First, check into the hotel. The Opal, formerly La Quinta Inn & Suites, is a great option. Located at 1050 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco, CA. in the Civic Center/Cathedral Hill area of downtown San Francisco. You can walk to the historic cable car, Symphony Hall, and other popular spots, or take the city tour bus and explore the beautiful cityscapes, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, The Victorians, (Pink Ladies four Queen Anne Brightly painted Victorians) and Fisherman’s Wharf. The tour bus will send a shuttle to some hotels and take you to Fisherman’s Wharf where the double-decker buses depart.
Visit Chinatown for a full day of sightseeing. Chinatown seems to go straight to China with its many shops and restaurants. You can buy everything from fine jewelry to your favorite San Francisco sports team cap or jersey at reasonable prices. During our visit we found a very nice silk scarf for my mother. The shopkeeper called it his Mother’s Day Special. I’m sure we paid full price for him, but he was nice and very responsive to our requests.
Take the Powell-Hyde cable car line to Fisherman’s Wharf. They are still reliable and a scenic way to see the city. Dine at Fisherman’s Wharf No. 9 Fisherman’s Grotto, Fisherman’s Wharf’s first seafood restaurant for a nice cozy dinner and order the Dungeness crab pasta dish. Tasty! Fisherman’s Wharf is a tourist attraction located on the waterfront where you can shop for souvenirs, watch live entertainment, experience the breeze from the bay and the different aromas of the restaurants along the pier.
If you’re the adventurous type, you can bike 2 miles across the erected Golden Gate Bridge with its orange towers and return by ferry. This is great family fun.
Guided tours available daily from five locations, 465 Jefferson St. at the Argonaut Hotel, 1095 Columbus Ave. near the cable car’s last stop, Pier 41 at Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 43 ½ at Fisherman’s Wharf, and 2715 Hyde St. near the last stop of the cable car. For a little more adventure, take a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island, also known as “THE ROCK”, known to be an unmissable experience. They even have tours of the actual facilities, but you need to book in advance as it is one of the most popular attractions in the city. We didn’t visit Alcatraz, but got some great photos and videos while traveling by ferry to Sausalito.
Upon our arrival in Sausalito, we noticed what could have been a Cinco de Mayo festival already underway. This included many vendors selling their artwork and various handicrafts. We also enjoyed the sounds of a cajun flavored blues band fresh out of New Orleans who really set the mood.
Finally, when you return to Fisherman’s Wharf, beware of the local comedian/prankster, also known as “THE WOODSMAN”. He appears on the sidewalk camouflaged with some handy bushes, and if you’re walking around, talking to your love or talking on your cell phone, he’ll shake his bushes and give you a little scare if you’re not paying attention, but it’s all fun. Be sure to leave a tip in your can of coffee. It was a fun part of our San Francisco experience.
San Francisco’s famous fog occurs mostly in the summer and can make things quite chilly, so keep a sweater or jacket handy.
