i’ll have a long weekend after a race in August to spend in SF. Any advice on interesting things to do or suggested experiences while I’m there? I’ve already done the standard “10 things every tourist must see when in San Francisco” on previous visits, so any ‘advanced’ advice from locals or frequent visitors would be welcome.
(and in past experience, slowtwitchers have been my best sources for travel advice!)
Dave
What are your interests? When I travel, I like to hang out in non-touristy parts of the city I’m visiting and just drink coffee or wine and observe.
If it were me and I didn’t have to train the next day, I’d go to City Lights Bookstore and spend some money, then go have a beer (or two) at Vesuvio, then go have coffee or wine at Cafe Trieste (and if Saturday afternoon, go for the opera), then have dinner at Piazza Pelligrini and have a nightcap at O’Reilly’s.
Go out to Ocean Beach and walk around Golden Gate Park, then have a late lunch at the Beach Chalet.
Go to the Asian Art Museum then go have dim sum on Clement Street (the other Chinatown).
Walk around the waterfront and visit the Ferry Building. If a Saturday or a Thursday, visit the farmers’ market. After you buy up the healthy fruits and veggies, have a burger, fries and milk shake at Taylors Refresher.
Are you limiting it to SF City and County? If not…
Rent a bike in SF and ride over to Tiburon and have lunch at Sam’s or Guyamas, then take the ferry back.
Or, drive down to Half Moon Bay and tool around and have lunch. Or go north and hike around Pt. Reyes. Or Muir Woods. Or Stinson Beach. Or up to Tomales if you like oysters.
Wine country–Sonoma or Napa. Both are great.
What are the “10 things every tourist must see when in San Francisco”?
Just a guess…because I really don’t know.
Walk on the Golden Gate Bridge
Ride the cable cars
Lombard Street (the crooked street)
Alcatraz
Fisherman’s Wharf
Beach Blanket Babylon
Chinatown
clm
.
Pride Parade was a couple of weeks ago. If you want a real experience, come the weekend of the Folsom Street Fair.
http://www.folsomstreetfair.com/photos/folsom-2004/index.php?page=2
NOT WORK SAFE! Let’s just say, there is a lot of leather and chains involved.
****
Every year, 300,000 leather and kink enthusiasts flock to San Francisco for the largest and most famous leather event in the United States.
Or, Dore Alley Street Fair. A little more, ummm, hard core, shall we say? They have a fully equipped dungeon.
http://www.pbase.com/markwp/soma2 Again NWS.
No personal experience, just word of mouth. Though I have been downtown on that weekend and seen “masters” walking their humans with neck collars and chains going from the collars to who-knows-where, but they disappear into the chaps!
clm
Thanks Katy. Last time I went to such a performance was at El Convento Rico in Toronto. One of the performers looked EXACTLY like a girl I was dating at the time. The relationship went pretty sour after that.
How’s the food?
Thanks much. that’s exactly what i was hoping for. Sorry I’ll miss Folsom Street … thought I don’t think the shaved triathlete mixes well with the bears. And besides, my assless leather chaps are going to be at the cleaner that week.
I AM IN LOVE!!!
Lyle Lovett with a few estrogen injections.
Fantastic.
.
One of my favorite San Francisco spots on a Friday night: http://www.remedysf.com
.
Go for a run on the Lands End trail and finsh with coffee at Java Beach, the worlds only Irish surf bum coffee shop.
Go salmon fishing if you’re here during the season. Boats leave from Fishermans Wharf about 6am and its about $60 for half a day plus equipment rental. 2 fish limit and most people get their quota if its a good day. My record is 46lbs of salmon…which at $16 a pound for fresh wild salmon, the $60 price tag is the best bargain in town.
Friday night at the Plough and Stars on Clement street. Best Guinness in the city and great Irish music. Then take your pick of the best Asisn food from a dozen countries within 3 blocks.