San Francisco, California

The greater San Francisco/Bay area is built up around the San Francisco Bay. You have an endless range of accommodation options. As with all large cities, you need to consider the time taken to reach attractions and the cost of transport to get there. On our last visit we stayed out near SFO airport (which on this occasion was less expensive than staying downtown). It cost approximately USD$40.00 round trip and took about 30 minutes for our family of four to catch the BART downtown. This was a new experience for us and we enjoyed the fast and efficient service. We had previously stayed in the Union Square neighbourhood so had already explored much of downtown. Our hotel at Burlingame was well positioned to explore the Stanford/Palo Alto areas and provided easy access to the spectacular coastal road to Santa Cruz and Monterey.

Attractions

Once you have decided what attractions interest you, you can then look for accommodation that positions you well to achieve this. If you choose to take an organised sightseeing tour, many offer free collection/drop off from downtown hotels. If you stay outside the area, you need to arrange your own transport to/from the collection point (which can be around 7am or after 7pm).

San Francisco Bay The city of San Francisco has been built around the Bay and it is an excellent vantage point to get a feel for the layout of the city. Many tours are offered - most take you past Alcatraz Island and up under the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bridge leads out into the Pacific Ocean. The day we went on the Bay Cruise, the fog was rolling in from the ocean. We did not get to see all the bridge that day - but even through the fog it is an impressive sight. Watching the fog progressively envelope the bay/city centre was fascinating. We booked our Bay Cruise with Blue & Gold Fleet. The cruises depart regularly from the Pier 39 area and you don't need to book for a specific sailing (you queue up about 30 mins prior to departure). To save queuing time, you can pre-purchase tickets from their website. Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Cruises take visitors to the former penitentiary on the small island of Alcatraz. It is a national park and visitor numbers are restricted. The only way you can visit the prison is to book on an official tour. You actually book for a scheduled departure. Alcatraz Island is a popular attraction, so advance booking is recommended. They do offer family tickets (2 adults, 2 children) but these can only be obtained by booking by phone or from the ticket booth (not available online). Tours leave approximately each half hour and can be booked up to 90 days in advance. For more information visit www.alcatrazcruises.com. Fisherman's Wharf This is a very popular tourist spot, with many interesting shops, food outlets (especially seafood) and tourist attractions. The Wax Museum and Aquarium of the Bay are both at Fisherman's Wharf. Fisherman's Wharf also has a visitor's centre (on the first floor) where you can leave luggage (for a small fee). It did take a bit of getting to, but meant we could explore the wharf area unencumbered for the day. The Exploratorium This is an experimental, hands-on science museum situated near the Golden Gate Bridge. Lombard Street Lombard Street is the world's crookedest street. The famous section of Lombard street twists through many steep, tight turns in the exclusive Russian Hill district. You can drive down Lombard Street (one way from Hyde Street) or you can walk up/down the steps on either side of the street. San Francisco is famous for its steep streets - we actually walked up from Powell Street (it is quite a climb). An easier way to access Lombard Street is from the Powell/Hyde Street cable car - it stops at the top of Lombard Street. The views down town and over the bay are spectacular. Historic Cable Cars San Francisco is famous for its Cable Cars that have right of way over all traffic. There are two routes: Powell & Hyde and Powell & Mason lines. You can pick up the Cable Car at any stop along the way. Given the steep streets of San Francisco, the cable cars stop in the intersections to pickup/drop off passengers. Often the Cable Cars get very crowded (with passengers hanging on perched on the running boards). No trip to San Francisco is complete without a Cable Car ride. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom The Six Flags Discovery Kingdom - Wildlife park, oceanarium and theme park all rolled into one. Located at Sausalito. Sausalito Explore the harbours and house boat communities of Sausalito. Good vantage point for the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito is accessible by ferry and you can hire bikes or for something different, try a segway (self-balancing electric transport devices) to explore the area. Segway Tours include training to ensure you can safely operate the devices and they have a minimum age of 12. Monterey and Carmel Many operators offer tours down the scenic Coastal Highway 1 to Monterey and Carmel. Visit the boutique shops and white sandy beaches on the Pacific coast. Car rental is quite economical - so another option is to take a self-drive tour. This may also allow you to stop at some of the area's discount shops (e.g. the large outlet mall at Gilroy). Napa Valley Heading north of San Francisco are the wine areas of the Napa Valleyand Sonoma Valley. Again, many operators offer tours or you can drive yourself (though your driver won't be able to fully enjoy the wine tasting opportunities!). Yosemite and Muir Woods Travelling east from San Francisco you can visit the redwoods of Muir Woods and the scenic beauty of Yosemite National Park. Again tours are offered to these locations - some staying overnight. It is a pretty full day, but if your time is limited it is a good way to see the more accessible highlights of the national park. Sporting attractions Coming from Australia, we were really keen to go to a baseball or football game. Unfortunately, the Giants (baseball) did not have any home games when we were there. Baseball is a summer sport, whilst football is played in winter. The 49ers are the home football team. Their websites will have information on the dates of games and the costs of tickets. If you don't need to sit really close to the action, the tickets were quite reasonably priced. The San Francisco area has many shopping areas. We enjoyed looking around the shops in the Union Square area downtown.

Return to Family Vacations Travel Home