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San Francisco
Walking around down town
Posted: Mon January 16, 2012 10:48 PM UTC
Hello,

This is my second time going out to SF on vacation but last time I only got to lok around for like a day (we mainly went for Napa/wine tasting and that jazz). Already did the alcatraz thing but maybe something less formal would be better. I'll be staying around the union square area and don't plan on much driving. What's within walkjing distance that would be good for a family (me, wife and a 15y/o son)?

Are free tours any good? Or will they sell you stuff?

Also I'll be going in may, I won't need like a heavy jacket right? thanks.
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 fj40ahoy 9 replies

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Mon January 16, 2012 11:18 PM UTC
You can walk down to the Ferry Building and then on to Fishermans' Wharf from Union Square. There are also trolleys and buses all over town in addition to BART, the subway. The Ferry Building is the ferry terminal but it's also a very quaint shopping area with restaurants, coffee shops, gelato local products . . . very fun.

Take a city bus out to the new Academy of Sciences in the Golden Gate Park. It's easy to get there from Union Square and you will all love it. If you enjoy art, the deYoung Art Museum is right across the courtyard from it and there are great views of SF from the top viewing floor.
http://www.calacademy.org/
http://deyoung.famsf.org/

Here's a transit trip planner. It's a long one so copy and paste.
http://tripplanner.transit.511.org/mtc/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en&itdLPxx_homepage=secondStep

You probably won't need a heavy jacket but you probably will need a jacket of some kind. It is damp most of the time with lots of fog so a jacket feels very good especially in morning and evening.

Enjoy a fun city.

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Mon January 16, 2012 11:40 PM UTC
I agree with the other suggestion of the Golden Gate venue especially as you have a 15 year old on the trip - MAKE SURE TO SEE THE PENDULUM .... your son will be interested .. you can google this so that you can 'answer' his questions (and impress your spouse!!)

also spend time walking through the park - it is 15 years since I was there and planning a return in 2013 - I remember a beautiful rose garden with so many roses on display and further on a large enclosure with Buffalo ....

I did not enjoy the Hoyt Tower nothing noteworthy there suggest you give this a low priority

Lombard Street with its eight hairpins was more interesting

Enjoy

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 MikeM2 [Reply]
San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Tue January 17, 2012 12:07 AM UTC
OK, SF with a 15 year old son. Let me go back in time and think about what I would do if I was out there with my teens at the time.

On our last trip, in October/November 2010 there were a number of teens doing bike tricks and skateboard tricks right across the street from the Embarcadaro. Your son might get a kick out of watching them and picking up some new moves of his own. I would also take a trip across the bay and walk around the University of California Berkeley Campus. I was interested in bookstores when I was that age as were 2 of my 4 kids. And it's not too early to look at campus life. And getting there you would take the BART under the SF Bay which may be interesting to a 15 year old.

I believe their may be some activities for teens around Pier 39. I really don't know much about that area as it is very much on the touristy side. That's no altogether a bad thing, just not what I like to do.

I don't know about free tours, but if they get to selling for you, obviously you can walk away. With a teen I might try for a ghost tour. There are several companies around town I believe.

In May, it is American Baseball season and since the bay area has 2 professional baseball teams (one across the bay in Oakland and the other in San Francisco that would be a good way to spend an evening.

Dress in layers as suggested and get your practice before you leave walking up hills. You will be amazed how steep some of the hills are in SF.

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Tue January 17, 2012 12:09 AM UTC
Oh and MikeM2 mentioned the Hoyt Tower. It is the Coit Tower. Nice views from the top and some interesting steps walking up to it, but as mentioned you don't need to go out of your way to see it.

And what 15 year old kid wouldn't like Italian Food? Make sure you have lunch or dinner in the North Beach area.

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Tue January 17, 2012 12:10 AM UTC
It could be raining, it could be sunny. Hard to tell in May. But the city has lots of microclimates so layers are important.

How about renting bikes. You can ride along the Embarcadero, past Fisherman's Wharf, to Ghiradelli and then over to the Marina Green. Keep going and you can cross the Golden Gate Bridge and head into Sausalito. Then take the ferry back to SF. Lots of wonderful views and the perfect pace for seeing everything. www.blazingsaddles.com is one place you can rent.

Walking distance from Union Square gives you Shopping, Chinatown, (Check out Old St. Mary's for some interesting earthquake history), North Beach, Cable Cars. Public transportation is easy to take. The Trolley Cars along the Embarcadero are great. How about a Giant's game at AT&T Park?

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Tue January 17, 2012 12:33 AM UTC
Bikes a good idea. Also Go Cars which we were planning on doing last time but ran out of time.

http://www.gocartours.com/

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Tue January 17, 2012 11:59 AM UTC
We were in SF last April and were lucky enough to have weather of about 70F and sunny each day. I've also been there in the summer and froze to death! Bring a jacket for sure and some sweaters.

We stayed where you will be and walked quite a lot where it wasn't too hilly... and I am not young. The walking is great from Ghiardelli Square down along Fisherman's Wharf to the wonderful Ferry Building which now houses lots of food markets and other shops.

If you take the BART over to Berkeley to look at the university, think of having lunch at Gather. It's a terrific restaurant with unusual and delicious dishes.

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Tue January 17, 2012 12:21 PM UTC
Hello there!
I was in San Francisco in September of last year and stayed in the Union Square area. I would suggest:
- Having a walk to and around Ghirardelli Square. There are lots of shops to browse around of varying price ranges, cafes, places to eat, but best of all is the old chocolate factory!! I'm sure you would all enjoy sampling the chocolate you get free as you walk through the door! No entrance fee and you can walk through that door as many times as you like!! It's also a nice area to rest a while. Find a bench surrounded by beautiful flowers & plants, order a drink and sit enjoying the weather and interesting people.
- If anyone in your family enjoys shopping, Union Square is the place to be! With every up-scale shops and the more reasonably priced shops a few blocks over (heading towards Market St).
- The China Town gate is just off Union Square. China town is fasinating. We walked through; looking in shop windows, being in the buzz of it all, and had fun trying on hats and such! Every shop or resturant or cafe tries to stand out from the crowd by decorating the outside to entice you in. There is art work on random walls (if you go to my San Francisco page you can see an example) which is amazing.

Enjoy your trip!

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San Francisco
Re: Walking around down town
Posted: Fri January 20, 2012 08:12 PM UTC
Heavy jackets may not be neccesary but do bring decent outerwear, you never know.

Around union square? There's lots of stuff! You're close to chinatown, trollies, shopping, etc. Free tours are decent and the city sponsored ones like the libraries are there just to boost tourismm anyway so I don't think they're that keen on selling you stuff. Commercial ones like discover walks i think ask for tips but that's about it, and they're def less formal if that;s what you're looking for. i'm sure you can find a free tour for chinatown. also how far are you willing to walk?

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