San Francisco is a great city - I loved living there, and love it now when we go down on day trips. I am never sure how people view it who come from a long way off, as much of the charm comes from the little things, and just hanging out, not going to any one really stand-out activity.
I may be too much of a local to not roll my eyes at Fisherman's Wharf, and can't really say anything good about it (except maybe getting some ice creme at Ghiradelli's). There are lots of really fantastic places to eat in The City, and I would not waste a night eating at the Wharf, unless you just really really need to see the water out the window. If I am in the area and need to eat I usually get one of those clam chowders in a sour dough bread bowl (my kids really love that). The Cable Cars are mostly for tourists, but if you have not ridden them (and even if you have) they are still a lot of fun. I still do it whenever I can make the time. I also agree with the suggestion of going to Alcatraz, another tourist attraction that is worth it. If you at all like outdoors activities I would definitely walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. A little internet searching will show you where to park your car, and I believe you can also rent bikes nearby. The view is spectacular, plus you keep telling yourself "I'm on the freaking Golden Gate Bridge!". I also agree with the suggestion of going to Berkley (you can take the BART, but it will be a bit of a walk to the campus, and then over to Telegraph avenue for the requisite experience of checking out the local shops and "legalize it" paraphernalia. They also have a nice science museum up there at the Lawrence Hall of Science* * A couple of things that have not been mentioned: While not as great as the New York or DC museums, SF does have a good Modern Art Museum, and I always like going to the Legion of Honor, if you are into that kind of thing. I also always like the Exploratorium, which is a science and technology museum with hands on exhibits. I used to live in the Richmond District (just north of the Park) and in that neighborhood Clement St, from like 5th ave up to 12th ave, is a nice place to stroll and check out the produce and fish markets, and Chinese restaurants (when we lived there in the late 80s locals liked to say it had better Dim Sum than Chinatown). There is also a a great bookstore on Clement (I think around 6th) called Green Apple Books. On the bookstore front, another nice stop is the famous City Lights Bookstore in North Beach (on Columbus, I think near Broadway and Grant or something like that). That is also an interesting area to walk around in, and good food to be eaten. Not too far away is Beach Blanket Babylon, which is a famous local show and I suppose very dependent on your mood and tastes. I have been twice in my life, and got a kick out of it both times, but you probably should google it if you are not familiar with it and see if it is your cup of tea. Very San Francisco. It sounds like you will be here in baseball season, so of course I must mention AT&T park. If you are a baseball fan this is a MUST-SEE (and I do mean MUST - if it means skipping a visit to your 99 year old grandmother, you must see a baseball game here). If you are not a baseball fan, you probably should still get tickets and go see a game there. You can get affordable tickets in the upper deck, which is called the View section because while it is far above the field it gives you a spectacular view of the bay. You can walk around the park and spend an hour at least checking it out, and it will take at least 30 minutes to wait in line for the garlic fries (another must). I also like the cha cha bowls at the Orlando Cepeda stand (I am not a big beer drinker, but if you are, wash it down with a Red Stripe). There are lots of other pleasant and delightful ways to spend time in The City (The Marina, Coit Tower, Union Square if you don't hate shopping). If you are into wine you probably should come up to the Napa Valley. You can take tours, or just get a map and stop off on your own. I think the Mondavi Tour is one of the best in terms of being informative about the wine business (I don't know anything about how wine is supposed to taste). I also like the Rubicon Estate Tour (Coppola's place) - it is a real nice facility, and they have stuff from his movies there too. I think it costs $25.00 (it is free for Napa County residents) but you get like 5 glasses of wine (my brother thought it was a good deal). If you do come to Napa I can give you some recommendations on restaurants. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to tvornottv@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to tvornottv-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
