Giantaxe

Arguably the best view in fact. Angel Island is perhaps my favourite day out in the Bay Area.

Two more great viewpoints: the ridge above the Waldo tunnel (the tunnel north of the GG bridge on 101). Takes a bit if hiking, but the view's even better than the one previously mentioned from the Marin headlands. And secondly, Grandview Park, south of Golden Gate Park. It's a hill almost exactly south of the Golden Gate Bridge so there are views north of the Golden Gate and east to downtown. Great at sunset for the views over the.. Sunset district. I like the angles of the view here more than the rather more visited Twin Peaks.

For me the great thing about SF is all the different hills and neighbourhoods, and the fact you can walk most of it. Telegraph Hill (where Coit Tower is - walk up the wooden stairways on the east side) and Russian Hill (take the Hyde St cable car line past the "crookedest street in the world") are two, but there are many others that are less frequented by tourists.

S Folinsky

One should pick up Bill Cosby's classic "Driving In San Francisco." [BTW, to get a flavor of the joke, when it was recorded Volkswagen only sold the original Type I Beetle -- it was the only rental car with a manual shift transmission & a clutch].

As a further BTW, while living in the City, I taught the lady in my life to drive stick-shift. To this day, I think that that was a display of true love. I still can parallel park a stick-shift car pointed down-hill.

A further BTW, if one is idiotic to actually drive within the City, make sure to curb your wheels when parking -- OK?

CelticRover

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/c...src=newsletter

meauxna

I learned that move too!
Back in the Bill Cosby days...

C'mon guys.. help an ex-native figure out what a 3 day weekend in the city should include. DH has never been, and I've never been a tourist there.

ncerutti

Yelp is always a good source of inspiration...

Don't forget to visit Haight Ashbury and Golden Gate Park (Japanese Tea Garden/Windmill/De Young Museum/California Academy of Science).

N1cky

We liked the tram museum too, it was very interesting.

cappuccino

and the cable car museum is good too

Giantaxe

I suspect that was what Nicky was referring to.

Take the Hyde St cable car line to the museum and don't forget to go in the area downstairs under the street where you can see how the cables run. Then get back on the Hyde Sr car up Russian Hill to Lombard St at the "crookedest St in the world". Plus a great view north down Hyde towards Alcatraz.

cappuccino

Well there is a tram/railway museum down the end of Market Street opposite the Ferry Building and the cable car museum which is up on Mason Street at the cable car barn (the working engine room for the cable system).

We visited both and they were both interesting.

N1cky

Yes it was.

Also if you are going to use the cable car's buy a multi day pass, otherwise its $5 a ride even if you only go one stop.

S Folinsky

I lived in the City just as BART came on line. I was amused by the idea of transferring at Powell/Market from the 1972 technology BART train to the 1872 technology cable car.

I always found it fun to help turning around the cable car at the Powell/Market terminus.

Giantaxe

They actually built a new cable car from scratch last year!

The technology actually made a lot of sense in 1872 prior to widespread adoption of electric grids: central power point (steam boilers back then) distributing power through cables. Now, it's a fascinating anachronism.

mikec81

My experiences of San Francisco, outside of the usual tourist spots, usually involve decent food and alcohol... I can definitely recommend Toronado in the Haight, Rogue just off Columbus and 21st Amendment for a few beers. For places to eat, Nopa, SPQR, and Flour and Water are all great places (although they are a little expensive). Also, for a great selection of beer and a good place to hang out, try the City Beer Store.
Bourbon and Branch is an interesting bar that can be worth checking out. It is a "prohibition" style place that has nothing outside to indicate it is there and you need to reserve a table (complete with password to get in) in advance. Worth taking a look, but is definitely over priced.

Dorothy

What area would you recommend staying in then? My OH and I are thinking of spending a few days there next July in transit from Toronto home to Australia.

tonrob

I'd go for Embarcadero or possibly Union Square (bit busy but convenient location and some nice hotels), although Mrs tonrob and I stayed in the Renaissance on Nob Hill a couple of months ago - it's right at the top of the hill where the cable car lines cross. It was great just to step out of the hotel and have the choice of four directions to go on the cable cars. It meant that we rode on them far more often than when we've stayed elsewhere in the city.