San Francisco Off the Beaten Path Tips by machomikemd

The Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco and Marin Head County to the north. There is a $ 5 toll cash when driving south. Cross the bridge so that you can go to Napa, Petaluma Premium Outlets, Village at Corte Madera, Calistoga and Scenic Mendocino and Mount Shasta up north.

Location: Lincoln Blvd & Highway 101, San Francisco, CA 94129

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Phone: (415) 921-5858
Website: www.goldengatebridge.org

Ride a bike across the bridge, there are protected one-way bike lanes on the bridge. It can be very windy to ride across so dress warmly. If you continue a short way, you will end up in Sausalito a great place for a fun (but pricey) lunch.

Cyclists have toll-free access to the Bridge's sidewalks 24-hours a day. Cyclists MUST yield to pedestrians and remember to use caution in the areas of the towers as there is limited space to maneuver and sight distances are constrained. Electric bicycles may be ridden on the sidewalks; however they may not be used under power while on the sidewalk and must be pedaled.

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Phone: (415) 921-5858
Website: www.goldengatebridge.org/

Located between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Merced, in the southwest corner of the city, the San Francisco Zoo isn't remotely as stellar as many other cities' zoos because it's not particularly well organized, is ever lacking in funds, and seems generally tired ( i admit, I am not a Zoo Person).

Founded at its present site adjacent to the ocean in 1929, the zoo is spread over 125 acres, with 100 acres currently developed and housing 950 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. The 6-acre Children's Zoo offers kids and their families opportunities for close-up encounters with domestic rare breeds of goats, sheep, ponies, and horses in the Family Farm. Touch and feel small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians along the Nature Trail, and gaze at eagles and hawks stationed on Hawk Hill.

Admission to main zoo and Children's Zoo $8 residents, $11 nonresidents for adults; $4.50 residents, $8 nonresidents for seniors 65 and over and youth 12-17; $2.50 for residents, $5 nonresident for children 3-11

Address: 1 Zoo Road, San Francisco, CA. 94132

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Phone: (415) 753-7080
Website: http://www.sfzoo.org/

Muni Passports are good for unlimited rides on Muni, including cable cars (plus pcc street cars, , hybrid trains, regular buses, trolley buses). 3-day and 7-day Passports are good for three or seven consecutive days. Passports may be purchased in advance. So if your on a Budget and Have all the time to Tour around San Francisco, I suggest you take this type of Passport as a budget tour!

Buy Your 1, 3, or 7 day Muni Passports at the following locations:

* SFMTA Customer Service Center, 11 South Van Ness Avenue at Market
* Muni Ticket Sales Location at Market & Powell Streets
* Muni Ticket Sales Location at Hyde & Beach Streets (near Ghirardelli Square)
* Muni Ticket Sales Location at Bay & Taylor Streets (near Fisherman's Wharf)
* Montgomery Station Sales Location at Montgomery Station (Mezzanine Level)
* Passports are also sold every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the information booths in the baggage claim areas at the San Francisco International Airport.

Cost: 1-day Passport $11
3-day Passport $18
7-day Passport $24

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Phone: (415)701-2323 or just 311
Website: www.sfmuni.com

San Francisco CityPass includes six attraction admissions and a seven-day MUNI & Cable Car Passport. In Golden Gate Park, see the new de Young Museum, then visit the Legion of Honor for free on the same day; Exploratorium in the Presidio near the Golden Gate Bridge; the California Academy of Sciences & Steinhart Aquarium or Asian Art Museum (ticket 3 gives you a choice); SF Museum of Modern Art in the cultural district; Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure from Pier 41; and the Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39, with its wealth of restaurants, shops and fun. Bonus tickets make the value even better. Taste San Francisco chocolate and sourdough bread, shop at Bloomingdale’s, tour the baseball stadium, and visit the sea lions at Pier 39.

CityPass ticket booklets blaze a path to San Francisco’s landmarks – on its romantic cable cars -- in a tidy collection of pocket-size tickets. Visit them in any order you please and enjoy the neighborhoods, parks, piers and cultural buffet you’ll encounter along the way.

CITYPASS INCLUDES:
Unlimited transportation on the San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) for 7 consecutive days beginning day of first CityPass use. Not including BART; Candlestick Ballpark Express an additional $3 per person. Use is subject to all existing rules, regulations and charges approved by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

CityPasses are available at those attractions above, at the Visitor Information Center at Powell & Market Streets, and at the SFMTA Customer Service Center, 11 South Van Ness Avenue at Market.

Cost is $ 54 for adults and $ 39 for kids!

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Phone: (888) 330-5008
Website: www.citypass.com/city/sanfrancisco.html - 25k

Lucky Chances Casino in Colma was founded by a Filipino-American Named Rene Medina who also owns Lucky Tours in SOMA. (they arranged casino bus tours to RENO for $ 35 wherein the casinos there refund you $ 20! well I am gambler, what can I say.)

Rene Medina flipped the tiny community of Colma, famous for its 17 cemeteries and their 1.5 million "inhabitants" on its ear nearly a decade ago with his Lucky Chances Casino. Surrounded by graveyards on three sides, the sprawling if architecturally uninspiring faux Mediterranean card club, with its 43 gaming tables and two restaurants (Rene's Fine Dining and Cafe Colma) but no slot machines (slot machines are BANNED in California, you have to go to nevada for it!)

It is nestled up in the hills among all the cemeteries, there's valet parking as well as outdoor and underground self-parking areas. There is a generic Asian theme to the decor and the casino is a single large room divided in two by a walkway. On one side it's all poker and on the other side it's all Asian Card Games like Hi/ Low (Big and Small in the Philippines), Pai Gow, Texas Hold Em, etc and Black Jack.

Lucky Chances opened its doors to the public June 28, 1998. California, Lucky Chances is a 43-table cardroom featuring 21 Tables For Poker, 22 Tables For Asian Games, 24 Hour Gaming & Fine Dining, Plenty Of Free Parking and is just a 10 minute ride from my Place!

Located at: 1700 Hillside Blvd, Colma, CA 94014

Directions From San Francisco, take I-280 Southbound:

1. Exit SERRAMONTE BLVD..
2. Turn left ON SERRAMONTE BLVD.
3. Go straight on SERRAMONTE BLVD until HILLSIDE BLVD.
4. Turn right on HILLSIDE BLVD

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Phone: (650) 758-2237
Website: www.lchances.com
Other Contact: FAX - (650) 758-6475

The stretch along Eleventh and Folsom at the South of Market District is the heart of the gay leather and S&M scene, which has its roots in the Folsom Street "Miracle Mile" of gay clubs and bathhouses in the '70s. This is also the site of the annual fetish bonanza of the Folsom Street Fair and there are also a number of Sex Shops and Massage Parlors nearby.

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Rene Medina (he also Owns Lucky Chances Casino in Colma!) , a filipino-american, founded Lucky tours in 1974 when he rented Greyhound buses for weekend gambling trips -- called Lucky Tours -- to Reno. In the beginning, he found customers through the phone directory, randomly calling people whose names sounded Filipino (mea culpa! yes filipinos love to gamble and I am a living testament unfortunately) and his business grew and eventually he started fo have a base in other asian americans like the chinese, vietnamese, burmese, etc who love to gamble (hey that's why macau now has overtaken Vegas in gambling revenues!, check out my Macau pages!)

His business eventually grew, and he now owns a fleet of 25 buses, taking as many as 20,000 gamblers a month to Reno. fifteen years ago, he also started Lucky Money, a money remittance firm also geared toward Bay Area Filipinos (we love to Give "Pasalubongs!" or gifts). His Reno Bus Tours are now popular cheap alternatives to driving 225 miles to reno for gamblers, particulary asian americans who love table games like craps or spanich 21 or poker (elderly non-asian americans prefer the slot machines). Reno Casino Tours start at $ 35 for one day, $ 60 for 2 days and $ 85 for 3 days (with $ 20-28 cash rebates at reno casinos and plenty of food and casino coupons!) and don't forget, motels are cheap in Reno! (but I have relatives in Reno and Sparks that I can Sleep over if I'm there)

Lucky Tours is located at: 1111 Mission St (SOMA), San Francisco, CA 94103

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Phone: (415) 864-1133
Website: www.luckytours.com

The Cow Palace was exclusively a venue for livestock shows when it first opened in 1941. During World War II it was rented out for $1 a year to the federal government, and in 1949, Cow Palace became one of San Francisco's premier venues for entertainment. Everything from political conventions to roller derby and pro basketball to the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show has had a home at the Cow Palace. Today a full concert schedule is in operation year-round. It is a large, open arena, with several smaller buildings for exhibitions. The Cow Palace can seat or stand 14,000 people for boxing, 10,000 or more for conventions.

It is a LARGE indoor arena in mostly in Daly City, California that borders neighboring San Francisco (Hence the 2 Zip codes in the Address). The 14,500-seat arena is flanked by two adjoining exhibit halls; there are also two separate halls behind it, where pooches strut at the annual San Francisco Dog and Kennel Show. The Cow Palace offers a blast to the past, back to the days without a lot of variety offered (for example, you can't get much more to eat here than a hot dog, popcorn and beer). But there's plenty of parking and access from 101 and 280. This is a perfect spot for events such as the circus and the Grand National rodeo.


Located at: 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, CA 94014 and 2600 Geneva Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134.

Opens on Mondays through Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Closed on Sundays

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Phone: (415) 404-4111
Website: www.cowpalace.com/
Other Contact: Fax: 415-469-6111

Pedestrians are allowed only on the EAST sidewalk, during daylight hours from 5 am to 9 pm. Gates close automatically at 9 pm and reopen at 5 am. Wheelchairs are permitted on sidewalks. Roller Blades, Skateboards and Roller Skates are not permitted. Dogs are permitted only if under control and on a leash at all times.

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Phone: (415)921-5858
Website: www.goldengatebridge.org/