Category: san francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf, Famous for a Reason

Fisherman’s Wharf is one of the most famous of destinations for visitors of San Francisco, California and with good reason. There is so much to see and do in Fisherman’s Wharf that you could quite easily plan an entire trip to Frisco and only leave the Wharf as you are leaving the city.

The Wharf offers more than 2,500 hotel rooms, several restaurants, and an almost endless amount of shopping, history, culture, and attractions. Anyone would be hard pressed not to find something fun to do in Fisherman’s Wharf.

If you are interested in the sea faring culture and history of the Fisherman’s Wharf, take the Port Walk, which is a walking tour that you can take at your own pace while learning about the history of Fisherman’s Wharf through the various signs located along the tour. You can also tour the USS Pampanito, which was a WWII submarine, or the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, which is the last unaltered Liberty ship that is operational. Both of these can be found on Pier 45.

If you find yourself a little hungry, perhaps it’s time to check out the many restaurants that the Wharf has to offer or simply to stroll on over to Ghirardelli Square, okay, I confess, I could spend my entire vacation here. With its rich history of chocolate and chocolate making, no pun intended, this square is now home to some lovely little shops and for chocolates, clothing, souvenirs, and jewelry. Really, who could ask for more in a shopping center? Chocolate, jewelry, and clothes, the only thing missing is shoes.

Back to reality and the fact that many of us travel with family. Fisherman’s wharf has a lot to offer in the way of family entertainment. Check out Pier 39. Ever want to take a Magic Carpet Ride or star in your own musical video? What if I told you that you could actually do both? In addition to the Magic Carpet Ride there is the San Francisco Carousel, which children of all ages will love, Frequent Flyers (perfect if you have any aspiring acrobats among you), and Riptide Arcade (I recommend giving dad an allowance before going in here unless you want to spend most of your vacation rooted to the spot-or giving a time limit and leaving the guys while the girls go shopping). In fact, there are so many things to do at Pier 39 you could almost make a vacation here alone. Don’t leave though without checking out the sea lions.

I can’t really mention Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and families without brining to attention the fact that the Aquarium of the Bay is a great place for family entertainment. The aquarium is a great way for you and your family to spend the day. Not only is this a fun excursion that your children will probably remember long after you’ve gone back to the real world of your day-to-day lives, but it is also an educational experience that is cleverly disguised as fun. Your children will learn about all kinds of marine life, while having a great time and never know what really hit them. This is one of those times when it is great to be a parent and you can pat yourself on the back for providing an educational experience that they are enjoying. Even better, they never have to know.

Last but not least, there really isn’t enough that I can say about the fantastic shopping and dining experiences that are available all along Fisherman’s Wharf. There are so many shopping areas at Fisherman’s Wharf that it is hard to keep them all separate in your mind but this is a girls dream vacation while still offering enough activities to satisfy the men in your life. If the history, the culture, and the fun aren’t enough to convince you, then perhaps the food should speak for itself. All you have to do is show up with your appetite; your nose will lead the way for everything else.

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5 More Freebies for San Francisco Entertainment

If the thing you look least forward to on vacation is wracking up vicious amounts of debt on your Master Card, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m here to offer advice on free things to do while visiting San Francisco. Granted, it is not wise to think that you can go on vacation without spending any money and have a good time. However, it is quite possible to be very selective when deciding where to spend your money by having alternative entertainment options that cost little or no money.

Rather than a top ten list, which can be a little long winded, I’m going to provide a top five list. My sincere hope is that you will use this list as inspiration for finding your own free or low cost entertainment while visiting San Francisco. On to the list:

1) San Francisco Botanical Gardens. The climate of San Francisco provides a unique atmosphere that allows the growth and maintenance of plants from around the world. As a result the San Francisco Botanical Gardens offers a look at plants that are rare almost anywhere else on earth. The Gardens are 55 acres and host more than 7500 plants from around the world.
2) Chinese Culture Center. This center offers resources about the Chinese culture in San Francisco in addition to many programs that are available to learn about the artistic and cultural contributions that the Chinese community has made to this great city.
3) Fort Point National Historic Site. This site has special historical significance. Its original intent was to prevent invading forces from entering San Francisco Bay. By the end of the Civil War the massive cannons that had been used for this purpose were obsolete. The last of the original 126 cannons was removed around 1900. During the 1930’s, the fort was used as a headquarters for the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. This Fort has played a vital role in our history and is worth a visit, especially considering the fact that it is free.
4) Stern Grove Concerts. These concerts only take place on Sunday afternoons during summer months but are well worth checking out if you have a sunny Sunday afternoon available during your stay. The goal of these concerts is to educate the masses and potentially inspire future musicians. A love of music is the second best gift you can give a child, second only to a love of reading. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon, and it’s free!
5) Wells Fargo History Museum. This museum is a fun side trip for the family. Not only does it tell the history of Wells Fargo as it pertains to San Francisco, but it also tells of Black Bart and other stagecoach robbers while providing visitors with the awe inspiring story of the great earthquake of 1906 and the role of Wells Fargo in the recovery process. I believe that young and old alike will find this museum to be a lot of fun, especially for the price.

If you are visiting San Francisco and need some great family friendly activities to fill your days, then this is definitely a great place to start. I hope that you can find a few more things than I have mentioned here to help fill in gaps and entertain the young and old on your vacation alike. Remember not to over plan your trip, as some of the greatest times to be had are spontaneous rather than planned.

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San Francisco is not just Child’s Play

Visiting San Francisco, California is great to do with a family; it is even better to do as an adult without children along. Frisco has a thriving nightlife and plenty of entertainment that simply isn’t meant for children. From the slightly off color to the seriously bawdy, San Francisco nightlife has entertainment of almost every flavor. Of course there is still plenty to do during the daylight hours too.

If you’re looking for a taste of nightlife that is ‘belly busting’ funny, there’s Comedy on the Square that offers comedic variety shows. You can also check out Lila Theatre for some of the best long-form improvisation. If you need a good laugh these are great places to start. 50 Mason Lounge is also a great place to go to get in on the laughs. The problem with San Francisco is that there are so many great comedy clubs they can’t all be listed in one place. My suggestion is that you ask around for suggestions and find out who’s playing. You never know when someone you recognize might be popping in for the evening.

In addition to the great comedy clubs there is the general ‘gentleman’s’ nightlife alive and well in this fair city. I would be remiss if I failed to mention some of the more unique adult entertainment that San Francisco has to offer. In addition to the typical gentlemen’s clubs such as Broadway Showgirls Cabaret, which boasts more luxurious surroundings than other clubs, there is Crazy Horse, Inc., which has totally nude live shows, The Gold Club, and Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club. There is one club that goes above and beyond what any of these clubs offer though and is worth checking out with a date if you and your partner are so inclined. This club is called Power Exchange and while there are a few places like this around the country, they are extremely rare. If you aren’t easily offended and are the least bit curious, I would recommend checking it out.

San Francisco is swimming with active and awesome nightclubs and as such it is quite difficult to single one out as superior to any other. I recommend finding a nightclub that is within walking distance of your hotel. This diminishes the odds of your driving while intoxicated. As always it is important to enjoy responsibly.

If you want to make the most out of your trip to San Francisco, be sure to remember that while there is plenty to do at night, you want to be awake and aware for at least part of the day so don’t have too much fun at night. If you are very brave and adventurous and looking for more adult only entertainment you can try one of the nude beaches in the area. While these beaches are not for everyone and they aren’t exactly nighttime activities, they do offer some adult only entertainment that is worth considering if it floats your boat.

You can also rent sailboat and powerboat cruises in the bay, if you are with a loved one, try one of the sunset cruises. These cruises are romantic time away from the crowds of the city. Even if these times aren’t exclusively for adults, if you close your eyes and imagine, you can whittle the world down to just the two of you.

Whatever your pleasure in this great city, I hope you have found some ideas for great fun and entertainment that will get your trip off to a great start. Remember to have fun and enjoy the time you spend visiting San Francisco, California whether that time be day or night. If none of the things I’ve mentioned above have struck your fancy there are always more cultural undertakings such as museums, guided tours, or trips to Alcatraz. Just remember the purpose of a vacation is fun, if you aren’t having fun where you are, go somewhere else!

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Angel Island is a Diversion from the Ordinary

Whether you are a true nature lover or simply enjoy the thrill of an educational field trip, you will find both the wonders of nature and a deep sense of history while visiting Angel Island. In fact, I would suggest making Angel Island a must see destination while visiting San Francisco.

In the great city of San Francisco, which has so much to offer visitors, it’s almost impossible to find that one thing that will be truly special and unique about your trip. Angel Island is just that thing. Wherever your interests lie, there is something that will attract the attention of people of all ages, economic situations, and other walks of life. If you can’t find something that will interest you here, you really should rethink your interests.

For the nature lovers there is plenty of interest in way of plant life, bird life, and other animal life that should be of interests. There are even specialized tours available that will highlight and focus on the wide variety of life on this great island. Not only are there a great variety of land animals but a good representation of sea animals can be observed here as well. If you love nature, this is a great place to get a good dose of it while in the big city of San Francisco. Not only can you enjoy the sea animals on the ferry ride over (if you choose a ferry for your transportation) but you get to enjoy the plant and animal life on the island as well. Don’t forget the air animals either though. There are many varieties of birds that are well represented here as well.

For those that prefer more active pursuits, there is plenty on Angel Island to keep you entertained and happy. First of all, there is plenty to offer by way of hikes. There are even guided hiking tours that offer the safety of numbers (very good for beginning hikers) and information about the island and its rich history. If hiking isn’t really your thing, there are also bike rentals available on the island as well. With several trails to choose from with varying degrees of difficulty, even the beginner can enjoy a nice ride around the island.

My personal favorite physical activity here would be the kayak tours. For the right price you can book a guided kayak tour around the island. The tour includes equipment rental, your guide for the day, and a picnic lunch this would be for the all day tour, which will take you around the entire island. There is a 2 and a half hour tour if you aren’t too sure about the whole kayaking thing or want to have time to enjoy other aspects of the island on your trip as well. The beauty of a trip to Angel Island is that there really is no right or wrong way to go about enjoying your day.

For sun lovers, there are several beaches where you can bring a blanket and lie down with a good book in order to catch some rays. I do not recommend swimming from Angel Island as the water isn’t the cleanest nor is it the calmest. The tides are dangerous and can turn amazingly quickly. But if you love books and find that you could use a ray or two, let the kids and the rest of the family go biking, hiking, touring, and all that other good stuff while you catch up on the latest best seller at the beach.

All of this and I haven’t even really hinted at the rich history of Angel Island. There are many activities planned throughout the year that introduce visitors to the rich history of this island. From Civil War Days to the Potomac Tours to the Victorian Christmas there are brief snapshots into the history of this great island. Beyond these events there are tram tours that are offered almost daily during the regular season on the island that provide brief overviews into the islands history. This would be a great way to spend a day while visiting San Francisco.

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Trains aren’t a lost art in San Francisco

One of the greatest things about visiting San Francisco is the close proximity to nearby attractions. You can stay in one city while visiting several. You can not only get the conveniences of being in the city, but the beauty of nature is not too far away from almost any point within the city. In fact, a short train ride will take you rather quickly to some nearby attractions that are definitely worth checking into.

One of the first train tours I’ll mention isn’t only a train tour but a bus and train tour. This tour goes from San Francisco to Yosemite Park. This trip requires transfers back and forth from bus to train but offers some beautiful scenery and the ability to enjoy it without the worry of driving, rest stops, and a need to simply stretch your legs. Sometimes a little inconvenience is worth a lot more convenience later in your trip. The train portion of the tour lasts about three hours and you get to spend three hours in Yosemite. For some it isn’t worth the hassle and for others it is just what the doctor ordered-time to rest and relax while on the way. This is by far the most complicated of the train tours heading out from San Francisco, at least the tours I will be discussing.

The second tour is to wine country. The beauty of these tours is the fact that you can enjoy your wine tasting experience without the worry of who’s going to drive. Everyone in your party can enjoy the outing equally. Even more than that however, is that many companies have made the train ride itself more the event than the wine tasting. With offerings such as 4 course meals and Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre for your enjoyment it is no wonder that this has become an event of choice for many San Francisco visitors. While this may be a more than moderately pricey option, it is well worth the expense. You can always cut costs elsewhere in San Francisco to make up for the expenditure.

Roaring Camp Railroads offers two train rides that are both equally appealing in vastly different ways. The first is a trip back in time. This is probably my favorite. On this trip you travel to the summit of Bear Mountain while hearing tales of Roaring Camp’s history. This train tour lasts a total of one hour and is a great deal of fun, especially for any little ones you may have with you. The second offering by Roaring Camp Railroads is the Beach Train, which will take you to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The round trip from Roaring Camp to Santa Cruz and back is about three hours and well worth every penny if you have a budding or future engineer among your young ones.

Perhaps the most magical of train tours is the Christmas Train Tour from Oakdale. This tour includes Santa, his elves, a little Christmas magic, and you can come in your jimmies. What more could you ask for? Well, I guess that depends on whether you made the naughty list or the nice list. This train ride is magic for everyone that partakes, young and old alike will enjoy the magic that only Christmas can bring.

Whether you are a big kid, a little kid, or somewhere in between, I’m willing to bet that the magic of a train ride hasn’t been completely lost over the years. In fact, I’m willing to bet if you allow yourself to really sit back and enjoy yourself, you will find that there really is something to be said about sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the journey. I can think of few better ways to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

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