And the results are in - The five best things to do in San Francisco

I Know that I included number 5 in yesterday's blog but top 5 is just neater than top 4!

5. Golden Gate Park/Japanese Tea Garden

 

The Golden Gate Park is another legacy of a Scotsman’s endeavours in this fair city. Dr John Hayes McLaren from Bannockburn and formerly the Edinburgh Royal Botanical Gardens is credited with both lobbying for land to be set aside for this most impressive of urban parks and also for its care and design. McLaren apparently insisted the park be open to all and refused to erect any ‘keep off the grass signs’. His hard work was most definitely appreciated by three visitors from Scotland on the sunny and hot Labor Day holiday. The park is simply stunning. Stow lake (another Scottish name) with its island hill vista in the middle and row boats lazily floating around it, the impressive and modern De Young Art Gallery building, SF Botanical Gardens and the pièce de résistance – the Japanese Tea Garden to name but a few highlights (it’s 3 miles long). Now I know that some of the other interns are in Japan proper, but this has to the second best thing! Stunning pagodas, impossible bridges, Buddhas, bonsai, waterfalls, winding paths, bamboo and a way too cool tea bar. We grabbed a seat at the benches that run along the outside of the tea cafe place and sipped jasmine and oolong teas with Japanese rice crackers and fortune cookies. Died and gone to heaven doesn’t even come close. At $5 for entry to the garden, it was way cheaper than the $600 Expedia are quoting this evening for a one-way to Tokyo. An absolute must. Couple of tips – 1) If you want to save even this paltry entry fee – head there before noon Wednesdays when entry is gratis.  2) Grab the Muni N line tram from one of the Market underground stations to 9^th and Judah ($1.50 return) – and it’s a mere 5 minutes walk for you exercisally challenged.

4. Top of the Mark

 

I decided that since Mum and Pat had just a week here in San Fran, that they needed to have as glam an experience as possible, and where’s more glam that a penthouse cocktail bar I ask you? So off we went in a cab, up to the top of Nob Hill and the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel. The end location was a secret and when we pulled up outside this Parisian style hotel, they could have been forgiven for thinking that the taxi driver had gotten it wrong – but no, in through the chandelier-clad lobby and up in the elevator to the 21^st floor to the Top of the Mark. The view was simply stunning as we arrived just as dusk had set in, with 360 panoramic views of all of the city and beyond. Sadly, 30 minutes or so after we arrived, that ever present San Francisco mist rolled in and enveloped us in a mass of white/grey cotton wool. Not too down trodden by this, the evening progressed well, with many a $12 martini passing out lips. My fav was a Glamour Sean (Champagne and Vodka), Mum would recommend the Raspberry Pina Colada (Rasp Vodka, Chambord, Coconut Cream and Pineapple Juice) and Pat the Sundowner (Rasp Vodka, OJ, Cran and Grenadine). There are 100 to chose from so something for everyone really. From now on though, I’ll always expect to be offered an olive, raspberry, strawberry or cherry or two for my drink – the offer of a wedge of lemon or orange back home just will not do! To be honest the drinks were merely a by-product of the fantastic entertainment on offer – strictly come dancing eat your heart out!! Tango, Pasa Doble, Waltz? You name it and it was on show – the punters here are clearly no stranger to a lesson or two. There was the octogenarian billionaire looking for his next Anna-Nicole. The boss and his secretary, the old broad in the shiny glam head-dress who’s forgot that she’d gotten old (she was no doubt here on opening night in 1929), her gigolo, Michael and Genevieve, the honeymoon couple – nice moves, the man so large with the wife so small her waist was the size of his forearm and the bad transvestite wearing too much lippy and a badly advised dress. An interesting and heterogeneous crowd to say the least. All in all a worthy top 4 recommendation and a must if you are in town; if only to people watch. Top tip – get there around 7pm on a clear night and watch the sunset over the Golden Gate.

 

3. Ocean Beach

 

Aaah. Ocean Beach. We actually ended up here in error, as we jumped on the tram heading in the opposite direction of Downtown after our trip to Golden Gate Park to avoid waiting an age for it to get down to the terminus and back up again. When we reached the end of Judah (via Sunset Boulevard) we jumped off the tram and decided to grab a quick beer at the Java Beach bar. The view of the beach proper is actually occluded from view by some serious sand dunes and so after sipping my pint I decided to cross the Ocean Highway in search of the Pacific. Once I’d made it through the dunes I was taken aback by the sheer scale and beauty of the beach. The pure blue Pacific, the sun glimmering on its surface, surfers galore enjoying the massive rollers just off the coast, people playing frisbee, soccer and music, partying, drinking and enjoying food from the grill. For me, I’d finally arrived in California. Whether young or old, fat or fit, gay or straight, cat or dog, everyone and everything was represented here and that is typical of one of San Francisco’s greatest assets – its diversity. After spending a fair bit of time walking around the beach I decided to head back through the dunes to grab Mum and Pat to come experience this place first hand. They were glad  that I did. At number 3 on the list, this is a must on your SF itinerary. I have to say, it may have been a place higher were it not for the fact that 80% of the time it’s just too cold and misty to enjoy at its best. Moral of this story – get on a tram in the opposite direction of where you want to go and end up somewhere you should have been in the first place.

2. The Muir Woods/Sausalito

 

Now before I even begin – listen up. Do not spend the $70 or so that it costs to take an organized tour here. It is a total waste of money that otherwise could be spent sipping Martinis as my number 4 recommendation. We instead opted for the $13 ferry ride to Sausalito, then the route 66 Golden Gate bus from the ferry terminal to the woods for a mere $3 return. If you add in the $5 admission cost that’s a paltry $21, saving you 50 bucks. The other plus points – you’re not restricted by a rigid tour itinerary or indeed stuck on a bus with a load of British tourists!! We went on a Saturday and even though it was the Labor Day weekend, it wasn’t too busy at all. The woods themselves were awesome and home to some of the tallest trees on the planet. There are a whole host of trails to follow dependent on your physical ability, some even laid out on raised boardwalks so they are pushchair and wheelchair friendly. We opted for the standard walk from the visitor center and the hillside trail (be warned the paths up here are narrow and scarily close to the edge of a ravine) which took around 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. The height of many of the trees are sometimes incomprehensable, especially when you gaze from afar at the tiny people stood below them. In the gift shop you can buy yourself a seed which is guaranteed to germinate in any almost any climate (even Scotland). If you fancy leaving a rather impressive legacy after your gone – some of these trees have stood for thousands of years; through forest fires and all. After the woods we headed back to the seaside resort of Sausalito (a million miles away from Blackpool or Benidorm) and spent a couple of hours perusing up and down the high street with its cool boutiques and stores. For dinner we opted for the Horizons restaurant which has a massive outside decked area overlooking the bay to San Francisco. The view is awe inspiring and the food certainly came up to scratch too. All in all an excellent day out of the city. A couple of exclamation points for you: 1) The road to Muir from Sausalito is a little treacherous, being dug high up into the side of a very steep hill. The drivers have clearly driven the road a million times so are overly familiar and take dangerous corners at a ridiculously fast pace. On the way there we passed an overturned car and one of the passengers had to get off the bus to be sick. I loved it. Mum and Pat – hated it. You have been warned. 2) The ferry ride can also get a bit choppy when the wind picks up. If you suffer from sea sickness you may want to consider that tour bus or even a car hire and drive over the Golden Gate. Not for the faint hearted. 3) The route 66 only runs from May to September so check before you head off.

 

1. And standing firmly at numero uno – it’s that classic San Francisco landmark, no, not the Golden Gate – it’s........Alcatraz

 

You know, I definitely wasn’t going to miss out on a visit to this former US penitentiary, but I’ll not lie to you when I say that it wasn’t as high up my list of priorities of things to do as some of the other entries on this list...and others that didn’t even make it on here! Doubts aside, this was by far and away the top highlight for all three of us. The cellblock audio tour is an absolute must must must (I can’t stress this enough) and is included in the cost of your tour which is part of the SF Citypass (see SFMOMA above) or can be purchased at Pier 33 (Alcatraz Tours) for $26. I’m not going to ruin the experience for you by telling you all about the contents of the audio tour, but suffice to say it manages to set the scene in perfect splendour. The voices, characters, sound effects and stories all contribute towards providing an engaging and enthralling experience. I’ll say it again just to drum it home – the audio tour is must. The rest of the island is still interesting enough with the morgue, old water tower and model industries workshop still standing. Many of the other buildings that once stood on the site have deteriorated so badly that they have either fallen into disrepair or have been demolished. You can actually purchase a piece of some of these former buildings – much like you would the Berlin Wall – at the gift shop (along with many other ‘only available at Alcatraz’ trinkets), with the proceeds going towards the further preservation of the buildings on the island. At $7, money well spent I’d say. All in all a truly excellent day out. If you come to SF and don’t manage anything else whilst here, you absolutely have to do this. That’s why it’s firmly my number one thing to do in San Francisco. A few asterisk points – 1) Book in advance. If you’re visiting for just a few days and turn up looking for a ticket you’ll probably be disappointed. To avoid having to be put on a standby list, especially in the peak season, book online before you get here. 2) When collecting or purchasing tickets one person in your party will need some photo ID, preferably a passport or a driver’s license. 3) The ONLY tours that actually go to the island are the official Alcatraz tours found at Pier 33 on the Embarcadero. To get there take the historic F line street cars towards Fisherman’s Wharf. 4) The cellblock is located at the top of the island and the walk up is the equivalent to 13 stories. It’s a leisurely 15 minute stroll, with no steps, though if you’re unable to make it that far you’d be best to jump on the tram-car and it’ll motor you on up there.

Comments

[Kyle Hyslop]

Totally agree, I did the night tour last friday and it was awesome. The audio tour deserves its awards and should be done. I'll maybe catch you this weekend. Beer?

Kyle