San Francisco

Zona Rosa at 1797 Haight St. -- best burrito I've ever had. I go there every time I'm in the Bay Area.

 

Very timely thread for me. Mrs. Huggy, Huggy Jr. and myself are flying into San Francisco for two days in mid-July before driving down to Orange County for a week.

Some good tips on here. One question: hotels with good locations in SF seem to be very pricey at that time (surprise, surprise) so it is worthwhile to stay out by the airport and commute? I've heard how bad the parking is there but how is the BART from airport to downtown?

 

take a drive up the coast through Marin County. absolutely stunning views.

continue on to one of the Redwood parks if you have time.

 

1. A lot of locals think Alcatraz cheesy. I lived in the South Bay for 10 years and never went, but visited years later as a tourist. It's remarkable.
2. Echo whoever recommended Scoma's. Get the seafood cioppino.
3. Have an Irish coffee at Buena Vista Cafe. IIRC, they claim to have invented them.
4. In addition to others' excellent suggestions, browse Ghirardelli Square. And make the trip to Marin. Cliff House is another great restaurant.
5. Re lodging, there's an old hotel near Union Square called the Sir Francis Drake. Going back a few years, rooms were well appointed and rates were quite reasonable.

 

If the Giants are in town, go to a game. Avoid the upper deck seats down the left-field line. That park is absolutely gorgeous and the garlic fries are the best ballpark food I've had.

I'll second (or third) some things that have been mentioned:
Alcatraz (get tickets in advance), the Haight, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, the Wharf -- these are all musts.

Also, bring warm clothes and dress in layers.

And, don't say "Frisco."

 

fop: went to scoma's and found it vastly overrate. wife had cracked crab and i had fried prawns. ... nothing special.

and the homeless dude who scares people is the 'bushman.' i was waiting for one of his older victims keel over and have a heart attack, then what?

 

Visit Coit Tower.

And yes, even in July, the city is chilly. But once you cross into Sausolito, the heat returns.

Haven't been there for almost 30 years and want to go back. Have fun.

 

Sears Fine Food for breakfast. Some of the best pancakes you'll ever try.

 

Bushman's the best. I jumped about four feet when he popped out at me during the '02 Series.

 

City Lights Bookstore.

It may be the greatest independent bookstore in the United States. It's been a cultural landmark since Lawrence Ferlinghetti opened it in the mid 50's.

Oh, and if you can get over to Berkeley, Chez Panisse restaurant.

 

That is a great view. I didn't even know about that place until just now.

 

You can get Alcatraz tickets the day of your trip. There's a shop that rents scooters and other crap like that a few blocks away from the ticket counter, and there's usually a guy trying to drum up business. That's how I got tickets during Fourth of July weekend when they supposedly were sold out for the next five days.
I say again, though: Alcatraz is underwhelming. Too many areas are blocked off "for your safety" to make the inside truly fascinating. But there are some great views of the city from all over the island.