Windy but the Panorama is Stunning! and other San Francisco, CA Things to Do Tips

What a beautiful view of the Bay Area. This is one of those tourist landmarks that you've gotta appreciate even if you live here. With an elevation of ~900+ feet (Noe Peak, the South Peak is 922 ft.. Eureka, the North Peak is 904 ft.), the Peaks are actually the second tallest hills in SF (Mount Davidson is the tallest), but probably #1 in terms of best 360 panoramic view.

Twin Peaks Boulevard is the only road that goes to the summit of the peaks, and on the north side of the hills it connects to Christmas Tree Point, where there is a parking lot and an observation area offering unobstructed views of most San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay. Known by the Spaniards as "Los pechos de la Chola" (i.e. the Breasts of the Indian Maiden), Twin Peaks is ideally located at the geographical center of San Francisco. On a clear day, visitors are treated to a 360-degree view spanning the Golden Gate to Alcatraz, to Berkeley, to the peninsula. But even on a foggy day, the views are heart stopping, with the fog rolling in from the ocean and practically lapping at one’s feet.

Night on Twin Peaks is an entirely different experience that must also be experienced. The entire Bay Area sparkles below like a jeweled carpet. But the billing and cooing one hears most probably emanates from cars parked nearby, rather than the wildlife. Not surprisingly, Twin Peaks serves as an “Inspiration Point” for lovers. After all, what could be more romantic than parking above the twinkling lights of San Francisco and below the twinkling stars in the sky? If you don’t have someone to keep you warm, you might want to bring a jacket. It gets pretty windy on top of the world.

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Phone: (415) 447-8442
Address: 501 Twin Peaks Blvd ,San Francisco, CA 94114
Directions: 501 Twin Peaks Blvd ,San Francisco, CA 94114
Website: www.inetours.com

A tight, escalating formation of Victorian houses is back-dropped by downtown skyscrapers, providing a stunning contrast. The grassy square itself is an ideal midday break. Alamo Square is truly one of the most photographed locations in San Francisco and Alamo Square's famous "postcard row" at Hayes and Steiner Streets is indeed a visual treat.

Alamo Square Park consists of six city blocks at the top of a hill overlooking much of San Francisco, with a number of large and architecturally distinctive mansions along the perimeter. It is bordered by Hayes Street to the south, Fulton Street to the north, Scott Street to the west, and Steiner Street to the east. A row of Victorian houses facing the park on Steiner Street, known as the painted ladies, are often shown in the foreground of panoramic pictures of the city's downtown area. On a clear day, the Transamerica Pyramid building and the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge can be seen from the park’s center.

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Phone: (415) 248-9356
Address: At the intersection of Steiner and Hayes streets.
Directions: At the intersection of Steiner and Hayes streets, San Francisco, CA 94115. Take Muni bus lines 5, 21, 22, and 24.
Website: www.alamosq.org/

The reality of Chinatown is that there are two Chinatowns: One belongs to the locals, the other charms the tourists. They overlap and dance with each other, drawing more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge.

Why the popularity? Because visitors expect something they won't find anywhere else. They expect to be stunned and enchanted and stuffed with great food. And they will. You don't need an itinerary to tackle Chinatown. Wandering aimlessly, weaving between locals and ducking into shops is enough of a plan. Main Street for tourists is Grant Avenue, which is more about cheap and kitschy plastic Buddhas than the long heritage of Chinatown. It should definitely be seen, but moving on to the next block can be more rewarding.

Chinatown is located in downtown San Francisco. It is roughly bordered by Powell Street and the Nob Hill District on the west. On the east is Kearny Street and The City's Financial District. On the north is North Beach and Green Street and Columbus Street. On the south is Bush Street and the Union Square area.

Within Chinatown there are two major thoroughfares. One is Grant Avenue, with the famous Dragon gate on the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue; St. Mary's Park that boasts a statue of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen; a war memorial to Chinese war veterans; and a plethora of stores, restaurants and mini-malls that cater mainly to tourists. The other, Stockton Street, is frequented less often by tourists, and it presents an authentic Chinese look and feel, reminiscent of Hong Kong, with its produce and fish markets, stores, and restaurants. Chinatown boasts smaller side streets and alleyways that also provide an authentic character. Another major focal point in Chinatown is Portsmouth Square. Due to its being one of the few open spaces in Chinatown, Portsmouth Square bustles with activity such as Tai Chi and old men playing Chinese chess. A replica of the Goddess of Democracy used in the Tiananmen Square protest was built in 1999 by Thomas Marsh, and stands in the square.

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Address: Bordered by Broadway, Bush, Kearny, Stockton sts.
Directions: Ornamental gate at Grant and Bush intersection.
Website: http://www.sfchinatown.com/
Other Contact: www.sanfranciscochinatown.com

IF you visit the SoMa district of San Francisco, you can eat a five-course meal while you sit on an oversize bed and watch a performance artist stretch the definition of theater. You can drop in on a penguin feeding or paddle a kayak in search of floating baseballs in the bay. This stretch of the city south of Market Street, long known for its alternative art and music scene, has matured into a mix of trendy restaurants, gritty bars, swank hotels and warehouses reworked to stage live music.

It starts from the Embarcadero to Eleventh Street, between Market and Townsend. The neighborhood is a patchwork of warehouses, swanky nightspots, residential hotels, art spaces, loft apartments, furniture showrooms and the tenacious Internet companies that survived the tech market collapse. Although a lot of building has gone on in recent years, it is still not densely developed. You can walk several desolate blocks before suddenly finding a hopping restaurant.

The area around Market and Third Street is more well heeled, influenced by the nearby Financial District and conventions at the Moscone Center. Several of the city's arts organizations are located here, including the SF MOMA, the Center for the Arts at Yerba Gardens and the California Historical Society. The western end of the district is the most industrial, and is dominated by huge wholesale marts and superstores like Costco and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Plus my FAVORITE Hangouts like View Lounge, Wish Bar, Metreon, Yerba Buena Gardens, Thirsty Bear!

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Phone: (415) 447-8442
Address: South of Market, San Francisco, CA, 94105
Website: www.inetours.com/

The Presidio served as a military post under the flags of Spain (1776-1822), Mexico (1822-48), and the United States (1848-1994). As a U.S. Army post, the Presidio protected commerce and trade, and played a logistical role in every major U.S. military conflict from 1848 until closure. World events and those on the home front - from military campaigns to the rise of aviation, from World Fairs to natural disasters - left their mark here.

Today, visitors enjoy the history and beauty of the Presidio. Within its boundaries are more than 500 historic buildings, a collection of coastal defense fortifications, a national cemetery, an historic airfield, a saltwater marsh, forests, beaches, native plant habitats, coastal bluffs, miles of hiking and biking, and some of the most spectacular vistas in the world.

The park is open year-round. Information on points of interest and Presidio history is available at the Visitor Center located in Building 102, Montgomery Street. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Phone: (415) 561-4323
Address: Golden Gate National Recreational Area
Directions: (MUNI) buses serve the Presidio via the 28, 29, 43 and 82X lines. Bus service from the North Bay to the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza is available through Golden Gate Transit. Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
Website: www.nps.gov/prsf/

The rich history of Alcatraz during the penitentiary years and many of the inmates who called "the Rock" home. From the mid-1930s until the mid-1960s, Alcatraz was America's premier maximum-security prison, the final stop for the nation's most incorrigible inmates. Today, Alcatraz is a place of contradictions, with a grim past and an enduring future as one of San Francisco's most prominent landmarks and tourist attractions.

the island of Alcatraz is a world unto itself. Isolation, one of the constants of island life for any inhabitant - soldier, guard, prisoner, bird or plant - is a recurrent theme in the unfolding history of Alcatraz. The island offers a close-up look at a historic and infamous federal prison. Visitors can explore the remnants of the prison, and learn about the Native American occupation of 1969 - 1971, early military fortifications and the West Coast's first (and oldest operating) lighthouse.

Alcatraz tour boat leaves from Fisherman's Wharf. Order tickets ahead of time (Internet reservations are not available). There is often a very long wait and trips are sometimes sold out for the entire day.The Alcatraz tour is self-guided and visitors rent a personal headset with recorded tour information. Day tours start at $24.50 and Night tours at $ 31.50

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Phone: Blue & Gold (415) 705-5555
Address: In the middle of San Fracisco Bay
Directions: Alcatraz is reached by ferries of the Blue and Gold fleet from Pier 41
Website: http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz
Other Contact: (415) 981-7625

Baker Beach is one of the most popular beaches in San Francisco. Unlike windy Ocean Beach, Baker Beach is more protected. The beach is best known for its small nude sunbathing area at the far end. However, nudists tend to stay in their own private area for the most part.

Small and scenic, Baker Beach is one of the most cherished beaches in San Francisco. Baker Beach's location protects it from the winds found at Ocean Beach and also makes it one of the cleanest beaches in the bay, free of kelp and floating debris of any kind. Baker Beach has acquired a bit of a reputation over the years--the now infamous Burning Man festival was conceived here before moving out to the austere Nevada desert.

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Phone: (415) 556-0560
Address: S.F. Coast
Directions: 25th Avenue and El Camino Del Mar, San Francisco, CA 94101
Website: www.nps.gov/prsf/places/bakerbch.htm

Cable Cars run along three different routes roughly every ten minutes. The two main lines, Powell/Hyde and Powell/ Mason, start off at the busy intersection of Powell and Market and vaguely make their way towards the popular destination of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. The other San Francisco cable car route is the California/Van Ness line which starts at California and Market and continues on until Van Ness. The Powell/Hyde line actually ends up close to Ghiradelli Square where you can shop or eat. San Francisco's famous Cable Car has enormous cable wheels, which pull 11 miles of cable at 9.5 miles per hour. The cable cars move by clamping onto it and stop by their release.

* Cash: Pay the conductor on the car (no transfers accepted or issued)
o Adult: $5.00 each way
o Youth: $5.00 each way
o Senior and Disabled: $5.00 each way ($1.00 9pm-7am)
* Passes
o FastPass: Monthly unlimited riding, also good on BART within SF
+ Adult: $45.00
+ Youth: $12.00
+ Senior and Disabled: $12.00
o All-Day Pass sold by conductors on the cars
+ One Day: $10.00 (cable cars only, not buses or electric streetcars)
+ Effective 01-April-2006: One day: $11 (good on all Muni vehicles, like the Passport,
but only sold on the cable cars)
o Passports: A good deal for visitors or locals. Can be purchased online in advance.
+ One Day: $11.00
+ Three Days: $18.00
+ Seven Days: $24.00
* City Pass: A seven-day Muni pass plus admission to several local attactions.
o Adult: $42.00
o Youth (5-17): $34.00

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Phone: (415) 474 1887
Address: 1201 Mason St. at Washington, SF, CA, 94108-1010
Directions: There are 4 cable car lines (Hyde, California, Mason and Powell). 1201 Mason St. at Washington, San Francisco, CA 94108-1010
Website: http://www.sfcablecar.com

Golden Gate Park is over 45 city blocks of area with various themes within it's sprawling environs. It is even larger then New York City's Famed Central park! (it is 1017 acres as compared to 843 acres of Central park). In the late 1800s, a Scotsman named John McLaren transformed more than 1,000 acres of sand dunes into a wondrous haven in the midst of busy city life. Stretching from Stanyan Street to the Pacific Ocean, the lush landscaping features ever-changing settings at every turn. There are trails for walking, jogging, biking, horseback riding, as well as a golf course, lawn bowling greens, soccer fields and a baseball diamond.

The things to see and activities to participate in are so extensive, it would be hard to take it all in with one day-trip.

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Phone: (415) 561-4700
Address: Area bounded by Lincoln, Fulton, Stanyan,SF, 94118
Directions: Golden Gate NRA can be reached by Highways 1, 101 and 280 from the north and south San Francisco Bay Area, and by Highway 880 from the East Bay.
Website: www.nps.gov/goga/index.htm

The Cliff House is a historical building located at the West end of San Francisco on a bluff hanging over the ocean. The Cliff House that is currently standing was built in 1907. Two former Cliff Houses have been destroyed. The current Cliff House was acquired in 1977 by the National Parks and Recreation Service, which now maintains it.

The Cliff House is a popular tourist destination--especially in the summer. (You can see Seal Rock, Sutro's Baths, Panoramic Views of Ocean Beach and Great Highway) It is often foggy over the water, but on days when the weather cooperates, the views are quite lovely. Walks along the beach are pleasant, and most of the visitors on sunny days in the winter are San Fran locals, but be warned. Conditions can be cold and windy.

Open Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 8:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

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Phone: 415-386-3330
Address: 1090 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA , 94121
Directions: Follow Geary to Ocean Beach.
Website: http://www.cliffhouse.com/