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Half Day in San Francisco
DH and I are going to Sacramento and the Bay area for two events next weekend. We'll probably have half a day on Sunday to do something on our own before we head home. I'd like to see a little of San Francisco because I have never been there.
Is parking going to be a pain on a Sunday? It seems like the garages around the touristy areas are expensive, but there are a few cheaper ones, too. I am also thinking it might be fun to just take the ferry over from Oakland for the experience. (We're actually staying in Palo Alto Saturday night, but I thought maybe we could drive over to Oakland since that puts us on the route home, & park then take the ferry back to S.F.).
I am thinking of just exploring the Embarcadero & Fisherman's Warf, and maybe riding the street car. I normally am a big museum/historic sites person and I have a long list of places I want to see, but with only 4-5 hours (which I can easily spend in a single museum), I thought it might be better to just wander. We've only been on the west coast for about a year so we definitely plan a longer trip where we have more control over our schedule.
So anyway, where would you park and what would you do to get a taste of the city? Any great places to grab lunch? We love wine, unique beers and just about any type of food. I've given up sweets for Lent so on this trip I don't care about great desserts!
Re: Half Day in San Francisco
The ferry isn't anything super exciting and I don't think it makes any sense to drive from Palo Alto to Oakland just to take the ferry to S.F. You'll waste a couple of hours just doing that. What airport are you flying out of?
Parking in the city (i.e. S.F.) is always a pain. Given your limited time, just put it in a garage. If you're interested in checking out Alcatraz, the tour shouldn't take more than 90 mins. if memory serves (and you ferry to and from the island, so you can satisfy that desire). You'll have to check and see if tickets are still available though--you definitely want to buy online ASAP if they are.
The ferry leaves from Fisherman's Wharf so you could wander around there before or after Alcatraz. There are sea lions on Pier 39 to check out. Also within walking distance from that area is Lombard Street and Ghiradelli Square (you could get a sundae). You can also see the Golden Gate Bridge from there.
We spent over 2hrs on Alcatraz.
You could do coit tower if you are going to do fishermans wharf. It's a short bus ride up the hill.
You could check out the Mission Dolores and grab some great food in that area.
I love sf and there are areas I like more than Fishermans Wharf but if you only have a few hours I would stay there and the drive to the Golden Gate bridge, there are areas on either side to see it and you don't have to pay for parking.
http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/sanfrancisco/a/ggbridge_2.htm
Park the car in a garage. Go to the Ferry Building. Sample cheese, have some wine, eat lunch. Check out the Farmers Market if it's going on. Then go out front and catch a vintage rail car and ride down to Fisherman's Warf/Pier 39. Look around, see the seals, take in the view of the bridge. Then walk or take another ride to Ghirardelli Square and have some ice cream.
If you have more time take some cable car rides toward Union Square and back to the Ferry Building.
Thanks for the ideas!
We're driving, not flying (my location under my avatar isn't right - we live in Southern Oregon), so Oakland puts us on the route home. But, it also might be fun to park in a garage, then when we leave drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and then circle around to Vallejo and get back on I-80.
Sadly, there will be no Ghiradelli for me this trip - I've given up sweets for Lent. :-( But, I'll be making up for it with wine and dreaming of our next trip down when I can get my chocolate fix!