My Favorite S.F. Online Resources and other San Francisco, CA General Tips

Favorite Thing: .
For travels to San Francisco, below are some specific web sites I like.

For your "general" travel research check out my first SF "travelogue" entitled Before You Go - My Favorite Online Resources

SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL SITES

SF Convention & Visitors Bureau

SF Online Newspaper
* See 'Regional' and 'Entertainment' sections

Bay City Guide
* Order this free "Guide" before you come to SF, mailed in 2-3 weeks

SF Theater Tickets at Half-Price

SF Virtual Tour
* get acquainted with the City and the Bay Area before you arrive!

SF "Live Cam"
* pointed at the Golden Gate Bridge (hopefully it's not a foggy day!)


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Favorite Thing: Every trip to SF includes these neighborhoods: Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Union Square, North Beach, The Marina and Golden Gate Park. Ninety percent of your trip will be exploring these districts.

Locate these districts on a map and plan your itinerary - one district/neighborhood at a time.

For highlights by district, here's a helpful site -www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods


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Favorite Thing: Go online for more information at www.sfgate.com (along the left margin on this webpage look at the 'Regional' section and look at the 'Entertainment' section).....when you arrive in SF, for current entertainment & map guides, pick up a free 'This Week in San Francisco' booklet (from your hotel or from around town); buy the Sunday SF Chronicle for the pullout 'Datebook Section'; or visit the SF Visitor's Bureau discussed in my 'Transportation' section. (With all this information, you'll be armed and dangerous.)


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Favorite Thing: (My "Must See Activities" sections discuss more details.)

Start with a good pair of walking shoes and a daypack. I start you off at Powell & Market, but you can pick up this tour from your hotel's front door.

Begin at Market Street, take the Powell/Hyde Cable Car up Powell Street, take it to the end of the line (Ghirardelli Square/Aquatic Park).

Walk down to Jefferson Street (runs along the shoreline/ the wharf). Stroll down Fisherman’s Wharf, along "The Embarcadero" (the name of the strip) to Pier 39. Walk down the entire length of Pier 39. Don't miss seeing the Sea Lions, the free street performances at the Crystal Geyser Center Stage, and bring your camera because at the very end of Pier 39 you will get some magnificent pictures of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge -- when you get your pictures developed, your friends will think you took the pictures off the side of a cruise ship. (Caution: Pier 39 has lots of pricey shops, but the fast-food is okay, Swenson's ice-cream is a dream, and it doesn't cost anything to look.)

Pier 39' s website www.pier39.com/pier39/english/index.html

From Pier 39, the Ferry Building would be nice to see, but it's too far to walk from here, with not much in between, so...

Walk back to Aquatic Park and visit Ghirardelli Square -- www.ghirardellisq.com

Catch the Cable Car at Aquatic Park which heads back to Powell & Market and get off at Union Square.

Walk around Union Square (this is the best window-shopping in the City -- the stores here are awesome, and the dress codes is REALLY relaxed -- don't worry about going into Nieman Marcus or Saks 5th Avenue with just shorts and sneakers on.)


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Favorite Thing: World Famous - S.F. War Memorial Opera House. Only the locals know about SRO (standing room only) tickets. They are $10 each! Tickets go on sale (cash only and one per person) at 10 a.m. on the day of each performance at the Box Office, 199 Grove Street. On matinee days, sales are at the Box Office, 301 Van Ness Avenue. Confirm before you go (415) 864-3330. The dress code is pretty relaxed for these type of tickets, and for the entire opera house in general. I have seen the full range of clothing at these operas, especially for matinees. The season runs all year, so there is likely a performance while you are in town. A schedule of performances is at www.sfopera.com. Ask about the free lectures given approximately one hour before curtain. (Cast member pictured here.)

TIX BAY AREA sells half-price, day-of-show, tickets, for mostly any live performance in the City. (Their ticket booth is located at the Union Square Garage at the Geary entrance, between Stockton & Powell Streets.) Or you can order your tickets online at www.theatrebayarea.com or once you're arrive in the City.

FREE SUMMER CONCERTS. The Stern Grove Festival, a popular City tradition. For a calendar of these Sunday afternoon concerts, go to www.sterngrove.org. The "grove" is located on the other end of the City and it gets crowded, but you can't beat the deal if there is something/someone on the calendar you want to see. Bring a picnic.


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Favorite Thing: For a nice illustrated, paperback travel guide to the City: 'Eyewitness Travel Guide to San Francisco and Northern California (revised)' by Linda Williams. Here's a sample page from this book. (Click to enlarge.) Most of your touristing in this City will be in the Districts highlighted on this sample page: Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Marina, Presidio, Golden Gate Park. With this book, you'll know the City better than most natives. This book will orient you to the City's colorful history, culture and landscape.

Fondest Memory: I survived the earthquake of 1989. Oh, and about that earthquake of 1906, the history can be found online (copy & paste this in your browser) http://quake.usgs.gov/info/1906

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Favorite Thing: My Travelogue Page dedicated just to online travel sources.

-- 1800cheapseats.com: full-scale service, live reservationists and Internet technology. Phone 1-800-CheapSeats, available almost around the clock, seven days a week. They have a database of Internet and airline airfares. The prices of its airfares, cruises and hotel rooms are great.

-- CheapFlights.com: For people seeking flights within the United States (it also books hotels). It surveys traditional carriers, cut-rate upstarts, and major "consolidators" (discounters) of airfares. Its main menu shows the pattern of fares on various airlines for a continuous period. Click on that pattern and it displays access information.

-- Applefares.com: Devoted to ascertaining the fares and available seats of many new cut-rate airlines that now fly from city to city in Europe. Reveals spectacularly low rates that are frequently offered for travel within Europe.


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Favorite Thing: Before coming to SF, rent these movies:

Escape From Alcatraz -- Clint Eastwood stars in the movie about the only successful (?) escape from "The Rock"

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (pictured here) ... true story : imported from South America, escaped captivity, and found each other here on Telegrah Hill

Movie Reviews:
RottenTomatoes.com


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Favorite Thing: Thank you for visiting my travel pages. Please leave a comment. Write me an email and I will give you personal help on anything related to your trip to my "Secret San Francisco".


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