San Francisco.....why did I wait so long? (San Francisco)

Member Name: MrsE

Product:	San Francisco
Date:	06/11/09 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful City with so much to see

Disadvantages: Cold weather

I visited San Francisco in 2007 as part of a fly-drive trip also including LA and Las Vegas. San Francisco was the last stop and we spent 5 glorious days there.

~Basic Info~
San Francisco is located on the west coast of the United States. Approximate flying time from London is around 11 hours. Both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways do direct flights as opposed to many other major airlines that do connecting flights in another major city.

San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California, and the 12th most populous city in the United States. SF is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the large with a region of 7.4 million people. The city is at the northern end with the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Francisco Bay to the north and east. A small unknown (and probably useless bit of info) there is actually an uninhabited island by the name of Farallon Island that is 27 miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean but is still considered part of SF.

SF is most famous for its hills (did you ever see Bullit) and the infamous Golden Gate Bridge. The other thing that it is famous for (I will cover that under weather) that people tend to skip over is Earthquakes.

~Weather~
If you are considering a visit the weather is something you need to think about and then pack accordingly! SF is not the warmest of climates with the summer highs being around the 70's and the winters being typically mid 40's. It isn't so much the temperature in SF, I find it was more the wind that was a problem. It is usually dry between May and October and the rainy season being November to April. It is also susceptible to heavy fog.

The most famous earthquake that SF is famous for is the one that hit in 1906. This part of the world has suffered earthquakes since then but none as great as the 1906 one. The reason for the earthquake risk is that SF lies on the San Andreas Fault line. Since then there has been quite a bad earthquake which collapsed part of the Oakland Bay Bridge in 1989 where many people were killed. However, San Francisco has done a lot to improve the building and bridges since then. They cannot predict when an earthquake will hit again but I think the threat of this happening should not put you off visiting. There is just as much chance of it happening, as being caught in a Tornado in Texas, or a tropical storm somewhere.

~Areas~
There are quite a few areas to SF but the most common and probably well known are:-

Union Square - This is where the major shopping centre is and is downtown
Chinatown - self explanatory but is between Union Square and North Beach
Fishermans Wharf - This is where I stayed an is very close to Pier 39 (famous for the seals)
Financial District - This is south of Fishermans Wharf and north of downtown

There are many other areas but these are the most popular.

~Hotel~
Now I am only reviewing the specific hotel that I stayed in which was Sheraton Fishermans Wharf. We paid for ours as part of a package but I have had a look and at the height of summer it costs around £110 per room per night. So cost wise it will be around £450 for two people for the weekend. The hotel itself didn't look particularly impressive when we pulled up and I was beginning to wonder if this hotel was going to be a let down. When we went to reception the staff were so friendly I was instantly put at ease. This Sheraton is a non smoking hotel (which I like, even as a smoker) and the room that we were shown to was fine. It wasn't spectacular, and at first impression I remember thinking it was small. However having come from Vegas where bigger is better that was no surprise. Once we had settled in I realised that the room was plenty big enough for us and was warm and comfortable (more important for me). The bed was also comfortable and we had the usual mod cons like TV/Satellite and internet access (at a charge) but surprisingly no coffee and tea facilities. Luckily for us Starbucks was a couple of roads away. The hotel bar was nice albeit smaller than expected but it gave it a homely feel which was nice. We didn't eat in the hotel at all as the food in SF is legendary so I can't comment on that but the drinks were reasonable and overall I think the biggest highlight was the location as it wasn't far to anywhere.

~Attractions~
Again as I did in my previous travel review I won't list them all but will list some of the most popular attractions for San Francisco.

* Alcatraz - The famous 'Rock' where the old prison was based. There are many day trips that take you there and you have the choice to do guided tours around the prison, or to use the headphones or simply have a wander yourself. Me and the hubby wandered our own way round. It certainly gives you more space for silly photo opportunities!
* Golden Gate Bridge - This 1.7 mile long bridge is so famous that it is probably one of the first things they think of when visit SF. You can walk, drive or cycle across it. We walked halfway until the biting winds forced us back. Make sure you check out the info on how the bridge is made at the beginning of it (it's fascinating).
* Pier 39 - People may not know what this is initially but this is where the sea lions are. They started turning up in 1990 and haven't left since. There are hundreds of them all lounging around and making a lot of noise (they are lovely though). The Pier also has an aquarium just at the entrance ($16 for adults and $8 for kids, under 3's go free). The Pier has a lot of street performers, magicians and general antics going on as well as shops, bars and restaurants. This is a great place to take kids.
* Cable Car/Tram - These are an absolute MUST if you go. It's just like being in the movies and is so much fun. They are definitely an experience. There are three main line running and there is one that takes you from Fishermans Wharf all the way to Union Square.

There are many others including the Redwood Forest, Alamo Square, North Beach, Gharadelli Square (the chocolate is to die for) and China Town.

~Opinion~
I absolutely loved SF and would love to go back. The best way to see it is on foot, but be warned...wear comfortable shoes! SF is very hilly and bigger than you first think. It is such a lovely town and the people are so friendly. We experienced so much that we almost felt like we were cramming things in. Although you can do most of SF by foot when I go back I will hire a car as it would have been nice to have driven down some of the west coast. Fishermans Wharf is a seafood lover's paradise, with the exotic and classic recipes being cooked in all of them. When we first arrived we wondered what everybody was eating. It looked like a big round bread loaf with the top cut off. We found out that this is exactly what it is and they are then filled with clam chowder (not for me as I don't eat seafood but still...). The other thing that we loved was the impromptu acts on the street which popped up with no warning. In our case it was a group of street dancers who I had to say blew us away. There are also a lot of fantastic restaurants up towards Gharidelli Square, maybe a little pricey but good all the same. We also came across an old diner called Lori's (check out a review already posted on Dooyoo by RamblinMan). The shopping is pretty much a standard affair for that of the USA with the big department stores as well as some one off boutiques. I didn't think that shopping worked out that cheap but that was to be expected as SF is a major city and not one that people probably associate with cheap shopping. The Trams are a must do like I said as they are cheap, fun and the easiest (and least hard work) way to get around. Despite the fact that this isn't the warmest place to visit, or the closest by any stretch of the imagination, it is quite simply superb. I think this is better suited to older children or couples as opposed to very young children. The reason for this is that I can't see many people wanting to push a buggy up the sort of hills that San Francisco is famous for.

Summary: Fantastic destination Highly reccomend