San francisco

[Dareos]

I'm here. Been here 2 days and seen the golden gate bridge. The Oakland bridge. Fisherman's wharf and mission street. Will see Alcatraz on Saturday.
Anyone been here and has advice? 4 days to go

[Guy]

I'd recommend a Segway tour if you're a fan.

I went with City Segway Tours when out in SF a few years ago. Great way to see the city and the guides were good.
The Golden Gate park is also worth a look, likewise some of the hill tops and views from the other side of the bridge.

*edit*
Possibly a bit late now but if you can I'd go for the 'night' tour of Alcatraz

[jimbouk]

Another vote for the Golden Gate park, it's well worth a stroll around if nothing else. We didn't go in to any of the paid bits (Japanese Gardens/ museums etc) because we didn't have much time but you could spend a couple of days doing everything.

Go on the trams! If you don't have a Muni pass then get one and bus/tram around to see everywhere.

The Ferry Building was nice for some lunch, you can take the streetcar along from Fisherman's Warf. Excellent and bizarre icecream on sale!

Chinatown is tacky but worth walking through as an experience. We went to the Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant for some dinner, tasty and very different from your standard UK Chinese food, just don't get hung-up on it looking like someone's living room!

We didn't have time to get over the other side of the bridge, but if it's not too windy then a cycle over might be fun.

I hope you had some clam chowder at Pier 39 otherwise you should go back, we went to the Pier Market Restaurant and had it in a sour-dough bowl.

Edit: Enjoy Alcatraz but you might want to take a jumper, can get rather blustery on the boat and on the island (thought that was about 8 weeks ago now so might be fine). The audio tour is excellent.

[scaryjim]

If you're into comics at all then the Cartoon Art Museum (http://cartoonart.org/) is probably worth a look I've never been mind you, but one of my favourite webcomic artists used to work there, and her husband (a good artist in his own right) is still a curator there.

[Smudger]

Visit Scoma's Seafood restaurant, supposed to be really good. I've been there, but I can't tell you what the fish is like as I don't eat fish.

[Splash]

I really enjoyed walking around the Presidio in February. That and running along the beaches

Also I spotted House of Air, but I didn't get around to trying it out. Sounded fun though.

EDIT - I was also told that Castro is an interesting neighbourhood, but I never got around to checking it out. Hoping to be back there in a couple of months though.

[SeriousSam]

Been a while since I was there.

1. Alcatraz - worth going at night or one of the more involved tours (wildlife etc. if that's your things)

2. Science Museum - think it's called "exploratorium" and they do regular interesting events

3. Asia SF - decidedly alternative restaurant / bar with evening "Shows"... food is good too

[burble]

Head up Coit Tower, the views are great.

I don't know if it's your thing, but last time I was there I spent a day at Jackson Arms in South San Francisco shooting all sorts of stuff. Great fun.

[Saracen]

It depends what you like, but if you've access to a car, a trip to Muir Woods would be high on my list. It's a area where you'll find loads of giant redwoods, the Sequoia trees, and standing among those awesome, ancient towering trees is .... well, awesome. A much over-used word, but here, it's dead right, literally.

[GuidoLS]

There was a time when I'd have recommended a tour of the Haight Ashbury neighborhood - more or less the birthplace of much of the great Woodstock generation bands, such as the Grateful Dead, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, etc. But with the rise of the tech economy, it's all been refurbed and turned into yuppie land. Amoeba music is still there, though. Place used to be a bowling alley. Now claims to have one of, if not the, largest selection of CD's in the world. Still, it would be a thing 'to-do' in going and snapping a picture of the actual street sign.

[Dareos]

Thanks all. Was in Castro last night. Interesting doesn't do it justice lol. Flamboyant might be a better word.
Been through golden gate park. Love the presidio. Cartoon art museum sounds promising.
I'm not taking a car this trip which is a bit gutting as I had no idea the redwoods were in this area. For some reason I thought they were outeast.

[Saracen]

...

I'm not taking a car this trip which is a bit gutting as I had no idea the redwoods were in this area. For some reason I thought they were outeast.

I'm no expert, but ... nah, I think you'll find they require a more temperate climate than most of the East. That said, there used to be millions of acres of the things ... until we invented logging companies.

Shame you can't get there. Muir Woods is only about 12-15 miles from SF. That said, most of the trees are reckoned to be 500-800 years old, with the oldest put at 1200 years or more. So they ought to still be there next time you visit.

[Guy]

Hertz will rent you a SRT Challenger (sadly no Chargers in the adrenaline collection...) or a Mustang GT...

Whilst in S.F I didn't have a car, but rented one for the day as I drove down to Monterey Bay to see the sights and the aquarium.

The morning I had to take it back I was up just before sunrise hitting the streets, over the Golden gate and up the hills on the other side to see the skyline as the sun rose. Windows down with a burbling muscle car soundtrack, perfect wake up call.

[ik9000]

if you're a guitarist then head to the Taylor Factory for a tour.

Wine tasting in the Nappa Valley

Trip to half moon bay

[dhw00t]

Been a few times - off the top of my head:

1 - Alcatraz
2 - Cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge - have lunch in the town and get the ferry back
3 - Coit Tower
4 - Pier 39 and Embarcadero
5 - Union Square
6 - In and Out Burger
7 - Walk along market street from say 8th to 4th (don't go down Howard St/Mission st though - especially at 4th unless you want it to be just you and the crackheads).
8 - Ride the F line Street Car#

TBH there is loads more - I really enjoy just walking about SFO but just be careful as you can go good st/bad st just like that although it's usually pretty obvious.

(I've done 4 -> 3 ->5 by walking - San Francisco is not a big city).

[Stringent]

Just don't leave your heart there ...

/gets coat