San Francisco Travel Forum

My husband, son and I will be traveling to SF in mid December for 5 days, coming in on AmTrak from Portland. We are looking for a great place to stay (around $80-150 a night,two queen beds,continental breakfast) that is around Union Square. Our bus from Amtrak station brings us into Westfield SF Centre. We plan on walking alot or taking public transportation around city, so we want to be centrally located to seeing and taking in as much as possible on our trip. If Union Square is not the best $value for lodging, what area is? We're open to any suggestions! Also, what are some tourist attractions that we don't want to miss? Thanks in advance for any help you can give these three "Train Travelers"

Try the Rex. It's at the high end of your range, but so is almost everything else in that area. Union Square is a great place to stay if you don't have a car.

Things not to miss:

the ferry building
the new Museum of Natural History
Alcatraz
Moma (if you like modern art)

Thanks for your info. I will look at the Rex. I pulled out the AAA Travel Book and couldn't find any listing on the Museum of Natural History. Is it that new that it isn't listed, or is it possibly under a different name? Alzatraz is on my husband's list of places to go, and I would love to go to the Modern Art Museum. IS Fisherman's Wharf worth a look? I know it gets a lot of publicity. I saw lots of Sea Lions sunning themselves near Heceta Head Lighthouse, Florence Oregon this summer, so I could pass on seeing them again!
Anything else that you may think of, pass my way. Thanks!

What are your specific travel interests while visiting San Francisco ? Hotel prices do tend to drop in many areas of San Francisco after Thanksgiving, though not quite as likely in the Union Square area. Before you travel, you might wish to check the weather forecast for The City. It can be quite a bit cooler than you may think in December, especially when you are on, or near the water. Some general information web sites that might be helpful: (1) www.whatsonwhen.com, (2) http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com, (3) www.sfgov/org/site/visitor_index.asp. You might also wish to research some of the neighborhoods: Chinatown, North Beach, the Marina District, Fillmore, the Haight, and the Mission District, all have unique environments. Some of the museum web sites: (1) San Francisco Musuem of Modern Art: (www.sfmoma.org), (2) the de Young and Legion of Honor Museums: (www.famsf.org), and (3) the Asian Art Museum: (www.asianart.org). Gary

I believe the new museum of "natural history" would be the California Academy of Sciences. The web site: www.calacademy.org. Gary

Sorry about the misnomer on the California Academy of Sciences.

Re Fisherman's Wharf: It's full of touristy souvenir stores and you can certainly do better for restaurants. That said, it's a nice area of town to walk through. The sea lions at Pier 39 are fun (you'll be there anyway to get the boat to Alcatraz.) It's just east of the Wharf. There are several old ships at the Maritime Museum, on the western end of FW - worth a visit if that's one of your interests. You can rent bicycles and ride through Fort Mason (or walk). The path along the bluffs is one of the best walks in town. You can continue through the Marina Green and end up at Chrissy Field in the Presidio, one of our nicer parks. You can even keep going and cross the Golden Gate bridge.

How old is your son? Perhaps he would enjoy the Exploratorium, which I found fascinating as an adult and which my kids loved! I know you've got plenty of trees in the Portland area, but perhaps you'd enjoy Muir Woods and the giant coastal redwood trees.

if your son is young, take him to Fisherman's Wharf to see the Musee Mechanique. It's an arcade of old-time mechanical and pinball games. There are only 2 or 3 restaurants on the Wharf, and the fare is merely so-so, so I would avoid them. Take the ferry ride to Alcatraz; buy the tickets online ahead of time. Go to Chinatown, a few blocks northeast of Union Square. Take the F/Market to its end at Castro St, the gay area. this is a very lively and artsy area. Take the N/Judah line to its end to Ocean Beach, to see the beautiful Pacific. Then have a bite and check your email at the Java Beach Cafe. If your son is giving you disciplinary problems(!), take him to the Haight, just east of the Golden Gate Park, to show him the depressing unglamorous young homeless people called "crunchies," and tell him how lucky he is to have a roof over his head. Yes, I've just kids in their 20's! and don't call it FRISCO; they hate that.

Hi,

Regarding Union square hotels check the Park55 hotel (www.park55hotel.com). I booked for 5 nights and they give 30% off (continental breakfast included).

Also Sir Francis Drake hotel has 30% discount for 3 nights stay or more (breakfast not included).

Katerina

I highly recommend the Sir Francis Drake. I've been there 4 times over the last 6 years.