San Francisco - Hotels and other things

[Aussie Willy]

Now that I am over my horrible radiation thingy, it is time to start sorting out the finer details for my overseas trip in July/August.

I have 5 days in San Francisco where I did visit many years ago. But this time I can take my time as I am on my own and not part of a tour group. So I have a good idea about getting around by public transport, finding my way around, etc.

First thing is accommodation. Looking for a reasonably priced hotel in a quiet area not too far out of the main part of the city. And not in the "worst part of downtown" (which when I visited the US/Canada back in 98 I got told to avoid in pretty much every city/town I stayed in and ended up finding anyway).

Also wouldn't mind any day trips or tours suggestions. And getting out and seeing a show or nightclub would be on my agenda. I missed seeing Alcatraz last time (our tour groups bookings got stuffed up) so want to do that this time.

So your ideas and suggestions are most welcome.

 

[IceAlisa]

What is reasonably priced for you? I wouldn't stay downtown if you are looking for quiet. I like boutique hotels and will look into them once you let me know your price range.

Napa Valley is a lovely day trip if you like wine. Can suggest restaurants there if you are interested.
What kind of show are you interested in? Teatro Zinzanni? Beach Blanket Babylon?
Unfortunately I have aged out of the nightclub scene. But can recommend restaurants. Bring sweaters and jackets, our summers can be quite cold. And enjoy!

 

[PrincessLeppard]

Do you like baseball? AT&T Park where the Giants play is really cool and there are many attractive men on the Giants.

Tickets are a bit hard to come by, but sometimes you can get a good last minute deal on Stub Hub.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

There are some "boutique" hotels near Golden Gate Park. I have not stayed, but almost did...it is much quieter there than downtown. No Bart super close but busses will get you to a Bart/downtown etc. I love GG park, you can do so much right there. This is what I was considering http://moffatthouse.com/acc.html but again, we ended up staying with family in another city altogether and using Bart.

If I was on my own, I'd probably spend a day like this: http://www.dylanstours.com/adayinthebay/ and then go back during the week on my own to any stand outs. I am usually travbeling with kids/teens so we do something less traditional - I'll find a list like these: and we will go to one or two a day - http://sfist.com/2014/07/16/best_ice_cream.php or http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/The-Bay-Area-s-best-staircases-3819256.php or http://sfist.com/2015/04/15/best_public_art_and_street_art_work.php and just walk everywhere.
I also throw in museums, parks, and restaurants.

I've always wanted to dress up and go to The Starlight Room. It's totally cliche of me, but when you travel with kids, it just sounds so adult....

 

[skatesindreams]

Now that I am over my horrible radiation thingy, it is time to start sorting out the finer details for my overseas trip in July/August.

You deserve this trip, Aussie Willy.
I'm sure that the "FSU Travel Service" will provide excellent recommendations!

 

[attyfan]

Don't know what your price range is, but my husband and I stayed here recently, and liked it very much:

http://www.queenanne.com/

It was very convenient and the included breakfast was fairly good for a "continental"(hardboiled eggs and a waffle making machine)

 

[moebius]

If you are going to be in SF during Aug 5-7, you can attend Outside Lands, a yearly music festival that takes place in Golden Gate Park for 3 days. Last year I think it was almost $300 for the 3 days. Or if you prefer to attend certain days, those usually go for a little over $100 per day. This year's line-up has not been announced yet, usually around April they announce the line-up. Headliners are usually the current alternative and or mainstream, retro act (Elton John, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Phish, Metallica, Muse, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Kanye West, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, etc). I've been to several music festivals, and I have to say that Outside Lands has the best food. They have a wide variety of food, not the usual fair food. They have Venezuealan food, donut burgers, deep fried pickles, breakfast ice-cream, sorghum pickles, dried porcini donuts, Japanese pizza, Hawaiian ahi poke, ramen burgers, and the list goes on.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

My price range for accommodation also has to take into account the exchange rate which the Australian dollar is not doing so great against the US dollar (however if you are from the US it is probably fantastic for you if you visit Australia). So am looking around the $100-200 range. Not sure how realistic that is though. But thanks the couple of ideas because I will check those out.

That music festival sounds brilliant but I actually leave SF on the 5th August. Would love to do that.

Not really into baseball or wine. But any good restaurant suggestions would be very appreciated. Love Asian cuisine, pasta and seafood.

Thanks IceAlisa for the suggestion about Teatro Zinzanni. I just checked it's website and that is exactly the kind of thing I like. I have been to Spiegeltents here in Australia and really enjoyed the shows. And the Beach Blanket Babylon also looks good. Yes they are right up my alley.

 

[Allskate]

There have been a couple of threads on this topic during the last few years. So, you might consider doing a search.

If you know generally what you want to do, then it will be easier for people to advise you on specifics and hotels. In general, hotels in San Francisco are very expensive. Being willing to stay in a boutique hotel or in a place that is relatively safe, but not as conveniently located or nice, will save you money.

You definitely should book Alcatraz in advance. When my sister and BIL came to visit me, they had a difficult time getting tickets.

If you're interested in seeing a baseball game, AT&T Park really is a nice ballpark and easy to get to. If you don't mind bad seats, the tickets really aren't hard to get and aren't outrageously expensive. (Basketball and football tickets are a very different story.)

I went to Outside Lands once, and I didn't really like it. If I had a limited amount of time in SF, that's not how I'd spend it. Some music festivals are more enjoyable than others. This one seemed to be particularly drunken, crowded, and rude, and the scheduling was bad with multiple acts I wanted to see playing at the same time. But, there obviously are plenty of people who love it. So, read up on it and figure out if that's something you'd like. But, if you want to do other things in Golden Gate Park, I'd definitely suggest going there on days when the festival will not be on. Public transportation to and from the park is crazy during Outside Lands.

And, yes, definitely bring layers since there's lots of fog in the summer.

ETA: I was posting at the same time as you.

Love Asian cuisine, pasta and seafood.

I'd spend a day eating my way through the city. Start in Chinatown (near Union Square), and wander through, stopping to eat some take out dim sum and other treats you see in the shops. Then go to North Beach (Italian area), which is adjacent to China Town, and have some pasta, gelato, etc. Then, you'll come to Fisherman's Wharf, where you can have some seafood (clam chowder in a sourdough bowl is a classic). I don't love Fisherman's Wharf, except that I really like the sea lions. If you want to do some more walking (and eating), walk from Fisherman's Wharf along the water towards the Ferry Building (where there's also plenty of good food, especially on Farmer's Market days.) On the way, you will pass the pier where you would catch the ferry to Alcatraz. So, you could do a trip to Alcatraz and then, upon your return, do my suggested walk in reverse.

 

[IceAlisa]

Here's a list of a few boutique hotels, some in your price range: http://boutiquehotels-sanfrancisco.com/

If I sound like a snob, it's because I am. I would be careful in my choice of restaurants in North Beach and generally steer clear of Fisherman's Wharf--tourist traps abound. But I do second the Ferry Building suggestion. https://www.thrillist.com/eat/san-francisco/best-sf-ferry-building-restaurants If you like coffee, Blue Bottle coffee is not to be missed. Still my favorite.


Here's a diverse list of Italian restaurants: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/san-francisco/best-italian-restaurants-in-sf

Chinatown, OTOH, is great for dim sum. *drools.* This list may be a little old and most places aren't in Chinatown; but it's worth browsing: http://www.sfweekly.com/foodie/2012/02/08/san-franciscos-top-10-dim-sum-restaurants

If you like Thai cuisine, my husband adores Manora's. Indian food--Dosa.

What other cuisines/price ranges interest you? SF is a foodie's paradise.

 

[Japanfan]

My price range for accommodation also has to take into account the exchange rate which the Australian dollar is not doing so great against the US dollar (however if you are from the US it is probably fantastic for you if you visit Australia). So am looking around the $100-200 range. Not sure how realistic that is though. But thanks the couple of ideas because I will check those out.

When we went a few years ago we had trouble finding anything under $200. In the end we stayed at a quaint little motel outside of the city (near the zoo) and it was over $200, though not by much. But it was tiny! There wasn't even space in the room to sit down with my laptop. I suppose that shouldn't matter when you are in San Fransisco, but it did to me as I am not the kind of traveler who wants to be constantly on the go sightseeing.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I think I am going to have pay a bit for accommodation in SF so not surprised about your quote. Just need to sort out my budgeting and take into account the exchange rate. But a boutique hotel sounds nice as well.

 

[skatesindreams]

Could you arrange a flight and hotel package?
Often you can stay in a deluxe hotel for a much more reasonable price, when you combine them.

 

[Willin]

Look over in Berkeley and Oakland (Jack London Square) for hotels as well. You can take ferries directly into the city from there, and both cities have some cool things to do. Berkeley has fun concerts and plays on the campus of UC Berkeley, and has some of the greatest views in the area from Grizzly Peak Road above campus. The botanical garden is also great. Oakland has the ice cream parlor from the movie Up, which has amazing Sundaes. Next to Oakland, Alameda has an old WWII aircraft carrier that's pretty cool to check out.

In the city, I would definitely check out Golden Gate Park and the Presidio. Both are beautiful and offer great hiking. For Alcatraz, I would recommend buying tickets 3+ months in advance if you really want to go. Last month I looked for tickets at the beginning of April and they were already sold out. (and that's not even high tourist season!) If you can't get tickets to Alcatraz, Angel Island is even cooler with camping (though you'd have to make reservations early), hiking, and history. They have a civil war military base and parade ground there, along with a small museum about the bay. It was a major immigration center for the entire US west coast, and they've just redone the immigration center (which is beautiful!) for tourists to look through. If you hike up to the top at night, it's the best view of the entire bay.

The Asian Art Museum is great, as is the DeYoung and the Legion of Honor. The Exploratorium is cool, but not a great value, but the Cal Academy of Sciences is great all around. The aquarium of the bay is also good to check out. Chinatown has a lot of counterfeit goods and such, and can be pretty sketchy on the main drag. If you want to go, do your research about where the locals go first (those restaurants are a street or two West). If you can, go to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. It's in an alley, but smells good.

Whale watching might not be very good during summer, but I've heard it was unusually good all year long in 2015, so I would ask around first (to sailors if you can, not the whale watching companies).

For shows, it doesn't appear that there will be any broadway shows in town, but a few other companies may have things. A.C.T. and Berkeley Rep. might have something. Teatro ZinZanni had it's SF location closed in 2011 due to construction on the Embarcadero, and hasn't re-opened. They are still looking for a new location, so it may be worth it to see if they've reopened by the time you visit. Beach Blanket Babylon is very fun and very San Francisco, though it's not for everyone.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask any more questions you have.

 

[4rkidz]

I've been to San Fran for work meetings 3 times and absolutely loved it! Its neat just catching the public transport around I got a 3 day pass and was really fun getting lost and trying different types of public transportation (cable car trollys etc).. So as a tourist my favourite things were:
1. Alcatraz - really fun and go down the day before and get your ticket
2. Muir Woods - I actually rented a car for the day and drove out there and also checked out all the cool boats on the way in the part of the harbour (Sausilito?) where people live year round.. the woods themselves were really incredible with absolutely massive trees the giant red woods - google it..
3. Pier - the seals and the seafood places are great - also walking distance from there is the Giradelli chocolate place..

My next work trip is San Diego - which is a first for me - but based on my experiences so far in California (Seattle & San Fran) I'm sure it will be just as amazing

 

[Vagabond]

Whale watching might not be very good during summer, but I've heard it was unusually good all year long in 2015, so I would ask around first (to sailors if you can, not the whale watching companies).

I would avoid anything specifically marketed as whale watching in the summer without a clear indication of where the boat is going, particularly if the starting point is not San Francisco itself (e.g., most trips out of Half Moon Bay, which is about 30 miles south of the city).

Instead, I recommend the Oceanic Society's day trips to the Farallons. While there's a good chance of seeing whales, you are assured of seeing other wildlife at least off the boat. (On a very foggy day, you may barely be able to make out Southeast Farallon Island from the boat.)

If you go, make sure to take some motion sickness medication before the boat leaves the

Here is a blog maintained by wildlife researchers living on the island: http://losfarallones.blogspot.com/

 

[Willin]

@Vagabond Yeah - I've never been whale watching except on a friend's sailboat. The Farallons are always a good bet though. Someday I'll find time (and a boat) to go out there. I think there's actually some amateur sailors that take trips out for tourists/locals, but you have to look for those - they don't advertise.

 

[Kasey]

@Aussie Willy , if you like hiking at all, there is a wonderful hiking path called "Land's End" trail. It is not overly strenuous (but can be made moreso by climbing down to the beach areas and back up), and goes from the Sutro Bath's to just near the Golden Gate Bridge (although you can go on all the way to the Bridge). Beautiful scenery, and as I said, you can hike down and up from various beaches, some of which you may have to yourself (depending on what day/time you go).

A friend of mine performs as a street musician at Fisherman's Wharf sometimes in the summer as well There are some wonderfully talented people to keep your ears or eyes occupied as you walk along!

 

[Vagabond]

I don't believe that the subject of the many free organized walking tours in San Francisco has been covered in any of the San Francisco threads.

San Francisco City Guides

City Lights Books sells booklets that will help you if want to go on a self-guided walking tour.