Luggage And Bags: Bring a daypack and put a sweater into it. This is also a GREEN place to put souvenirs bought, as San Francisco has now passed ordinances against the use of plastic bags in shopping. Also, as a convenience, have plenty of quarters to put into the MUNI transport ticket machines. The machines also accept bills, but won't provide any change, so you want to put in the exact fare when buying a ticket.
Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Although the urban transport is very good, visiting San Francisco will mean a lot of walking, so bring good comfortable walking shoes that can pound the pavement all day long without giving you heal spurs or toe cramps. Even in the middle of summer, the marine layer can blow in and make this city surprisingly cool, particularly in the morning and evening hours, so always bring along a sweater to layer over the shirt you may be wearing. Winter weather is surprisingly forgiving though, as it very rarely freezes in San Francisco. Visitors from the Eastern USA and Northern Europe will find winter in San Francisco quite pleasurable overall. At the same time, the wind chill factor from the ocean and bay breezes can make the weather seem particularly cold, so bring a warm jacket in winter.
Photo Equipment: A good wide angle lense is nice for capturing architecture. In museums, flash is prohibited, but photography is OK, so have a camera that takes decent images even in low light conditions. Bring plenty of memory for your digital camera.
Miscellaneous: Generally, fog comes mostly in the late spring and early summer, while winter is more likely to be clear. The water that surrounds the San Francisco peninsula moderates the climate in dramatic fashion, making weather reports from the surrounding Bay Area and Northern California poor predictors of weather in San Francisco itself. In summer, San Francisco will be as much as 30 degrees cooler than Sacramento, while in winter, it will be 30 degrees warmer.
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on Jul 31, 2007
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