San Francisco

[Phanuthier]

I live in the area (SF Bay Area)... a lot of people call it the city, but I've heard it been call "frisco" or SF... but I don't speak for everyone. You don't need a car, I probably have about 5 parking tickets from driving up there, I hate driving in SF (esp since I have a manuel transmission)...

Where to eat - anywhere Yelp rates as high, really. There's a lot of great places.

Stuff to see... depends what you want. Mt Tamalpias has a great vista point of the entire bay, with SF, Berkeley, South Bay... Treasure Island (you need a car) has some great night shots of SF and Berk...

Stuff outside SF... there's snazzy stuff just north of the bridge, Berkeley is obviously a collage town... Santa Cruz is a beach bum town... Big Sur is one of the famous coastal highway drives... feel free to ask if you have any Q's and I can try to help.

Events/festivals... there is a link of what is going on every weekend. Google and I'm sure its easy to find.

[Otsy]

We were there a few weeks ago for a week. Stayed at the Palomar a couple blocks from Union Square. I thought that was a fantastic location. F-Car right around the corner to take you down to the Ferry Building/Wharf area, 25 minute walk to At&T park, lots of shopping and restuarants around. Loved that city. No need to rent a car if you're planning to stay right in the city. Transit is cheap and can just walk for hours, so much to see.

[Pacem]

Nice thread. The Wife and I just booked a trip for late September. I've read all the threads someone posted but still have a few questions.

We are going to get tickets for Alcatraz before we leave. She said we'd have to worry about scams for tickets? I've been looking online and it seems there are a few different tours companies to chose from. Can someone recommend a specific one? We want to get dropped of there, not go around it.

Among the same lines. Can anyone recommend a good napa valley tour company? I've found this website http://www.winecountrytourshuttle.com/ My wife wants to do a limo instead of a shuttle bus, but im working on that, lol. Car is not an option. We'll be getting good and drunk. We are not renting a vehicle for the trip.

For the Giants game. Never even really considered checking out a game. Found out they are at home when we are out there. Seems highly reviewed on these boards. Is it worth going to a game even if its in the bleachers section? The trip is already fairly expensive so I didn't want to spend a whole bunch on tickets. Is going to a game one of those things where the atmosphere and stuff is what makes it worth it? And if so, would you recommend a day or night game as it looks like we could have a choice.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Pacem

For the Giants game. Never even really considered checking out a game. Found out they are at home when we are out there. Seems highly reviewed on these boards. Is it worth going to a game even if its in the bleachers section? The trip is already fairly expensive so I didn't want to spend a whole bunch on tickets. Is going to a game one of those things where the atmosphere and stuff is what makes it worth it? And if so, would you recommend a day or night game as it looks like we could have a choice.

I would say the Giants would be worth doing if you can swing it. Also check stubhub for tickets, sometimes they're cheaper than the box-office. (Not many season ticket holders want 80+ games a year, I imagine)

My wife had a good time (to the point that went to see the Dodgers in LA on the next trip) and I had to explain to her which one was the shortstop.

[flamesflames444]

[QUOTE=Pacem;3739667]

Among the same lines. Can anyone recommend a good napa valley tour company? I've found this website http://www.winecountrytourshuttle.com/ My wife wants to do a limo instead of a shuttle bus, but im working on that, lol. Car is not an option. We'll be getting good and drunk. We are not renting a vehicle for the trip.

[QUOTE]

I have used beauwinetours twice in the last five or so years and I would not hesitate to use them again. Both times we booked a semi-private limo tour so with 2 other random couples. I think it was $99 each + tip and includes lunch and some free wine tastings. This can always be hit and miss going with randoms... the first time we got a young couple who hardly drank and 3 older sisters who were fun. The second time we had 2 other couples who all loved wine/boozing and we all ended up going out for dinner afterwards despite just meeting in the morning.

If you are staying in San Fran, they have an option to meet you at the ferry in Vallejo (SP?) which is probably a 20 min ferry ride from the main ferry terminal. The second time we actually stayed in Napa for a few days so they just picked us up at tho hotel. This tour operator tends to go a little more off the beaten path which we enjoyed given we didn't want to hit up the main wineries with hundreds of others on tour buses.

EDIT - I just found their website and it appears that it is now $125 for a full day tour including lunch and 4 wineries.

[gonzo29]

- Don't go to an A's game, the Coliseum is the worst ballpark in the big leagues bar none. Doesn't remotely compare to watching a game at AT&T.

- I like to stay at the Handlery as it provides a good mix of location, relative affordability, and quality.

- Eat at the new Original Joe's, a San Francisco institution in a great new location. (The old location burned down a few years back)

- Go down to Fisherman's wharf and take a cheap boat cruise of the bay - some of the best 15 bucks I ever spent.

- Do the Alcatraz night tour.

- Go for a cocktail at the "Top of the Mark" at the Mark Hopkins Hotel around sunset.

[Tinordi]

Rent a bike and bike over the Golden Gate and grab lunch in Sausalito. Take the ferry back and then take pictures of Alcatraz. You wont regret it.

[Otsy]

Originally Posted by Pacem

Nice thread. The Wife and I just booked a trip for late September. I've read all the threads someone posted but still have a few questions.

We are going to get tickets for Alcatraz before we leave. She said we'd have to worry about scams for tickets? I've been looking online and it seems there are a few different tours companies to chose from. Can someone recommend a specific one? We want to get dropped of there, not go around it.

Among the same lines. Can anyone recommend a good napa valley tour company? I've found this website http://www.winecountrytourshuttle.com/ My wife wants to do a limo instead of a shuttle bus, but im working on that, lol. Car is not an option. We'll be getting good and drunk. We are not renting a vehicle for the trip.

For the Giants game. Never even really considered checking out a game. Found out they are at home when we are out there. Seems highly reviewed on these boards. Is it worth going to a game even if its in the bleachers section? The trip is already fairly expensive so I didn't want to spend a whole bunch on tickets. Is going to a game one of those things where the atmosphere and stuff is what makes it worth it? And if so, would you recommend a day or night game as it looks like we could have a choice.

Just get your tickets through Alcatraz Cruises. They're the only ones going to the island anyway, so may as well buy directly from them. We got ours with the CityPass.

Baseball game was definitely worth it. We just bought $25 tickets and sat in section 307. Loved it. Great views there's a concourse with all the concessions and everything on that level too.

We did http://www.terrifictours.com/ for the wine tour. Was just 4 people, guide was excellent, tour wasn't preplanned, he just asked us what we liked and then took us to different wineries based on our answers. Took the ferry option back to SF. Was a great way to end the tour. Plus there's a bar on the ferry so could hammer back some more drinks.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Pier 39 (which is right by the Wharf) is a pretty cool area for shopping and dining (and there was an awesome arcade too), even if its beyond touristy. Definitely walk through Chinatown, quite a sight to behold. And even though I didn't get go inside AT&T Park (I was seeing a concert in the parking lot), it sure looks like the most beautiful baseball stadium in America. Just be wary walking around San Fran you'll get a random whiff of piss or crap out of nowhere.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Pacem

Nice thread. The Wife and I just booked a trip for late September. I've read all the threads someone posted but still have a few questions.

We are going to get tickets for Alcatraz before we leave. She said we'd have to worry about scams for tickets? I've been looking online and it seems there are a few different tours companies to chose from. Can someone recommend a specific one? We want to get dropped of there, not go around it.

Among the same lines. Can anyone recommend a good napa valley tour company? I've found this website http://www.winecountrytourshuttle.com/ My wife wants to do a limo instead of a shuttle bus, but im working on that, lol. Car is not an option. We'll be getting good and drunk. We are not renting a vehicle for the trip.

For the Giants game. Never even really considered checking out a game. Found out they are at home when we are out there. Seems highly reviewed on these boards. Is it worth going to a game even if its in the bleachers section? The trip is already fairly expensive so I didn't want to spend a whole bunch on tickets. Is going to a game one of those things where the atmosphere and stuff is what makes it worth it? And if so, would you recommend a day or night game as it looks like we could have a choice.

I have used Prestige Limousine, Inc. twice http://www.prestigelimousine.com/. They pick you up at your hotel, drive you wherever you want and drop you off back at the hotel. You are in an air conditioned car and don't have to deal with a tour group. You can stay at one winery or leave it and see many more depending on your mood. With a tour, you're stuck. It may cost another $100 or so, but split between two people, it's completely worth it. In 2010 it was $335 and in 2011 it was $389. This includes all taxes, tips, etc. for 6 hours in a 6 passenger stretch limo. The next time I'm down, I'll be using them again. Another nice benefit of the limo is road dome on the way home.

I also recommend Sonoma over Napa. Chateau St. Jean is my favourite. I also like Segehessio a lot. St. Francis is very nice to look at and the wines are great. Check out Ledson as well. Ask your driver what his favourite is. I'd recommend against Kendall Jackson.

If you want tickets for the Giants, PM me and I'll get you in touch with my contact down there. I've about 25 games over the last couple of years from him, with zero problems. Day games are cool because the weather and scenery are awesome to look at. If you sit high up you can see the water. If you sit low, you feel the crowd and are more into it. Night games can get a little chilly. In the 40 games I've gone to at night, I have needed a jacket for all except two. If you get club seats the club level is awesome to walk around and see the history, including the NY Giants. There are tonnes of signed balls, bats, bases, WS stuff, etc. Food is also better on this level. Get there early and walk around the whole park. Day games after night games usually don't have batting practice.

[troutman]

Giants tickets could be hard to get - they are on a long sell-out streak.

[Table 5]

About to go to SF and trying to find a decent hotel that's available and not $300.....not an easy task.

Is Berkeley a good option as somewhere to stay? We're going to be driving down, so ideally I'd like a place where I can park a car, and perhaps subway it into SF.

What about some of the suburbs? Which ones would be decent? I'm ok with something Holiday Inn Express level....just wanted something that's safe and has good access to the city.

[Yeah_Baby]

I'd suggest checking out the Cetacean institute, but it hasn't been the same since like 86. They humpback whales, George and Gracie, used to be the a big draw. But they're gone now.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Table 5

About to go to SF and trying to find a decent hotel that's available and not $300.....not an easy task.

Is Berkeley a good option as somewhere to stay? We're going to be driving down, so ideally I'd like a place where I can park a car, and perhaps subway it into SF.

What about some of the suburbs? Which ones would be decent? I'm ok with something Holiday Inn Express level....just wanted something that's safe and has good access to the city.

I was over in Berkeley for the first time on my last SF trip, and once you get more than four blocks from campus, it seems totally dead. But there's a lot of decent, cheap dining right around campus. It definitely has a safe feel to the neighbourhood, compared with, say, Oakland. You'll pay more in BART tickets, (probably about $2 more for person every time you go over to SF, vs. staying on the SF side).

Have you ever looked into Air BnB? There are a lot of apartments and homes where you could stay in more central neighbourhoods and have parking for your car as well. We've used it Air BnB four times for San Francisco, and have had good to great experiences each time. Two of the places we stayed had driveway parking. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I would highly recommend it over a Holiday Inn Express in the suburbs. Here's a quick search for places under $200 with parking:
https://www.airbnb.com/s/San-Francis...&price_max=200

[Table 5]

AirBnB is a great idea actually. Ive used them a lot before in NY and it was usually a hit.

What are some of the better neighborhoods to try to stay in? Ones to avoid (apart from that beefy tenderloin)?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Table 5

AirBnB is a great idea actually. Ive used them a lot before in NY and it was usually a hit.

What are some of the better neighborhoods to try to stay in? Ones to avoid (apart from that beefy tenderloin)?

Marina Girls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_..._San_Francisco

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Table 5

AirBnB is a great idea actually. Ive used them a lot before in NY and it was usually a hit.

What are some of the better neighborhoods to try to stay in? Ones to avoid (apart from that beefy tenderloin)?

We've always stayed in Potrero Hill, Mission, and Noe Valley, which is a nice distance from downtown, has good transit, and isn't as overpriced as some of the more central areas. I'm going to PM you one possible place that we've stayed in before.

[woob]

I've stayed in Mission twice and really enjoyed it. Great neighbourhood and good eats.

[Pacem]

Thought i'd bump this thread, as we just got back a couple days ago. Thanks for the tips. They worked out well.

Tonga Room is a place i'd recommend. I really enjoyed it there, really nice atmosphere. And they took care of us very well.

Alcatraz tour was as good as expected.

Pier 39 was a nice walk for a couple of hours. Very touristy but I liked it. We couldn't stop staring at the sea lions. We weren't the only ones, the crowd was quite big and no one was leaving. Those fat buggers mesmerized us, lol. I also looked like a stud winning a big toy out of the giant toy claw machine they had in front of the arcade/restaurant place.

Pier 46(??) was cool. Got to see the bum that hides behind branches and scares people. Also found a very cool private collection of quarter machines. It was in a warehouse. Alot of antique quarter machines. Some games, fortune tellers, tests and musical stuff. Was really cool, I like that kind of stuff.

Napa was very cool. Definitely would rather do it in a smaller tour. There were 40+ on the bus. The time was pretty compressed from winery to winery. The Andretti winery was a very nice piece of land. They also did a tasting straight from the barrel. It was delicious. Strong wine and tasted so good. They drove us out there and had us back in about 8 hours. To do it properly you'd have to take about 12 hours. I would love to stay there for a couple of days to really enjoy it. The tour was Robert Mondavi, Andretti, Menage Trois and I forget the last winery. I know they carried Mount Veeder, but that wasn't the main winery. Andretti and Mondavi had the nicest grounds.

Hit up Haight Ashbury and Chinatown. Rode the cable cars, went to the cable care museum. Nice to see how the cars themselves work.

Didn't make it to a Giants game, so might regret that. We just had the 5 nights there so there was alot to do.

[Derek Sutton]

Where did you stay and how was it? Where would be a good place to stay? Looking at possibly going in November but only for three days. One day wine tour, one day to Alcatraz, Pier 39, one day Chinatown and such.