Hey all,

I don't post in this forum much.

I'm on my second time in SFO. Last time I was here I did the Bay cruise, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard St, the Golden Gate, etc.

I'd like to do something different, but I'm not quite sure what.

Bars are out as I don't drink. What are some cool things that I could do that would be different from the above? Also, are there any good, reasonable restaurants I should check out? I have a car.

I drove thru Chinatown last year, but didn't stop as I had my laptop with me. Anything particularly interesting there?

I'm in SFO on business to attend a conference, so I'm mainly looking at evenings, with the afternoon on Thursday.

Thanks,

Super

There was a thread about this not too long ago -- but some of the things that were mentioned were Muir Woods, Stinson Beach and Sausalito (since you'll have a car).

In SF, check out The Metreon (movies, restaurants), and shopping in the Union Square area.

A few weeks ago, we had dinner at the Fog City Grille...locals will probably say it's a tourist spot, but the food is great -- try the truffle fries!

Have fun!

Fog City Diner (not Grille)
Boulevard
Aqua

are all great places to eat (pricier though)

The Ferry building downtown also has some cool places (and more reasonable) in it.

but it might be a bit far for a late afternoon drive. Sausolito is also worthwhile. Take the scenic (49 miles or something like that), just follow the blue & white signs with the seagulls. It covers most everything around SF, including Lombard Street & Twin Peaks. Hope it helps and enjoy SF - it's one of my favorite cities in the world! DeltaMike

Thanks for the ideas! I'll look those up.

Fog City's definitely an appropriate name. There's a thick white blanket hanging over down town. When we were landing, it almost looked like some of mountains were snow-capped.

You might find one of these walking tours ( http://www.sfcityguides.org/ ) interesting - each one concentrate on a particular area of the city - last about 2 hours - are free (with donation requested - usually $5 each) and sponsored by the Public Library. We've been on several - and most have been very good.

Improv by Bay Area TheatreSports at Ft. Mason (Fri/Sat/Sun night) -- cheap and fun. http://www.improv.org

One of the great mysteries of life is the tourist allure of Chinatown in San Francisco. It is mildly interesting at best. The food is absolutely terrible, the foot traffic almost forces you off the sidewalk into the street, and with a city full of great architecture, it is visually one of the less interesting parts of the city. Even though it is very close to downtown and the shortest walk to North Beach is right through it, it really isn't much of a destination.

Don't get me wrong, it is not bad, dangerous, or weird. It just amazes me that it often at the top of the "must see" lists for tourists. Go have decent Chinese food in another part of the city.

Having said that, get out and explore our unique neighborhoods! For a city of only 750,000, one would be amazed at how unique and special these little enclaves are: http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/

My recommendations: a walking loop from Castro through Noe Valley and the Mission, down Valencia Street and back to Castro. Another great neighborhood walk would be the Haight through Cole Valley to Golden Gate Park and the inner Sunset (Irving/9th Avenue) and back...

Since you have a car....

I suggest driving down Lombard St aka "The Crookedest Street."

If you go to Sausalito, instead of driving try the ferry (unless you want to make it a stop on your way to somewhere else)

I'm a big fan of the Palace of The Legion Of Honour. It's a lovely little museum and even if you don't go in, there are fabulous views of the city and the Golden Gate to be seen from there.

Highway 280 is claimed as one of the top 10 most beautiful in the country. If you go south to I92 and head west you can visit Half Moon Bay. A very pretty little town near the ocean. Or you could go down Hwy 1 to get there too.

Just a few thoughts.

DD

I take issue with the terrible food in Chinatown -- Henry's Hunan at Sacramento & Kearney is terrific. The place is packed at lunch for good reason. Generally, I think Chinatown is worth of being part of a walking tour because it is a real neighborhood with an interesting history. Just skip the dozens of trinket shops.

The walking tours idea is spot on. Get out of that car, put on some comfortable shoes and log a few miles on those feet. San Francisco is an excellent walking city. If you like SFOTRAVELER's walking idea and you want more specifics, just ask us.

Try Yoshi's in Oakland. Japanese food and Jazz.

Get a ticket to the "zany musical spoof of pop culture" (their web site's word) known as Beach Blanket Babylon

In my 30 years in the Bay Area, have seen it 6 or 7 times. Never ceases to be really fun entertainment.

I second these suggestions! The best part of SF are it's various neighborhoods. Exploring the Mission and its murals would be great. You could then head over and see the Mission Dolores (oldest building in SF) and even continue on to check out the Castro district.

Combine these walks with a stop at a great neighborhood restaurant, and you can easily plan a wonderful afternoon!

I don't really know what the OP means by "different" things.

Many (most?) of the things posted in this thread, such as the crooked section of Lombard St., Beach Blanket Babylon, Muir Woods, and Sausalito, are far from "different." They are very much on the well-worn tourist track. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course.

There is also LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of relevant info on San Francisco in existing threads. @:-) Suggest you take the initiative to look through them.

Gee, do you think that most tourists rent cars and drive down Lombard, or go to Muir Woods? I figure mostly they stick with cable cars, Union Square,The GG, China Town and Fisherman's Wharf

DD