San Francisco (San Francisco)

Member Name: TigerMystery

Product:	San Francisco
Date:	18/07/09 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good food, lots to do

Disadvantages: Can't think of any

First impressions:
When we first drove into the city from the airport, I was quite surprised by what I saw, as there are lot of small houses built into the hills that look like slums (slums is a bit of an exaggeration, but I can't think of a better word). Then as you get further in you get to all the skyscrapers, which is what I expected to be seeing.

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Accommodation:
There is plenty of accommodation in San Francisco, so I won't list it all here. I stayed in the Holiday Inn near Fisherman's Wharf, which was a nice hotel. I would recommend staying in this area, as it is a good location for restaurants as well as various other attractions. However, it is very touristy, so might not be everyone's cup of tea.

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Things to do:
Fisherman's Wharf - as you walk down by the Wharf, there are lots of artists and street performers about. It is a very busy area with lots of shops (especially tacky touristy type ones) and restaurants. There are some great chocolate/ candy shops. This is also the place to come to get a boat to Alcatraz and for the aquarium.

Golden Gate Bridge - I was quite excited to see this as I am a big fan of Charmed, which heavily features the bridge. However, it is a must-do for any visitor to San Francisco (which apparently is only called 'Frisco' by tourists).

Alcatraz - there are other reviews on this (one that I've written myself) so I won't go into too much detail here, but I would definitely recommend a visit to Alcatraz.

Shopping - head on down to Union Street, where there plenty of shops, all the usuals like Macy's, American Eagle etc.

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Eating:
There is no shortage of restaurants in San Francisco. It is most famous for it's seafood. A particular speciality is clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl; you can find this at pretty much any seafood restaurant.

Alioto's - recommend by the driver on our tour bus. He is a local and says he eats here every year on his birthday. Of course, he could be paid by them to say that, but I ate here, and the food was lovely. I had a shrimp and crab cannelloni, which was amazing.

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Overall thoughts:
I would definitely recommend San Francisco to anybody. There is so much to do and see here that there is something for everybody. You could also spend a long time here and be constantly finding new things to do and see.

Summary: Worth coming just for the seafood!