OT - San Francisco trip help

[quiltymom]

Hello! I'll be joining my DH on Thursday evening in San Francisco (without kids!) after his week-long conference is over, and returning home via red-eye late Saturday night. We'll be staying at a hotel across the street from the Civic Center and will have both BART and cable car access, but we will not have a car. Now, what should we do?

It's been years since I've been there, so it will be like seeing it for the first time. I love the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate park, but I'm afraid it would be a costly taxi ride, so I can skip it. And, of course, there's Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39 and Fisherman's Warf, any of which we can hit or miss.

So, fellow DISsers, any opintions on how we should spend our time? We've already checked on the Giants - they'll be on the road.

Any thoughts will be very appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

[noryglory]

I have no idea how far either of these are from the civic center, but you gotta take the boat ride over to Alcatraz and do the tour there. A must if you've never done it. I think the boats depart for Fisherman's Wharf area and usually you need to book the boat trip in advance as it's a popular tour. Get the headphones if they aren't included, it really helps you understand what you're seeing.

I also like the Museum of Modern Art. The SF Zoo is pretty awesome. And don't forget shopping at Union Square!!

Whatever you do have fun!! San Francisco is so great.

 

[boosmom96]

If you're staying near the Civic Center you are very close to the Asian Art Museum. I don't think it would be too expensive to taxi to the park. The DeYoung Museum and the Aquarium are both closed, but the Japanese Tea Garden is open. The Farmer's Market Saturday morning is alot of fun. It's at the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero. You can take a ferry from there to Sausalito and walk around. Lots of great restaurants! You can always walk around Chinatown and North Beach. The SF Zoo has been going through a major renovation and is certainly worth considering. Both the Opera and Symphony are in season.
Check out the Entertainment Book's website. You can purchase a 30 day subscription and print the coupons out. It's a great way to save some money on food and other stuff. My DH and I have done this when staying in Carmel, and we found some wonderful restaurants purely by chance!
Good luck deciding. 2 days is not much time!!

 

[NancyIL]

I would suggest posting this again on the Community Board...there's much more "traffic" over there.

 

[quiltymom]

Thanks for the tips, and I will post it on the community board. For some reason I never thought of that...

Yeah, two days is not long enough, but we'll take what we can!

 

[got2travel]

Check out sfgate.com. On their Entertainment page, it has a search function where you can find all kinds of events and happenings in the city. You checked out the Giants, but what about the A's, they are just a short BART ride away.

No matter how many times I've been there, I still love the typical touristy things like Pier 39 and Fisherman's Warf. Nothing beats the fresh cracked crab down there.

 

[denyd]

Also check out the Ferry Building. Lots of neat shops and a yummy Farmer's Market. Check out Rachel Ray's Tasty Treats SF Tour

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ry

 

[jlmarr]

The SF Muni "F" trolley will get you all the way from Fisherman's Wharf to Market Street and beyond. This is a handy alternative to the cable cars (which are also a must-do but often have long waiting lines).

http://www.sfmuni.com/cms/mms/aboutmun/histcars.htm

I've also heard positive comments about Sears Fine Food, but have never tried it.

http://www.searsfinefood.com