If You're Going To San Francisco

San Francisco

Scott McKenzie

If you're going to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

If you're going to San Francisco

You're gonna meet some gentle people there

For those who come to San Francisco

Summertime will be a love-in there

In the streets of San Francisco

Gentle people with flowers in their hair

All across the nation

Such a strange vibration

People in motion

There's a whole generation

With a new explanation

People in motion

People in motion

The song Scott McKenzie wrote and recorded about San Francisco seems to sum up my feelings about the city. I've probably been to San Francisco more than any other city I've ever visited combined... San Francisco will always be one of my favorite places in the world... and although I've been there many times I always discover something new with each visit.

San Francisco has been a backdrop for a few of my favorite movies... 'What's Up Doc" used several areas of the city including the airport, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Nob Hill, Alfred HItchcock featured Union Square at the start of "The Birds" and used Lombard Street as Jimmy Stewart's residence in "Vertigo"... I'm bringing all this up because I'll be highlighting these areas as well as a few other favorite parts of the city.

 I start and end my visits at San Francisco International Airport in San Mateo about 12 or so miles from downtown San Francisco. You can easily reach the city using BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

 Taxi or Van service to various destinations around the city. BART  connects with CalTrain at the Millbrae Intermodal Station with service to San Jose, Palo Alto and Stanford.

There are many marvelous hotels in the Bay Area but the one that I've stayed in the most is Campton Place Hotel at 340 Stockton Street (I've been a faithful customer since I was a guest during the earthquake in 1989 as they continued to offer an exceptional guest experience under difficult if not dire conditions)...

There was a period between 1996 through 2009 that I slept in this exact room more than my own bed at home...

What I love best about the hotel besides the friendly staff and location is the restaurant and bar; they are both among my favorite in the entire world partially because the food and service and atmosphere are outstanding but because you mostly meet local people there... It is rated one of the best venus in the city.

https://www.tajcamptonplace.com/dining/

Don't even think about showing up without a reservation... if you are not looking for a meal as extravagant the menu and ambience in the bar and bistro are a perfect fit for me for lunch or a late night snack.

And for me it's perfectly situated to start and end my day there just a hop skip and a jump from Union Square...

Union Square

In addition to all the things to see and do around Union Square there are a few places that if time allows I always revisit...

Chinatown

Japantown

Both have wonderful restaurants and shops... and a friend of mine who lives there gave me advice once that I still use to this day when looking for a place to eat... she said "if there are a lot of Asian people eating there the food is good" a fun fact you may not know is that the fortune cookie was invented in Japantown. I once a long time ago took the tour of the factory... you have no idea how delicious a warm from the oven fortune cookie is if you have never had one.

I also try to make it a point to take a cable car ride... not only is it an iconic San Francisco experience but it's the most fun way to get from the Union Square area to Fisherman's Wharf...At Powell and Market Street is the start of the line up to Nob Hill and on to Fisherman's Wharf.

The cost is $7.00 per ride... but if you are going to take more than two rides in a day it probably is a good idea to get a day pass for $17.00

It's really an easy fun way to get around the city but the cars are pretty crowded especially nights and weekends. The cable cars in San Francisco are the worlds last remaining manually operated cable car system.

I always thought it would be fun to live on Lombard Street with it's eight hairpin turns that were designed to make navigating the steep street safely... until I leaned that there are about 2,000 cars that take the route every day for the experience.

Lombard Street

I have driven it once but frankly I would rather see it from the 250 steps that go up and down each side of the street. I think it's one of the prettiest streets in town and I hear there is talk of charging a toll to cut down on traffic.

Even though it's largely a tourist destination I still like visiting Alioto's or Fisherman's Grotto for a meal every now and again... but I'm just as happy to buy something from a vendor and sit and people watch.

Fisherman's Wharf

I read somewhere that Pier 39 is one of the top tourists destinations in the city... but once you have seen frankly I have never really had a burning desire to return as I would rather explore the different neighborhoods because there is so much to see and do...

Unlike Pier 39... one of the places I always like to revisit is The Exploratorium... the interactive hands-on museum that allows you to explore science, art and human perception... it was opened by physicist Frank Oppenheimer in 1969 at The Palace Of Fine Arts and moved to the much expanded space on The Embarcadero in 2013. Since it's inception there are over 1,000 participatory exhibits.

The Exploratorium

There are so many places to visit and experience and as many places to eat... but I always try to make my way to The Tartine Bakery in The Mission District at 600 Guerrero.

I love their baked goods so much... I bought the cook book.

It's always hard for me to pull myself away from San Francisco but I like visiting Napa and the wine country but I really love the short trip across the bay to Sausalito... it only takes about a half hour by Golden Gate Ferry.. it's a quiet and laid back experience with breathtaking views at every turn and has wonderful shopping and dining ...

Sausalito

Most places in the Bay Area offer dining al fresco because the weather is pretty moderate year round... but I remember once leaving Phoenix and going to San Francisco the first week of June and I had to buy a jacket and gloves because it was a cooler than average summer season that year. With all the advances in weather technology especially with the internet we no longer have an excuse for not packing the proper clothing for the climate... but San Francisco tends to be very variable at times so it's never a bad idea to throw in a scarf, sweater and a pair of light weight gloves in the side pocket of your jacket... just in case.

One of the things I've always loved about San Francisco was as long as it was not lewd or offensive public nudity was allowed until 2013... there are still venues available like Baker Beach with an excellent close up view of The Golden Gate Bridge.

The Folsom Street Fair in September has 13 block designated area for the event that allows nudity as when the the law changed you need a parade permit for lawful public nudity... The Valentine's Nude Love Parade is one such venue as is the Bare to Breakers race that is a nude spin on the Bay To Breakers Race (I participated in 1994)

If you are going to San Francisco and all you want to wear are flowers in your hair there are several nudist groups in the area that offer venues from cocktail parties to bowling to camping. You can find most on the internet... if you have trouble finding what you are looking for drop me a line.

I have had so many wonderful experiences and met some of the most wonderful people I know in San Francisco... one of the more memorable was one night a friend of mine who lives in a pretty swell building across the street from the Trans America building...

and as we were heading out for a night on the town we bumped into Carol Channing and a friend of hers who also lives in the building... She could not have been more glamourous, gracious and beautiful!  Oh and one more thing... no one from San Francisco ever says San Fran or Frisco... and finally one of the things I learned a long time ago is that you should never travel with the idea of finding yourself... you should do it with the goal of creating yourself. San Francisco had added wonderful additions to who and what I am.

Hope you will join me here again in two weeks! Where will we go next?