San Francisco Tourist Trap Tips by Rixie

This seems to be on every tourist's To Do list, but it's an area of San Francisco that makes me wince. There are far too many people, few of them local, and a multitude of shops selling tasteless souvenirs and T-shirts, e.g. I Got Crabs at Fisherman's Wharf.

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At Least Do This: If you absolutely must go to the Wharf, buy a shrimp cocktail to eat as you walk. It will make the tackiness bearable.
Alternative: Just beyond the Wharf, near Aquatic Park (marked by long lines of tourists waiting for cable cars), there are two shopping complexes that are still touristy but of passable merit.

The Cannery - This red brick complex really was a cannery and has now been converted to shops and restaurants. There?s often live entertainment in the courtyard.

Ghirardelli Square - Former chocolate factory converted into shops. Treat yourself to an ice cream concoction at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop and buy bars of chocolate to take home. Unless, of course, you're from Belgium. :)