San Francisco Weather

The quote attributed to Mark Twain which states “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” is accurate in context. Historians dispute these are Twain’s exact words. Regardless, we can attest to the cold weather in mid-June in San Francisco. You will want to choose layering pieces when packing for this great city at this time of year.

Union Square

We chose a lovely room at The Intercontinental. This location, around the corner from Union Square, is excellent. While in the area, enjoy lunch at Macy’s. The view of Union Square from the restaurant is great!

Public Transportation

From our experience, the public transportation is so good that renting a car is not necessary. We choose to buy bus passes and find the routes easy to get where we want to go. We ride the trolley from time to time and find it to be more touristy than the Ho Ho bus which we did as well.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is very touristy and overpriced in our opinion. There are a number of shops and many chain restaurants in the area along with some historic sights. We always grab a hot chocolate from Ghiradelli after a morning stroll.

We have a great lunch at Lori’s Diner which has several locations throughout the city. The garlic fries are phenomenal!!! Several stops at this chain is always a given.

 

China Town

While touring, we visit China Town. It is a stop on the HOHO bus. The sights, sounds, and smells are amazing. There are a TON of shops and many restaurants worth checking out. Definitely make a visit to the fortune cookie bakery. This is where they are rumored to have been invented. Warm fortune cookies are amazingly delicious!!! They give them to you when they are still flat like a cracker.

Lombard St.

We were brave enough to exit the Ho Ho bus to walk up Lombard St. which is quite an experience. The landscaping is beautifully manicured. When you look at it, you don’t realize how step the incline is. If you are physically able to do so, you should do the walk up Lombard St. There is a trolley stop near the top so it is easy to continue on with your day.

 

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Golden Gate Bridge

It goes without saying that you should take time to view the Golden Gate Bridge. If physically able, you should also walk across the bridge. It’s approximately 1.5 miles to walk one way. There is a gift shop on the S.F. side of the bridge where you can buy souvenirs and water. Just remember, if you shop prior to your walk, you will have to carry your purchases. You should always bring a jacket when in S.F. but this is even more vital when walking the Golden Gate Bridge. The winds are brisk and make it feel even colder than in other areas of the city.

Sausalito

Once across the bridge, we enjoyed time exploring Sausalito and the harbor. There are a few shops and the scenery is breathtaking. We have a great lunch at The Spinnaker where the views were incredible before heading back across the bridge.

 

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Alcatraz

Another must do while in San Francisco is a visit to Alcatraz and the guided tour. Alcatraz is operated by the parks service and the tour is very informative. Alcatraz is located on an island in the San Francisco Bay. You can purchase tickets and catch the ferry at the wharf. The views from the island are spectacular!

 

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The tour is full of stories about former inmates and escape attempts. You have the opportunity to see what an actual cell looks like. On our tour, they even enroll a new prisoner….But, she was allowed to leave with the rest of our tour group!!!

 

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The Castro

The Castro district is very interesting, and is definitely NOT for children. While we are here, we see a few naked men walking around during the mid afternoon. There is a lot of history and culture in in the Castro Area. We visit the office of the Human Rights Campaign which is located in the former camera shop of Harvey Milk. Mr. Milk is one of the first openly LGBTQ elected officials in the United States. If you want to learn more about him the movie “Milk” is about his life and we definitely recommend.

 

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Haight / Ashbury

Another historic area of San Francisco is the Haight / Ashbury neighborhood. This was once the center of counterculture. There are reminders of the hippie movement here and tours point to several homes of famous people from this period in history. The former homes of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin can be on display. There are some cool shops here along with lots of restaurants.

 

San Francisco is a great city. If visiting for the first time, you should probably allocate at least two or three days to see most of the interesting sites. The music and food scenes are incredible. You should definitely plan a side trip to Napa when visiting San Francisco. Our visit to Napa will be posted soon!

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