SAN FRANCISCO

Last Updated May 2000
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When we arrived in San Francisco, I was amazed to see that it was so hilly. I suppose I was still in 'flat land' Louisiana mode. The first thing I wanted to do was hop on the "rice a-roni" cable car. I had to ride on the outside, naturally, just as you see it done in the movies! It was a lot of fun.

In August 1999, we stayed at the HILTON on O'Farrell, located in the heart of San Francisco, just two blocks from Union Square. This is a fabulous place and I would DEFINITELY STAY HERE AGAIN. In May 2000, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Financial District. The hotel was OK, but I didn't like the China Town location.

Pacific Ocean
Ron and Kathy at the Pacific Ocean


San Francisco Links
Visitors guide
Hilton San Francisco
Holiday Inn Financial District
City Guides Walking Tours
Suppenkuche
Fisherman's Wharf
Pier 39
Sea Lions

Surrounding Area
Muir Woods
Coastal Hwy 1
Sonoma
Napa Valley
Yosemite National Park
San Francisco has some wonderful City Guides. They are free walking tours sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library. I toured the Brothels, Boardinghouse & Bawds, Chinatown, Sheraton Palace Hotel, and the Path of Gold; all of these were great tours.

You're not a tourist if you don't visit Fisherman's Wharf. I enjoyed Pier 39, especially watching the sea lions. There must be about 40 little wooden rafts full of them. I also enjoyed the two-tiered Venetian carousel. I collect carousels, so seeing the handcrafted antique double-deck carousel was a treat. Pier 39 is essentially a mall that has been stripped away of anything that would be considered useful for locals. The retailers here cater to the tourist market. This is not a place to "do what the locals do".

The GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE was stunning the first time I saw it. We did ride across it, but the traffic is really bad on it. I'd rather look at it from afar!

The Victorian style homes shouldn't be missed. Up and down the hills of San Francisco sit these homes squished in-between and stacked up on top of one another. They add more color and life to this fascinating city of San Francisco.

Suppenkuche is our favorite place to eat. This German restaurant is located in Hayes Valley. For us, this is one of those places you can't leave San Francisco without having at least one meal there. And the beer is not bad either! "appetizing"

I took the Blue and Gold Fleet across the bay, to tour Alcatraz. I am glad I toured "the rock", but once was enough. This was a nice self-guided tour.

Follow the links to the left, for more info on all the sites mentioned on this page.

BEYOND SAN FRANCISCO

muir woods
Kathy and Ron inside a tree at Muir Woods		 Strolling through Muir Woods, outside of San Francisco, was enchanting. The California Redwoods grow to 22 feet in diameter. (Photo: Ron and I are standing inside of a hollowed out Redwood tree.) I would definitely recommend this place if you were looking for a very pleasant place for nice easy walking.

For a view of some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the world, cruise south along the Pacific Ocean on Coastal Hwy. 1. It is a magnificent drive!

We also spent a day at Sonoma and Napa Valley. By the time we visited 3 wineries, I had reached my limit of wine tasting. WOW!

Yosemite National Park is a 4-hour drive from San Francisco. I hate heights, so getting there, through the mountains, was a bit nerve racking. Nevertheless, it was very much worth the drive, once we got to the valley. The waterfalls are magnificent.