Trip to San Francisco

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NW-Bound said:
Is the speed limit on that road 60-70 mph?
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I don't recall the speed limit, but I know the folks behind me wanted to go that fast. I pulled over several times to let them pass.

Edit to add: For kicks, I looked it up. 55mph is the "limit".
 
Yes, I doubt that the speed limit is that high. ;)

And yes, there are always idiots on the road.

PS. I drove Hwy 1 many times. That stretch, I drove it many years ago, going south from Oregon.
 
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NW-Bound said:
Yes, I doubt that the speed limit is that high. ;)

And yes, there are always idiots on the road.

PS. I drove Hwy 1 many times. That stretch, I drove it many years ago, going south from Oregon.
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I guess if you do it often, it is easy. First time was white knuckles the whole way, for me.
 
I don't drive fast, particularly on roads like that.

And when I went on that road with a motorhome, I went north. :)

I wonder if they have fixed the portion that disappeared in a landslide earlier this year.

Highway-1-Near-Big-Sur.jpg
 
I lived in the Bay Area for 40 years and went into the city 2-3x a week. I have to agree with some of the comments to expect to experience a lot of homelessness and dirty streets in some parts of the city. I’ve also had my car broken into, smash & grab, in the daytime in a parking garage near Union Square. Yes, carefully spend a few days in the city but definitely explore Marin to Napa and maybe down to Monterey. Rent a car to do this.
 
Dang! The last time I was in SF was about 7-8 years ago, and having been there many times earlier, I did not stay long that time.

I saw on the Web that the place had been run over by vagrants, but did not see for myself that time. All the better, as I want to keep the good memories.
 
It depends on what kind of scenery you want. If it's a nice day you can get a panoramic view of the city by driving to the top of Mt Tamalpais. From there you can see San Francisco and the greater Bay Area assuming it's not covered in fog or clouds. Another great place to get a view of the city is from Treasure Island around sunset/night time.

There are some small coastal beach communities in Marin County that some like. Point Reyes National Seashore is also very nice if want more of an outdoor experience. Palace of Fine Arts is also very picturesque. Lombard Street is another spot. Lots of museums in the area.

Facebook headquarters is about 45 minutes south of SFO if you are interested in getting your picture taken in front of their sign. There is also a computer history museum in Mountain View just south of Facebook headquarters.

Be aware that rental car beak-ins are a BIG problem at all of the tourist spots in San Francisco so don't leave any valuables inside even for a minute. They will break your window and grab whatever is in sight in broad daylight even with lots of people standing around. They know the cops are powerless to do anything about it.
 
We haven't been into the city since Covid hit, so I am not sure what the homelessness situation is like currently. I know many were housed in hotels that were empty due to the pandemic. However, the Bay Area is a big place - the city of SF is just a small part of that and there are many tourist attractions outside the city and in nearby counties like Napa and Marin. What we did when we first visited was to get a rental car and stay in a hotel in an upscale suburb outside of SF where we could walk to a BART station. Then the days we went into the city we took the train and the days we wanted to sight see outside the city we had a car.

With a car you could go to places like Napa, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Redwood Regional Park, drive to the top of Mt. Diablo, the Oakland Zoo, Mt. Tam, Muir Beach, Tilden Park, Egyptian Museum in San Jose, take a ferry to Angel Island, Treasure Island, Muir Woods, and make a stop at a bar and grill open to the public almost right under the Golden Gate Bridge - "One of Marin’s best-kept-secret views of the Golden Gate Bridge is through the windows of an unassuming-looking building that sits behind the Discovery Museum on the shore of Horseshoe Cove at Fort Baker. The building houses the Presidio Yacht Club, an exclusive-sounding name that’s utterly misleading because the club couldn’t be more egalitarian. It’s open to the public, the drinks are cold and cheap, rock-and-roll bands play there many weekends and, of course, it has that glorious view of the bridge, stretching from high above the quiet cove to the far shore of San Francisco." https://marinmagazine.com/community/local-news/presidio-yacht-club/
 
A restaurant recommendation in SF is Scoma's just off the wharf. They have valet parking for next to nothing ($2 in 2007).

Staying in SF is very expensive and a crime risk; parking priced the same as NYC. If you try to park on the street, there is a high rate of car breakins. Find a place to stay outside of the city if you can. Public transportation into the city-BART, CalTrain, ferry, works.

A trip to Angel Island will take a huge portion of the day; Alcatraz a little less time.

Consider Sonoma wine country vs. Napa. Closer to the ocean. Korbel winery is gorgeous, along highway 12 between Santa Rosa and Occidental, in the redwoods. Occidental has some eateries and is a cute little town. Negri's and the Union Hotel competed for attention in the 70s, serving multi-course classic Italian meals. I remember the courses-Minestroni soup, ravioli, salad, entree and dessert. OMG, as a young teen with a ravenous appetite, it was a delight. Off of Fitzpatrick Lane, in the hills above Occidental, is a tiny collection of old growth redwoods, called the Grove of Old Trees. It is a level walk maintained by the local community, where no one walks. I discovered it by sheer accident when staying with family on Fitzpatrick Lane.

Grove of Old Trees

Part of it is wheelchair accessible. If you walk just up the road from that place, you will be looking at a vineyard, privately owned no tourists, and from the top of the hill, if there is no fog, you will see the Pacific Ocean. This will give you a view of coastal redwoods that you will not otherwise have, and for free!

Drive out to Bodega Bay, on the Bodega Highway, and you will pass St. Theresa's Church, which appeared in "The Birds". There are places along highway 1 in Sonoma County which sell oysters, and probably serve them as well.

I grew up and spent 40 years in the Bay Area. I visited the Sonoma area many many times, lived in the East Bay, the Peninsula, and the South Bay (Sunnyvale). There are many offbeat ways of seeing the redwoods, avoiding the tourists in Muir Woods, etc. I have family who have lived in these touristy areas, and we loved "playing tourist" but learned how to avoid the traps. DM grew up in The City and I walked around The City with friends as a teen. It is not very safe these days, and there is so much outside of SF that is amazing to see. I've hiked around Mt. Diablo and Mt. Tamalpias, Tilden Park, as well as just walking down my street to fire roads in the East Bay hills and spent the day hiking. In 1937 my mom attended the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge and the SF Bay Bridge; in 1986 I attended the 50th anniversary of the GG Bridge.

daylatedollarshort knows of what she speaks, so PM her, myself, and other Bay Area folks for suggestions, then take your pick.
 
EastWest Gal said:
... in 1986 I attended the 50th anniversary of the GG Bridge...
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I am reminded of the road trip we took that coincided with that weekend. The timing was totally unplanned, and we could not understand why we could not get a motel without a reservation.

Ended up staying in Jan Jose, and also found out the reason. I did not even attempt to go anywhere near the bridge. In fact, I could not remember where we did go, that one time.
 
It was actually in 1987.

The May 24, 1987 event celebrating the bridge's 50th anniversary was organized by the "Friends of the Golden Gate Bridge," a group made up of five members of the bridge district board of directors. The group expected a crowd of 80,000 people, but instead received an estimated 800,000 people at the event.

Approximately 300,000 people actually engaged in the walk across the bridge, an experience that — in the most generous terms — could be described as "extremely unpleasant."

"While trapped shoulder to shoulder in the mob, unable to move for more than two hours, I remember discussing with my wife the real possibility that we were about to participate in one of the 20th century's landmark disasters," San Francisco painting and plastering contractor Winston Montgomery recounted 10 years after the event. "A bridge collapse would have put to shame all those petty Third World bus and ferry tragedies you read about in the newspaper."

The weight of the 300,000 people flattened the normally arched roadbed, although bridge engineers later said there was never any real danger.

"The Golden Gate Bridge, all 419,000 tons of it, groaned and swayed like an old wooden plank thrown across a ditch," Montgomery wrote. "Frightened and seasick people vomited on their shoes."

According to Montgomery, people began throwing bicycles and strollers off the bridge in order to lighten the load on the bridge.

"There were cheers as some people started to hurl bicycles over the railing," he wrote. "A stroller tumbled down and sank beneath the waves 220 feet below. 'Throw the baby, too,' people yelled, laughing. These were probably the bridge walkers trapped on the sidewalk of a roadbed 95 feet wide, with only a 4-foot railing between them and eternity."
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Source: https://www.sfgate.com/local-donotu...e-walk-1987-anniversary-disaster-13896571.php
 
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You can get great deals on hotels in San Francisco right now but would echo what some others have said and don't bring a car into the city if you can avoid it. Crazy expensive to park and car break-ins are out of control, especially in tourist areas.

Once in the city, you don't need a car to explore. Just walk or Uber.
 
Wille said:
My DW and I are planning a trip to San Francisco in September. We will have 5 full days. What ratio of time should we spend in San Francisco vs Napa? We aren’t big into wine, as much as wanting to see the scenery. Would you suggest a tour from San Francisco to Napa or should we do Napa on our own? Any advice and ideas are welcome!
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Great time of year to visit.

I would look to stay at an Airbnb outside the downtown/Union Square tourist district. Downtown and the clubs and restaurants haven't really recovered from COVID. Based on my last visit to Union Square, it seemed like there were tourists, people with businesses who serve tourists, and people who made it their business to prey on tourists. Your experience would be different in a neighborhood.

I would not rent a car in the City. Hard to park and a target for theft. Uber and Lyft are not cheap post-IPO but they are running, as are most of the bus, streetcar and underground lines. There is a lot to see in SF: sports, museums, music, restaurants, views, touristy stuff. Assuming you spend three days, you will find plenty to do.

I would rent a car to go to either Napa or Monterey and stay overnight (so two of your days). This is down to your taste, but if you are not into wine, I'd go to Monterey. I love the Aquarium and the coastline is special.

br
 
All great ideas so far.

My 2c would be to not rent a place in the city. Instead rent a car at the airport and drive over the GG bridge to a hotel or Airbnb in Marin County. Sausalito, San Rafael or Tiburon. Then use the ferries to go over to SF when you want. The worlds nicest commute where you’ll see the most wonderful views of SF. Also the weather is guaranteed to be nicer but not too hot. Closer to wine country etc. Tiburon has a lovely restaurant on the water called Sams Cafe. Worth a visit for a different view of SF from the dining area outside.

Ferries arrive at the SF Ferry Building and it’s not a long walk from there to Union Sq, Fisherman’s Wharf etc.

One of the best views in the city is from the top of Twin Peaks. That’s a day to drive into the city and go there. Free parking. Just make sure it’s not a foggy day. (As an aside the best month to visit SF might be September when the fog has lifted). At the same time you can visit Ocean Beach if that interests you. Beautiful beach good for surfing but too cold for casual swim. Although the city’s hottest days are normally in September.

Many complaints go like this: I walk out of my hotel and I see homeless etc. Get a hotel outside SF and you’ll avoid that issue.
 
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bmcgonig said:
All great ideas so far.

My 2c would be to not rent a place in the city. Instead rent a car at the airport and drive over the GG bridge to a hotel or Airbnb in Marin County. Sausalito, San Rafael or Tiburon. Then use the ferries to go over to SF when you want. The worlds nicest commute where you’ll see the most wonderful views of SF. Also the weather is guaranteed to be nicer but not too hot. Closer to wine country etc. Tiburon has a lovely restaurant on the water called Sams Cafe. Worth a visit for a different view of SF from the dining area outside.

Ferries arrive at the SF Ferry Building and it’s not a long walk from there to Union Sq, Fisherman’s Wharf etc.

One of the best views in the city is from the top of Twin Peaks. That’s a day to drive into the city and go there. Free parking. Just make sure it’s not a foggy day. (As an aside the best month to visit SF might be September when the fog has lifted). At the same time you can visit Ocean Beach if that interests you. Beautiful beach good for surfing but too cold for casual swim. Although the city’s hottest days are normally in September.

Many complaints go like this: I walk out of my hotel and I see homeless etc. Get a hotel outside SF and you’ll avoid that issue.
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The ferry rides are great but they run much less frequently than the BART trains for commuting to and from the city and their schedules have been cut back due to COVID. BART trains will start running to midnight again starting August 2. Depending on the OPs interests, BART works well for those enjoying the nightlife in the city but lodging in the East Bay. Hamilton is back at the theater and runs through September 5th.
 
daylatedollarshort said:
The ferry rides are great but they run much less frequently than the BART trains for commuting to and from the city and their schedules have been cut back due to COVID. BART trains will start running to midnight again starting August 2. Depending on the OPs interests, BART works well for those enjoying the nightlife in the city but lodging in the East Bay. Hamilton is back at the theater and runs through September 5th.
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Agreed. Marin doesn’t have Bart and Bart is very useful for enjoying the nightlife. Although if you’re on a Blow That Dough trip many of the good restaurants have valet.

So yes a place in the East Bay close to Bart is also a great idea.
 
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Live in the Bay Area. Local news. S.F. as others have mentioned. Crime is up.
Especially bad for tourist. They are targeted. In fact, Walgreen shut down it's SF stores.
Too many stores robbed in broad daylight. Homeless, is a mess. Not healthy.

IMHO, I would visit, "non -city", sites in the area. As a few posters have mentioned.
 
The main thing about auto break ins, is that something is left in the car that may be of some value. A few years back, we stayed in a hotel in Fairfield, close to Interstate 80. we got in late due to a wine event, and I left my knapsack in the car , since we would be checking out that morning. Lesson learned; the knapsack, with some cash hidden inside, and my laptop, some key rings, were taken, after they busted out a window. Had a large delay that morning, changing passwords, getting another rental car and filling out police report. The officer said never leave anything in car in plain sight, too much temptation.

I know they never found the cash inside the knapsack.
 
Not sure if this is correct. But was told, Rental cars, have "special identification". So
thief, still break in, even if your "stuff" is hidden in the trunk....
 
We had a really good time in San Fran during a 24 hour layover in 2019. After BART/Uber'ing to drop off gear at our hotel, we were able to hoof it all over the area encompassed by Swan Oyster Depot, Ferry Building, and Fisherman's Wharf at a leisurely pace. Didn't feel rushed but we did have to drop a few places a little further out we wanted to see. I think 2 days would have been enough to hit everything else we wanted to see and maybe an extra half day if we wanted to head to Alcatraz.

Didn't feel the homeless problem was more pronounce than any other large city but I wouldn't be surprised if it got worse over the last year.
Vancouver had a really bad car break-in problem too. Definitely can't leave stuff in the car, especially visible. It's a pain in the rear but I'll walk around with my backpack if needed instead of leaving it in the car.

We're not big wine people but enjoy visting wineries, doing some tastings, and buying a few bottles. We last visited Napa in 1999 as part of a tour my megacorp bucked up for. Of late, we've been visiting the wineries in the interior of BC. Kind of nice having transportation taken care of for you. Alternatively, the flexibility of staying as long or short as you want to explore the estate when having your own wheels is really nice too.
 
I usually stay in a place in Oakland near jack London square and take the ferry over
 
I often go into SF just for the day. Love the Marina area. Dislike Union Square. But I feel completely safe walking with little grandkids. Some of my favorite places are Crissy Fields, Fishermen's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, yeah. That'll take up a day walking. If I have time or a 2nd day there's Chinatown and the area around the Ferry Bldg -> Pier 39
 
I LOVED walking around the Presidio. I was even able to not only park there but walk across the Golden Gate Bridge from there. Very few people go there and there are also places to stay in the historic buildings.
If you drive south of SF on Rt 1, look out for the "Flintstone House" on the east side.
And I really loved going to see redwoods at Big Basin Redwoods State Park but there was a catastrophic fire there last year.
I thought spending the time and money to ride a SF cable car was a waste. Also, I took one of the hop on/hop off busses around the area - bad experience. I wasted a LOT of time. (wear comfortable walking shoes) The pier area was "meh" except for seeing all the sea lions.
Check out the restaurants in Chinatown. If you walk in and see forks on the tables, walk on.
 
Thanks for the interesting discussion. :flowers:


 
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