How to enjoy San Francisco for a week

Pick up a copy of the Guardian (I got mine at Union Square) to see what is happening while you are in town. I saw that Wonder Woman, aka Lynda Carter , was signing copies of her new CD "At Last" and performing at a local Borders. I hadn't heard her perform before and was really happy that I did as she has a wonderful voice.

At Union Square there is a half price booth that sells tickets to comedy shows, theatre and sports events. Union Square is also a great place to sit and people watch - don't worry about your ipod or laptop running out of steam as there are power sockets under the trees!

Also, if shopping is your thing you are surrounded by Macys, Bloomingdales and a 400 store shopping mall.

I based my day on the walking tour in my lonely planet. I started at Chinatown's Dragon Gate and strolled up Grant Street past all of the trinket shops. Taking a right onto Pine Street I took an early break at Old St Mary's Park. This park is on the site of a notorious brothel leveled in the 1906 fire. There are some great views over the financial district from here.

Back on Grant Street I headed left on Sacramento and tucked down onto Waverly Place to explore the alleyways of Chinatown. I find that getting lost is a great way to find some hidden treasures!

Finding my way back to Grant Street I walked up until Jack Kerouac Alley. Keep your eyes on the ground as there are some great quotes marked there. At the end of the alley is the City Lights Bookstore; home of poetry and defender of free speech. This is the kind of bookstore that you can spend hours in surrounded by classic literature.

Time for some exercise so I headed along Filbert Street and up Telegraph Hill. The climb looked worse than it was and the views were well worth it. At the top of the hill is Coit Tower which was built by an eccentric millionaire to resemble a giant firehose as a way to honour firefighters. Be sure to check out the murals inside!

Taking the Filbert Steps down towards the bay I was relieved I had come up the other side judging by the looks of exhaustion on the faces of the people coming up the other way! The walk down was through shady gardens accompanied by the shrill of wild parrots.

From there it was a short walk to the foodie delights of the Ferry Building. Bring a healthy appetite when you come as the food is fantastic! I was finally won over by fresh spring rolls, with hot peanut sauce, from the Slated Door. To finish it off I had a coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee - the best coffee in San Francisco. A great gift would be one of Adam's salt and spice rubs - the pork rub has my vote.

That night I headed to SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) to see a photography exhibition of Richard Avedon which was amazing. Take advantage of half price on Thursdays after 6pm.

Be warned this is a tourist zone! If you don't like crowds and tacky souvenirs then you are best going somewhere else.

I thought it was worth a trip for the great mango ice cream that I got from Norman's (around the corner from the Cannary), to see the tall ships, for the sea lions and the chance to dip my toes in the bay.

I took a walk up to the Marina Green. Although its a steep hike on a hot day it was worth the views of the bay from the top. On the way back down be sure to dip your toes in the bay and learn exactly why all the swimmers were in wet suits on a hot day. Chilllyyyy!!

Be careful where you eat. I decided against the traditional clam chowder as it was a really hot day. For some reason calamari and chips seemed the best option. I got mine ready to go at Taratinos Takeaways and sat down to enjoy some finely cooked seafood. What I got was the chewiest calamari I've ever had! After 5 bites I had to feed the rest to the sea gulls as it was inedible. Should've gone with the clam...

If you are a keen photographer then take a stroll along Market Street as there are some great buildings to be seen.

At the bay end of Market Street you will come to the Ferry Building. I loved the food so much I had to come back! On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays a Farmers Market is held and I have to say it was one of the best that I had ever been to. Lots of fresh produce to tempt you.

I collected my hot sandwich filled with Italian pork sausage and butter pickles from Salty Pig Parts and sat outside to watch the world go by and be entertained by all the street performers.

Book ahead for your ticket to avoid the queues at Alcatraz Cruises - the only company that lands on the Rock. You can do a day or a night tour.

Its a quick ferry ride across the bay to reach Alcatraz. You won't be having a picnic as all food needs to be eated at the dock due to the rodent issues they are currently having.

The audio tour is well worth doing as it contains interesting history as prisoners, guards and families recall living on the Rock. There is also an orientation video and walks given by NPS rangers and volunteers.

You will need at least 2 and half hours for the whole cruise and you could stay a lot longer if the history of the Rock really fascinates you.

Bring walking shoes as there are steep, bumpy climbs. Also, the wind whistles through so bring a jersey (I learnt that one the hard way!).

It is a disturbing atmosphere being inside the jail house. People were jumping inside the cells for their holiday snaps but the thought of how it must have been for the prisoners to have spend their time in the cells made me hold back.

It was a long walk to the Bridge so I caught the bus. Its a very easy system to use that accepts cash (great for out of towners) and lets you use your ticket to transfer to another bus if its within 3 hours. Its $2 for adults.

I was really excited about seeing the Bridge close up as I'd only had tantalising glimpes of it so far.

As the bus neared the Bridge I had to laugh. I was to be treated to another of San Francisco's finest - the thickest fog you've ever seen!

I could see only hints of the Bridge and it was freezing! After a brief walk along the Bridge I headed for warmer climates and caught a bus to the Golden Gate Park. You could easily spend a whole day wandering through the botanical gardens, relaxing in the Japanese Tea Garden and seeing the DeYoung museum (to name only a few of the attractions at this wonderful venue).

A trip to San Francisco wouldn't be complete without spending some time watching or riding the trams. The Powell Street cable car turnaround was a good point to watch.

Another great building to see is Grace Cathedral as it is magnificient both inside and out. As you enter the building the quiet descends on you and even the click of a camera shutter echos throughout the labyrinths of rooms. While I was there a project was taking place with Tibetan Buddist Monks and local schools focusing on the meaning of peace which I found quite moving.

I'm impressed by the efforts that the city is taking to go green. There was always a handy bin to recycle cans and plastic and the bins at the Ferry Building allowed you to recycle everything you can think of.