Originally Posted by
straniero
EDIT: while checking around, I found that Pier 39
http://www.pier39.com/home/pier-info...ked-questions/ has a luggage storage facility. Maybe I could just take advantage of that, since there is no admittance to the pier (whatever it is... seems like a big mall from the site).
That's actually great information, thanks...
Yes, Pier 39 is essentially a big mall. But it's right at the heart of the Fishermans Wharf area and you said you wanted to go there; but why? The whole thing is a big mall where locals try to separate you from as much of your money as possible.
Regardless, it's still a nice area to walk around. The main attraction to Pier 39 itself is the herd of 100+ sea lions who live right on the side of the pier. You're maybe 20 feet from them as they go about their daily lives.
http://www.pier39.com/home/the-sea-lion-story/
And if you're going to stare at the sea lions, you should really get a bag of Trish's Mini-Donuts
http://www.yelp.com/biz/trishs-mini-...an-francisco-3
The main thing to think about now is what you really want to see on your short visit. Your entire day could easily be eaten up by public transit. In particular, it's not especially easy to get to the Golden Gate Bridge from anywhere. Might actually work out best to look at one of the hop-on-hop-off bus services that includes the bridge.