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Going to San Francisco

M

Mislav

Guest
I'll be heading to San Francisco for Reading Week to visit a friend who's working there. Any suggestions as to what to see in both San Francisco and San Jose? I mean tourist attractions, places to eat, clubs.

I'm also planning on taking a drive to LA for a couple of days. I've been there when I was 12 but I have no idea what clubs or bars to check out Tuesday or Wednesday. Is there an online clubbing forum/site for either of the two cities like this one?

Also are there any areas I should avoid while I'm there except for the obvious ones (ie Compton in LA)?
 
If you're driving to LA, the coast Hwy is very scenic - (Hwy 1) - but it's only 2 lanes, very windy and slow - but Carmel and Monterrey are nice to visit. The Monterrey Aquarium is located in Monterrey's Cannery Row.

Just south of Monterrey, this bridge is one of the most photographed in the world:

RoadtoLA101.jpg


Typical touristy SF stuff:


Alcatraz (never done it myself)
Point Fort (or Fort Point) under the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Coit Tower
Fisherman's Wharf (Tourist trap area - Pier 39 is a shopping mall on a pier - check out the sea lions lazing in the sun on the wharves).
Giardelli (sp?)Square is nearby (near the Maritime Museum).
SF Centre mall (below Nordstrom's) has curved escalators (only other ones I've seen are at the Wynn Hotel Las Vegas).
In Golden Gate Park - Palace of the Legion of Honour (art gallery with one of Rodin's Thinkers) and an Asian Art Museum.
Take the Bart under SF Bay to Berkeley and walk around the campus - very nice campus. Try to get in the first car for a "railfan" seat through the tunnel. I think you can see the speedometer if I recall.
Walk down Market Street - it cuts right through the Financial District and ends at the Ferry Terminal Building on the recently redeveloped Embarcadero Esplanade (freeway was torn down after the 1989 earthquake and the area rebuilt with a streetcar down the middle and lots of palm trees).
Chinatown is easily accessible walking as well.
North Beach is the Italian neighbourhood and is fairly close to the Coit Tower.
I think the world's crookedest street is also nearby.

In SJ:

Winchester mystery house. Constantly expanded house built by the widow of the Winchester gun founder (?) - fortunes told her that she'd die is she stopped building the house, or somethig ike that.
Paramount's Great America theme park.
 
Restaurant: The Slanted Door. Fantastic!
Hotels to cruise through: The Clift and The W.
Sausalito, across the GG Bridge is a very cool town as well.

Have fun...best time of the year to go there.
 
Muir Woods and the area around on the coast north of Golden Gate Bridge are stunning. Didn't want to do Alcatraz but was glad ultimately that I did. Great history there.
 
Get a CityPass which will get you unlimited MUNI transit access, including unlimited cable car rides (which otherwise go for $5 bucks a pop!), a ferry tour under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Alcatraz (you can exchange it for an actual tour of Alcatraz) and many other SF attractions.

If you have some time, take a bus along Market street to Height & Ashbury and attend a Jazz and Poetry reading at night.

Re: L.A. ... Stop thinking like a Canadian and heighten your security features. Theft is so common there that the Police won't even give you the time of day if that's what you want to talk to them about. If you're driving, take everything with you, don't leave ANYTHING in the car.
 
Everybody keeps on telling me to go to Alcatraz - I dunno what's so great about a prison but I'll check it out. I just gotta be careful not to drop the soap. :lol :lol :lol
 
Mislav:

You're going to be in San Francisco, dropping the soap in Alcatraz would be your last worry ;)

AoD
 
San Franciso is a beautiful and amazing city... just get on a trolly and go for a ride!!

With respect to Alcatraz - I was there one summer several years ago... it was a neat experience... and one of those things that you "should" do when you are in San Fran. Mind you - if you are going for your reading week -- it will be darn chilly out on that little island!!

The costal highway is SO beautiful... I made the trek myself several years ago as well. Sooooo many possibilities... so little time!!

San Diego is my favourite city in California thus far -- perhaps you'll have to keep that in mind for a future adventure?

Happy travels!!
 
if you can, be sure to pay your respects to norton I, emperor of the united states of america and protector of mexico.
 
See the Marin County Civic Center, or rent a Mustang and re-enact the Bullitt car chase in San Francisco.

In LA, how bout a tour of mansions that were the site of notable deaths?
- Marilyn Monroe died at 12305 Fifth Helena, Brentwood.
- Johnny Stompanato was stabbed by Lana Turner's daughter at 730 North Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills.
- Sharon Tate et al were slaughtered by Manson's family at 10050 (now 10066) Cielo Drive, Beverly Hills.
- OJ Simpson's murders were committed at 875 (now 879) South Bundy, Brentwood.
- The Menendez brothers killed their parents at 722 North Elm, Beverly Hills.

As for clubs/bars, try the Viper Room (8852 Sunset Blvd)...River Phoenix died there.
 
As for clubs/bars, try the Viper Room (8852 Sunset Blvd)
Click to expand...
Maybe I'll do that but is it one of those impossible to get into type places? Cause that's one of the reasons LA's nightlife sucks balls.
 
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