drive is also something else if you want to see where some real old money hangs out. Anyway, a couple of my favorite places and one that I want to visit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 (Links provided) Drive down the crooked part of Lombard Street ("The 'Crookedest' Street in the World") - or take the Hyde Street cable car to the top of Lombard and stroll downhill to North Beach - on the way, be sure to light a candle at The Senator's old house (#1025 Lombard). In North Beach - stop at the North Star (SF Bills Backers Bar). Have a focaccia sandwich at Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store. Stop in at City Lights Books and Vesuvio's - the birthplace of the beatnik movement. Pier 23 has a nice Sunday afternoon happy hour. Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista Cafe is a must, as are drinks at The Dirty Martini. BTW- North Beach/Grant & Green St. area has a bunch of great blues bars. In the Union Square area, drinks at the Top of the Mark provide a great vista - on a clear day, that is. Drinks in the lobby bar of the Westin St. Francis - where they literally used to wash all their coins so they wouldn't soil the ladies white gloves - are a pleasant take, or walk a few doors down and around the block to Lefty O-Doul's or Gold Dust Lounge. I think the Beach Chalet (microbrewery/resaurant) at the edge of Golden Gate Park is still open, and the Cliff House and Sutro Baths ruins are an interesting interesting bit of EssEff history. A stroll from Ocean Beach thru GG Park will land you around the Panhandle and Haight Street - truly a vestige of an era-gone-by. If you're at all adventurous, try the Noc Noc Club - just be mindful of your surroundings at night. Another interesting place in The Haight is the Persian Aub Zam Zam, where the bartender used to throw you out if he didn't like your looks, attitude, or you ordered something that took too much work to mix... link (Don't worry, he's dead now.) If you are really, really daring, do what the natives do... Bondage-A-Go-Go (I'd avoid the Castro neighborhood and any bars named Uranus, Glory Hole, End Up, The White Swallow, etc.) Of course, you could just be boring and do the traditional stuff, which is great too - Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, Union Square, the cable cars, steak dinner at Alfred's, lunch at Tadich Grill, etc. Pier 39 and the barking sea lions are a fun sight. I do highly recommend a ferry to Tiburon (more than Sausalito) - stop at Guayma's for some mexican food on the water overlooking the SF skyline (the ferry drops you right at the restaurant),l then head to Sam's Anchor Cafe for 'refreshments'. Pebble Beach/Monterey is beautiful, but about a 2-hour ride. Going to wine country at all? (That'll require another post.) And, if you're really into MLB, the Oakland A's and the Coliseum are just a BART ride away (the Tigers are in town this weekend) - Jack London Square is nice over on that side of the bay, and Heinold's First & Last Chance Saloon is unique! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 This is what I used to do when I visited and what I enjoy doing today now that I live here. Go to the city and just hike around it. Take the old trolleys (stay off the cable cars...$5 to go up a hill ) they're very neat. They've purchased and restored all these trolleys from all over the world. They have a bunch of them but rotate them out every day which ones they're going to use so there's always different ones out there, it's really cool Enjoy the architecture of all the older buildings and people watch. Hit the cafes in North Beach for a glass of wine and some appetizers. It really depends on what you like. I love wine so Napa or Sonoma was a must. We're going to Napa this Saturday and I've planned out a very detailed trip. If you want dim sum there's a place near me called Yank Sing, it's not in China Town but it is very good. Also if you're there on a Saturday, you need to head to the Ferry Building for the Farmers Market. Stay away from: Fisherman's Warf. Not that impressive and it's loaded with idiot tourists...which I know you're not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Stay away from: Fisherman's Warf. Not that impressive and it's loaded with idiot tourists...which I know you're not. Wait a minute...he's going to be a tourist, and he's definitely an idiot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 The view isn't that good right now. Took my niece to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose today. Hard to see the nearby mountains because of the smoke in the air from the nearby fires. When I have a job in SF, I take the BART and Muni (city transportation system). The Muni says that a bus or trolley line is within three blocks of anyplace in SF. Stay away from the Tenderloin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Hey Promo - if you're there today, you may get to see Lombard Street like few have the chance... Stroll Down Lombard Street to CandyLand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Hey Promo - if you're there today, you may get to see Lombard Street like few have the chance... Stroll Down Lombard Street to CandyLand I saw that in the Chronicle today. I thought you told him not to go the the Castro?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I saw that in the Chronicle today. I thought you told him not to go the the Castro?? Or - at least - if he drops his keys, be sure to kick them all the way back home before bending over to pick them up! (Promo - Lombard/Russian Hill is nowhere hear The Castro, aka 'BoysTown') Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 FYI San Francisco (outside the Castro) is not full of gays walking hand in hand. Bums urinating in doorways, yes, gays flaunting it, no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UB2SF Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 You can't go wrong with driving north across the Golden Gate Bridge, visitng Muir Woods, and heading up the mountain to the home of the best view in the Bay Area, the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais. Some other "only in the Bay Area" attractions: - A stroll down Haight Street - A drive to the top of Twin Peaks - The Mission District for the best burritos in the world - Dinner and dessert in North Beach - An excursion to Sonoma/Napa for the wine & scenery Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 FYI San Francisco (outside the Castro) is not full of gays walking hand in hand. This is true - in other parts of the city, they walk each other on leashes... Folsom Street Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 FYI San Francisco (outside the Castro) is not full of gays walking hand in hand. Bums urinating in doorways, yes, gays flaunting it, no. Yeah and the bums piss all over the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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