Visit San Francisco

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San Francisco: Beauty By The Bay

Sometimes when you live close to a big city, you forget to take the time to enjoy her beautiful qualities.  San Francisco is full of gems, some hidden.  Listed here are a few lovely places to go when you visit San Francisco.

I'll start off with three places and add more as I get a chance.

 

11/02/07 - added: Pier 39 

12/24/07 - added: Fisherman's Wharf 

08/25/08 - added: A view from The Bay

01/17/09 - added: Beautiful Painted Ladies

 

 

The Cliff House 



After coming across a vintage black & white photo of The Cliff House from 1958, I decided that I wanted to make a trip there to compare 1958 to 2007. The Cliff House has been in existence since the 1800s, but there seems to be a discrepancy as to whether it has been rebuilt three or four times depending which historical account you read.



No, my camera isn't broken, the sky was in fact gray. It was just a typical San Francisco summer day in July with a thick marine layer present. Some of us think of it as "natural air conditioning." (Hey, it is much more fuel efficient than electric powered air conditioning systems! Plus it doesn't harm the environment. You just need to put on a jacket. And a beanie. And a scarf. And a pair of gloves. And some thick socks. Well, you get the picture!)

If you visit the Cliff House, be sure to dine at one of the restaurants. They are fabulous! You may want to take a little peek at the menu from The Bistro.

The Musee Mecanique 

If you ever visit San Francisco Fishermen's Wharf, be sure to drop into The Musee Mecanique near No. 9 Fishermen's Grotto Restaurant. (And, if you love crab, be sure to check out the menu at No. 9!)

The Musee Mecanique used to be located at the beach, near The Cliff House, but was relocated about ten or so years ago. This museum houses many photographs from the Sutro Baths and Playland at the Beach as well as many mechanical toys, some are even made piece by piece from hand! The top photo is Laughing Sal from Playland. She now has a home right inside the front door of the museum. Put a couple of coins in her and she'll laugh just like she used to!



Admission to this museum is free, but plan on spending a lot of coins on the mechanical attractions! There is something for all ages to enjoy, from pressed pennies, to pinball machines, to photo booths. Personally, I just enjoy looking at all of the old pictures.

AT & T Park (Home of the Giants) 



Growing up, I didn't know what a nice ballpark was. My family and I used to freeze at ugly Candlestick Park (now Monster Park).



When AT&T Park was built, San Franciscans nearly died of shock. The worse your seat, the better the view. If the game is lousy, you can enjoy the scenic view of the Bay Bridge or watch the boats in McCovey Cove. This ballpark is the ultimate gem!!

Pier 39 



Pier 39 is definitely a tourist favorite. There are many unique shops and restaurants to enjoy as well as scenic views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the boats in The Bay. And, of course, who can resist watching the seals sunbathe in the pier?



Fisherman's Wharf 



Fisherman's Wharf is the place to go if you want to enjoy a fresh shrimp or crab cocktail. There are so many fine seafood restaurants in the area it is hard to decide which one to pick! Some of the popular ones are: Alioto's, Scoma's, and Fisherman's Grotto No. 9.

A View of The City From The Bay 



My department had an off-site aboard the U.S.S. Potomac. It is a thrill being on such a unique, historical yacht and the view of The City from the water is simply spectacular!



If you have a chance, a bay cruise is worth the money. If you can't afford to charter the U.S.S. Potomac for the afternoon, another good alternative is The Blue & Gold Fleet.



Just be ready to be warm in some parts of the bay and cold in others! During our journey, we started sunny and were shocked by the fog and cold winds near the Golden Gate Bridge only a few miles away from our starting point!



Above is the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge and the gray picture below is the Golden Gate as seen through the fog. Wow! What a difference just those few miles can make!

Beautiful Painted Ladies 



San Francisco is well known for beautiful Victorian style homes (aka Painted Ladies)



Here are a few pics taken from a car window in the Mission District.



Reviews from Yelp 

Here's what Yelpers have to say about Local Flavor in 94103

BYOBW- Bring Your Own Big Wheel Race (San Francisco)  
"I was a spectator for the first time this year. It was great. I did have a drunk old lady (40-50) barge in front of me and steal my spot to watch the..." more
Yelp Elite Food, Inc. Screening @ The Metreon (San Francisco)  
"My first Yelp elite event without my plus one. I randomly sat down next to John H and Jill S who kept me entertained while we waited for the lights to go..." more
826 Valencia (San Francisco)  
"I don't care how Mission Hipster and Stuffwhitepeoplelikedotcom it is of me to like Dave Eggers. I love him. LOVE HIM. Aside from being an amazing author..." more
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (San Francisco)  
"Awesome movies shown here that you don't see in theaters or even most other film festivals for that matter. I had an amazing time as a volunteer (you get a..." more
Balmy Street Murals (San Francisco)  
"Very unique! Cool street to check out if you are in San Francisco. From the pictures shown here on Yelp, I thought the street would be longer, but it's a..." more
powered by Yelp

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Reader Feedback 

Feel free to share a San Francisco gem.

Lensmaster

KimGiancaterino wrote...

This lens just keeps getting better! Welcome to All Things Travel.

ReplyPosted January 26, 2009

Lensmaster

bgamall wrote...

Fantastic photography. Westernstates travel accepted. Gary

ReplyPosted January 26, 2009

Lensmaster

KonaGirl wrote...

I love San Francisco! It is my all time favorite US city! Spent a lot of time there in the 60's and keep returning. Thanks for the memories. 5* and lensrolled to my Big Island of Hawaii lens.

ReplyPosted October 17, 2008

Lensmaster

wisesurfing wrote...

Very interesting

ReplyPosted September 13, 2008

Lensmaster

beachbum_gabby wrote...

Amazing place and one of the best city. Great review!

ReplyPosted September 10, 2008

Lensmaster

beachbum_gabby wrote...

Amazing place and one of the best city. Great review!

ReplyPosted September 10, 2008

Lensmaster

lithops wrote...

Cool lens Top destinations in Italy

ReplyPosted September 09, 2008

Lensmaster

SemperFidelis wrote...

What a cool lens of San Fran pics!
Blessed, 5-starred, and favorited by a Squid Angel today! :)
Colleen ~ www.squidoo.com/squid-angel

ReplyPosted September 04, 2008

Lensmaster

DAD1104 wrote...

I've not been back to SanFrancisco since April 1945. Thanks for the memories.

ReplyPosted September 01, 2008

Lensmaster

jooloo wrote...

Ah, San Francisco, one of the great cities of the world. I was there once in October with glorious days and warm weather. Nice lens. jooloo

ReplyPosted September 01, 2008

 
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Upcoming Events 

California Dragon Boat Association - Financial District

The Kaiser Permanente San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival at Treasure Island is a free event featuring dragon boat racing, food, entertainment and children's activities.

Address: 268 Bush Street, Suite 888
City: San Francisco 94104
Phone: 415-378-8858
Fax:
Email: linda.cheu@gmail.com
Website: www.sfdragonboat.com

Cherry Blossom Festival of Northern California - Japantown

One of California's largest ethnic celebrations to welcome spring, showcasing Japanese culture, dance, martial arts, calligraphy, flower arranging and tea ceremony. During the month of April and festival on weekends.

Address: 1759 Sutter Street
City: San Francisco 94115
Phone: 415-563-2313
Fax:
Email: info@nccbf.org
Website: www.nccbf.org

Fleet Week San Francisco - Embarcadero

Fleet Week is the Bay Area's opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women of our armed forces. Tour Navy ships and watch air shows in October, 10am-4pm. Free to the public. Reserved seats at Municipal Pier $25. Flight Deck Club Access, Marina Green $125.

Address: 1110 Eugenia Place, Suite 300
City: Carpinteria 93013-2923
Phone: 650-599-5057
Fax:
Email: sffleetweek@airshownetwork.com
Website: www.fleetweek.us

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