San Francisco – Major Attractions to See

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Three day weekends are the perfect opportunity to visit San Francisco and see all the city has to offer. Many of us living in the San Francisco area take for granted the sights that everyone around the world flies in to marvel at. Unfortunately, this three day weekend, Steve will be working on his honey do list but over Labor Day, we’ll be hosting a staycation at our house with friends visiting from Sacramento. I’m putting together an itinerary for the Labor Day weekend that we’re extending into four days and I’ve been brainstorming about taking our friends to sights I haven’t visited since college. And some I’ve never been to myself in all these years living in the area. Here’s a list of major attractions you may enjoy as a tourist or a local playing a tour guide! Stay tuned for my personalized tour of San Francisco next month as I will include some other special sights. There are just so many treasures in San Francisco!

• Twin Peaks – Come up here day or night or both for some gorgeous views of the city!
• Lombard Street – The “Crookedest Street” in the world with great views but expect delays. Many tourist visit this street and some inconsiderate people may hold up traffic rather than driving down and parking out of the way for pictures. You have been warned.
• Crissy Field – Go for a run here and check out the former U.S. Army airfield. Or just bring a few sandwiches and enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sail boats.
• Alcatraz – You can swim over there! Or ride a ferry to it and take tour. I heard the night tour is cool. You can also take a ferry around it if you don’t want to go in.
• Anchor Brewing Company – Free tastings? Why not?
• Angel Island – Nice trails and museum. You can see the carvings on the walls made my the Chinese immigrants who were interned there.
• Asian Art Museum – Beautiful pieces of art here and they always have cool exhibits.
• Chinatown – Home to my peeps…enjoy lunch at Hang Ah, the oldest dim sum restaurant in America or if you need delicious veggie dim sum options, pay a visit to City View. Buy some knick knacks at the Peking Bazaar. Don’t buy stuff close to Broadway St or California St because it will cost more.
• Conservatory of Flowers – Everyone likes to see the lovely flowers here but you can skip if you don’t have time to squeeze this in.
• de Young Museum – Awesome architecture if you’re into that kind of thing. Be sure to visit the public observation floor to see a panoramic view of the entire Bay Area.
• Fisherman’s Wharf – I never go here and would rather stick to Pier 39. I suppose you probably want to see them sell seafood off the carts and stuff and say you went here.
• Pier 39 – Have some clam chowder at Boudin’s. I visit Pier 39 on date nights or when we have a kid to entertain. It’s fun for families with the stores, carousel, restaurants plus arcade/restaurant combo at Players, which actually serves pretty good food.
• Ghiradelli Square – Chocolate lover? I’m not so I’d skip but if you really like chocolate or have extra time, this would be a nice additional sight to see. It’s close to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf so you might as well walk over to visit the various stores and restaurants. I do enjoy the wine and chocolate festivals held here so check out their events calendar.
• Haight-Ashbury – Woo hoo! I love the shopping here and the restaurants are all great. We visit this area and their cafes as much as we can.
• Japanese Tea Garden – This little pocket in the Golden Gate Park is beautifully serene. Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed here because the scenery is magnificent.
• North Beach – AKA Little Italy. It’s a great area for dinner and some dessert and after dinner drinks. Off the beaten path is Bocce Cafe where the Italian food is delicious. We often enjoy a casual dinner and people watching at the outdoor tables at the always busy Calzones. Get a Moscow Mojito. But really, I don’t think I’ve had a bad meal at any of the restaurants in North Beach so you’re safe eating at any of them except Stinking Rose and Rose Pistola.
• Yerba Buena Gardens – If you happen to be downtown, take a walk through the gardens and read the wall carvings under the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Fountain.