Daily itineraries for a week in SF

OK, so you'll need to juggle this calendar according to your arrival dates and the weather, but:

Tourist Orientation Day - Driving Tour/Cable Cars/North Beach
Start off with my two hour driving tour of the city, then ditch the car for the rest of the day.
From Union Square, ride the cable car to Ghiradelli Square.  Get a free piece of chocolate just for entering the gift shop.
If it's nice, have lunch/oysters at McCormick & Schmick's which has a great bay view.
If it's crappy, park the kids at Starbucks with some hot cocoa while Mommy & Daddy get an Irish Coffee at its birthplace, the Buena Vista Cafe.
Walk along the waterfront from Ghiradelli down to Pier 39.  Fair warning: this is a giant tourist trap and no local goes here.  So if you want to skip it, kudos to you.  But we won't judge if you feel compelled to visit it at least once.  The sea lions are on the far left end of Pier 39.  If you didn't eat at Ghiradelli, get some chowder at Boudin.
To get back to Union Square, you're going to walk to the OTHER cable car (at Bay & Taylor) and ride it through North Beach and Chinatown. 
If you want, hop off at Washington Square in North Beach, stroll the neighborhood, and get dinner.  Depending on the time of day, you may have a tough time getting back on the cable car.  Give it a shot, but if the first one that comes by is packed, give it up and hail a cab.
Dining recos for North Beach are here, but at least get some gelato at Gelato Classico.

Saturday/Tuesday/Thursday - Farmers Market & Downtown Art/Shopping:
Start at the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building.  Read my advice about it here.
Couple of options from here depending on your interests:

• Catch the F-line up Market to Union Square for shopping.
• Catch the F-line up Market to Kearny/3rd St and hit some museums in SOMA (south of market).  The SFMOMA is closed, but there's the Jewish Museum, Yerba Beuna Arts Center, Cartoon Art and more - google SOMA and museums.

When you're done, get back on the F-line up Market to Zuni Cafe (book asap) - nom nom nom, so good!

Winery Day - - since it's winter and the days are short, you'll want to get an early start:
If you need it, get breakfast at the Lighthouse Cafe in Sausalito (or my Dad likes Mel's Diner on Lombard or Geary)
Drive north to wine country.  Lately we've been hanging out in Sonoma at Dutcher's Crossing, Truitt

San Francisco local favorites, part 2

Locals drive up 101 to Sonoma for wine tasting and leave Napa to the tourists.  We leave SF by 10:30 to beat the traffic, and we get sandwiches at Safeway (or splurge on the Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg). 

We go to Farmers Markets.  Lots of neighborhoods have them now, so Google is your friend here, but the biggest and prettiest for visitors is the Ferry Building's Farmers Market.  Get there before noon if you can, and you'll find all the fixings for a lunch on the spot, and dinner at home.  Just remember, SF is now a BYOB (bring your own bag) town.  I like to make the outdoor circuit first - start at the north end of the front, walk south along the Embarcadero, follow the people around the south end to the back - wander the several aisles on the back lot, then head inside.  Take time (they don't do to go cups) for some Blue Bottle Coffee - the line is shortest at the cart hiding just south of the main front entrance, under the portico.  Pick up some Mt Tam cheese at Cowgirl Creamery inside, a salumi cone at Boccalone (look for the sign that says "Tasty Salted Pig Parts"), and a loaf of whatever floats your boat at Acme (look for the daily special).  Now turn around and get yourself an empanada at El Porteno.

We go to the movies.  If everyone's over 21, we pay extra to see movies at the Sundance Kabuki so we can have a drink and (Fri/Sat only) tater tots while sitting in our reserved seat.  But we also like to check the Castro Theater's schedule of classics.  Thanksgiving week, for example, was the Sing-Along Sound of Music!  If you want dinner and a movie, check what's playing at Foreign Cinema, which is primarily a very good, lively restaurant in an old movie theater - but they still project a movie onto the wall in the outside garden area.  Very Cinema Paradiso, but with food.

San Francisco local favorites, part 1

OK, I know I'm missing a TON of stuff, but these are the highlights that first spring to mind.   

Favorite restaurants & food stops:

• Zuni Café - So freaking good.  Rezzie required - book asap.  I prefer to be on the ground floor or overlooking the bar - but upstairs in the back can be nice if you prefer quiet - ask for that when you book online.  The roast chicken is totally worth the wait - so go ahead, get some oysters first, then get the caesar salad.  For dessert, at least one person should order the gateau victoire. 

• Chez Panisse - dinner upstairs is prix fixe, formal and expensive.  The cafe is informal and less expensive.  Both are worth making reservations as soon as you know you're coming to San Francisco. 

• For steak or just a nice dinner especially after spending the day in wine country, Muir Woods or Point Reyes, the Buckeye Roadhouse in Mill Valley.  If you know which day you're going north, do make a rezzie asap for dinner at the Buckeye (upstairs gets noisy, so ask for the first floor, most preferably in a window booth table).  They do steak and cocktails right, and have smokehouse entrees.  Get the Oysters Bingo.

• Nopa - You'll need a rezzie, unless you get there right when they open up for dinner and grab a spot at the bar or community table for drinks and food.  Rustic, wood-fired foods is their claim to fame.  I can't tell you how good the pork chop is - you have to try it for yourself.  Apparently, many people are now skipping dessert to get in line for Bi-Rite's ice cream next door.  

• Bix - Located down a nondescript alley on the fringe of the Financial district.  A classy, well-heeled joint with a great bar, delicious food, excellent service - on the pricy end of the scale.  We've celebrated many birthdays/anniversaries here. 

• Chapeau - French.  Feels classier/fancier and more delicious than the price.  Not sure why, but parking requires a little extra time/walking in this neighborhood (Clement St/Inner Richmond). 

Things tourists like to do, but that locals are pretty meh about

Alcatraz – you know, it’s an empty jail.  But it’s a nice boat ride and pretty view back to the city, so that’s nice.  If you want to go, buy tickets ASAP.  Bring a jacket, hat, scarf and mittens - even in summer.

Pier 39 – we avoid this tourist trap (in fact, I avoid from Pier 39 to Ghiradelli Square) like the plague except to bring visitors to see sea lions and ride the cable cars.  If you're taking kids, my advice is to focus on the sea lions and carousel, and set a time-limit and budget.  If you want to sit and eat by the Bay, the locals go to:

• On the pier, the only place I'd bother eating is Boudin's because it's cheap and basic. 
• Greens over at Marina Green for great vegetarian food that even meat-eaters like
• Pier 23 to sit outside and eat burgers and drink bloody mary's or whatever
• The Ferry Building - grazing the farmer's market on a Saturday is awesome.
• Red's Java House or the High Dive (conveniently across the street from Ben's new office) on the piers just south of the Bay Bridge. 

Union Square - I'm torn.  I come here myself to shop - but when I do, I set aside half a day and I plan in advance where I'm going because the shopping is scattered over 6 square blocks, so it's really easy to run yourself ragged.  I see a lot of tourist families wandering around, looking tired.  My advice is to consult a map and plot out in advance which specialty shops you want to hit that aren't in your hometown (because most of them are available at your local mall or big city, so why waste your vacation time here?).  

Union Square itself is pretty, and a lot of people stop through here because of the cable cars.  If you just want a bite and to rest your weary feet, try:

• Emporio Rulli at the east end of the Union Square park
• A drink at the Westin St Francis (sadly, you can no longer ride the elevators for a great view without a guest keycard)
• Cheap eats in the Macy's Cellar 
• Indulge just a little eating under the stained glass at the Rotunda at Neiman Marcus.
• 54 Mint is tucked away but worth seeking out for a nice authentic Italian dinner.
• Sears Fine Food has a good breakfast.  Sometimes there's a line, but it usually moves quickly.

San Francisco in a day

I've been hosting a lot of first-time guests lately and let's all agree upfront:  there’s no way you can see all of San Francisco in a single day.  What follows is how I host people who only have one day to explore San Francisco for the first time.  A lot of the classic sights are covered in my two-hour driving tour, and I tinker with this basic agenda to pack the rest of the day depending on the guest’s stamina. Your mileage may vary.

View San Francisco driving tour in a larger map

I like to kick things off with my 2 hour driving tour to give you the lay of the land, see some of the mind-blowing views, and quirks of the city. This Google map of my two-hour driving tour lives here. Note that I’ve put pins where there are specific sights/views worth stopping for – and in between, I’ve mapped the route to take you through notable neighborhoods. On the Google map sidebar, I’ve made notes about what to look for either as a full stop or just drive-by. You're welcome.

Whether I picked you up at SFO or a downtown hotel, I like to start the tour at the top of Twin Peaks to welcome you with a magnificent overview of the City and the Bay (actually, I like to take visitors to Twin Peaks twice during every visit: once during daylight to orient yourself, and then finish off with a last look at where you’ve been at night).

After the two hour tour, it's time for lunch. I like to pick one neighborhood to have lunch in and a second nearby neighborhood to explore/window shop in for an hour.  I'll write a more detailed post about these options later - for now, the headline options are:

• North Beach (eat)/Chinatown (stroll) - Italian and Chinese influenced nabes
• Chestnut Street (eat)/Union Street (stroll) - hoity and toity shops, eats and drinks
• Valencia/Mission Street (either) - Hispanic and hipster culture. 
• Japantown (eat)/Fillmore Street (stroll) - I recommend you start at Fillmore and Jackson and stroll downhill to Post - turn right and walk a block to Japantown.  There are edible temptations on every block, and delicious sushi in Japantown.
• Hayes Valley (both) - a concentrated 2-3 blocks of hipster eats and shops 
• Golden Gate Park (explore)/Irving Street (eat) - for nature/museum lovers

NOTE: there are a ton of other famously awesome neighborhoods in SF (SOMA, Castro), but you've only got one day and I'm trying to help you see the most in the least amount of time.

Stamina can start to become an issue by mid-afternoon, especially if you’re in from the East Coast. Depending on how much energy you've got, I have several options – two of which involve ice cream.

1. Ride the cable car to Ghiradelli Square and get ice cream at Ghiradelli’s. This is also a great way to end your evening, so you might consider saving this for after dinner. 
2. You’ll find my take on San Francisco’s top ice cream options here, but for one-day visitors, I recommend Smitten in Hayes Valley because a) it’s really good ice cream, b) fun to watch them make it, and c) it’s fun to people-watch in the usually sunny park across the street or window shop for a block in either direction of Hayes St. 
3. There are no shortage of parks to rest your bones in, but if my guests are super-pooped out, I like to drive over to Marina Green and stare out at the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and sailboats. Usually it’s sunny, or if it’s a quintessentially foggy day, chances are good you’ll see “the fog comes on little cat feet” just as Carl Sandburg did.

You do need to ride the cable car at least once during your visit. If you’re my parents, you’d ride it once at the start of your day, and again at night after dinner down to Ghiradelli’s to get some ice cream. More advice here about the cable cars, but do ride it at least once during your visit. Block at least an hour for the experience.

Eventually I’ll write up a lengthy list of my favorite dinner recommendations, but let’s assume you want to stay in town, and didn’t plan ahead so you need a reliably good place where it’s not impossible to get a last-minute table. With a view.

• Sunset at Ocean Beach – at Sutro’s at the Cliff House. Good food, classy, not too noisy. If it’s not foggy, the sunsets are gorgeous. 
• View of Golden Gate Bridge from McCormicks & Kuleto at Ghiradelli Square (you can catch the cable car to/from for added tourist points). 
• View of Bay Bridge Lights from in/near the Ferry Building – personal favorites are Hog Island Oysters (the name says it, plus good chowder), One Market (classy steaks) or the Slanted Door (modern Vietnamese hot spot with a busy bar).

So, what’s on your must-see/do in San Francisco list?

Riding the Cable Cars

Riding the cable cars is quite possibly my favorite touristy thing to do in San Francisco.  When my dad comes to town, he will happily ride all three lines multiple times. If you only have time for one round trip, here's my advice:

A block off Union Square at Market & Powell, there is the terminus for two cable car lines:  the Powell/Hyde line takes you to Ghiradelli Square, and the Powell/Hyde line ends near Fisherman's Wharf.  My advice is to catch the Powell/Hyde cable car and ride up and over Nob Hill, past the top of Lombard Street, to Ghiradelli Square.  Get off and get at least your free square of chocolate at Ghiradelli’s gift shop.  If it’s cold, duck into the Buena Vista Café for the original Irish Coffee.  Then walk to Fisherman’s Wharf to see the sea lions, then catch the Powell/Mason cable car through North Beach and Chinatown back to Market & Powell. 

Be aware that the lines on either end of both lines are long – have one person get in line while you buy tickets and/or the rest of the group explores.  Avoid weekend days if you can, or go at night.

If you liked the cable cars, you should also:

• Consider buying a multi-day pass, but only if you're really going to use it. 
• Visit the Cable Car Museum which explains how it works.  Kids love it.  
• Ride the vintage trolley cars on Muni's F-Line up & down Market Street.  If you do that on Saturday morning, you can also shop the farmers market at the Ferry Building at the end of the F Line.  

So, how many times do you want to ride the cable car?

Ice Cream I'd Drive Across Town For

Mitchell’s is a local institution with tons of classic and exotic flavors.  Ben always brings home a gallon of the orange sherbet, and Mom likes mango (their #1 seller).

Smitten uses liquid nitrogen to make each serving to order. Just a limited number of flavors each day, but they're all fresh and delicious.

I'm partial to Humphry Slocombe's Secret Breakfast, the only flavor they sell everyday.  Famous for unexpectedly good flavor mashups. 

I finally tried Bi-Rite, and I'm happy to add it to the list.  It's always got a line out the door.  The original location is off Dolores Park in the Mission, but there's a new location at Divisadero and Fell (next to NOPA) and that may have the smaller line/crowds.  The ice cream counter is on the right side of the store as you enter, but the line forms outside. It's part of a small market of other gorgeously tasty foods - including an awesome selection of cheeses, meats, produce, etc  Bring your wallet.

When Company Comes to San Francisco: The Basics

UPDATE: This post was the beginnings of a list of things I'd want visitors to see in San Francisco.  As I write about them in greater detail in later posts, I am deleting them from this post.  So this is more of a leftover list that I haven't gotten to yet.

If you have a car, geocaching is a super fun thing way to explore the city’s sights!  

I need to write a post about spending the day (or two) in Golden Gate Park, but the highlights are:

• Rent a segue and tour off the beaten path in the park!  We did this, and it was great! 
• Set aside time to explore the Academy of Sciences.  Grownups dig it too - in fact, on Thursday nights, they have 21+ admission so there are no ankle-biters but there are cocktails. 
• The de Young museum has interesting exhibits, but even if those don't appeal to you, at least visit the observation deck right before closing for pretty sunset views
• Conservatory of Flowers
• Paddle boats
• The carousel and slides (southeast corner of the park, near Bowling Green Drive, MLK Drive and Kezar)
• Stop by the bison paddocks

The Exploratorium just moved to a new location at Pier 15.  It's amazing.  Go. 

From dusk to 2am, the Bay Lights, the world’s largest LED light sculpture (8 times bigger than the Eiffel Tower's light show), will dazzle you with a never-repeating light show across the west span of the Bay Bridge.  It's another great excuse for an evening stroll or dinner reservation along the Embarcadero.  Click here for a map showing the public and restaurant viewpoints.
Mrs Doubtfire's house at 2640 Steiner St.  Great article here about the current owner living in the famous house.  

Other pretty (pack your camera!) views of the city:

• Coit Tower - Great views from the parking lot, and interesting WPA murals inside the tower.  Paying to go to the top of the tower is up to you.

• Lands End trail in the Presidio

• Top of the Lyon Street steps on Billionaire's Row of Broadway

• Gingerbread houses along Alamo Square (best viewed from the south side of park on Hayes between Pierce and Steiner, looking east) 

• Walk across and/or under the Golden Gate Bridge:

• Fort Point is directly under the bridge on the San Francisco side – it’s a nice destination for a leisurely walk down Chrissy Field, and an interesting perspective on the bridge.

• Then drive up the hill and across the bridge – you can go the Visitor Center on the Marin side, or you can drive west up into the Marin Headlands for the classic photo op of you with the GG Bridge and city skyline behind you.

• Top of Corona Heights at 16th & Moraga

Go to a Giants game.  After Sunday games, kids can run the bases for free.  If you can't get affordable tickets, you can watch up to 3 innings for free in the Portwalk arcade on the south side of the park.