Suddenly SanFran
 

So with about 2 weeks' notice, my company is sending me to Palo Alto for 2 weeks for training at another company. So with one plane ticket and a rental car paid for, what a perfect opportunity to head up a little early and spend a weekend in The City. It will be CP's first visit. 2 days is not nearly enough, but hey, you take it where you can get it. And we've been generously offered a futon at the home of the voice of Mousepod himself.

The plan so far is to cram a few of the big first-time-must-sees in (Golden Gate Park, Chi Town, Fisherman's Warf, a ride on a cable car) for CP's benefit. Beyond that, some good eats, perhaps some music or a show. Who knows, we'll let our host be our guide.

I'm certainly excited, and it will make 2 weeks of lameness somewhat more palletable. Meanwhile, I'll be flying back for the weekend in between so I can make the Pirates meet (and maybe the Snowflake meet if I'm not too exhausted when I land). My coworker and I are also clinging to the outside chance that 2 weeks is a patently ridiculous amount of time up there for what we need to do, so perhaps I won't need to go back.

Now I need to get in contact with my host of other friends that live up there and at least have some dinner with a few of them during the week.

If you're going to be in PA, don't neglect the town itself. I don't know that you'll want to be driving up to the city every night.

Go walk around Stanford campus. Check out Green library. Walk in the foothills.

Check out Andrew's Project Insomnia Restaurant Reviews for some ideas on local places to eat.

Yeah, the PA time is another issue. The first two days we'll be in the city with MP. After that, I'm on my own in PA. Part of what I do will depend on what my coworkers are up to, and part of it will depend on what my friends (who are Stanford grads) are up to.

University Avenue in Palo Alto is fabulous fun.
There is the Stanford Theater (which is a revial house run by the fabulously wealthy David Packard) The current schedule. Loads of fun restaurants and some good used book/record/cd stores. A great street for walking.

In SF, keep in mind a Cable Car ride will set you back $5 a pop these days! Buy a day pass if you can and if you're roaming the city via public transport.
Too many restaurants to list (but if you want some ideas, PM me)

The De Young Museum has recently re-opened (I've not been yet) and there is the SF MOMA too!

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Donna

I hope so, but if you are too pooped to party with NA, EM & me (and anyone else), I'll be distraught, but I'll forgive you! ;)

Donna

Visiting the buffalo are always high on my priority list, but I'm a bit odd that way.

I LOVE the buffalo!



SO, I'd dump Fisherman's Wharf, keep China Town for a bit, but include City Lights - if you want some real swank history - and check out North Beach and Nob Hill. That's a couple of hours if you don't stop in the strip joints along Columbus.

Presidio is a pretty drive and Golden Gate Park is a must - with the seemingly millions of things it has to offer - including, but not limited to Buffalo.

Fort Point is a favorite spot - just to be practically under the bridge like that and pretending you are Jimmy Stewart is cool.

I always end up at Green Gulch Farm over the bridge or at Mt. Tam. I am always amazed how easy it is to "get out" of the city. I also end up in Berkeley a lot to eat Ethiopian food and shop at Cody's.

Haight is dirty, smelly and past it's prime but I seem to enjoy it.

Like LA, there's a lot to see.

Oooh, yeah, Berkley. Haven't been there since I was college shopping. (oh yeah, THAT was the last time I was in Frisco...couldn't remember).

We'll likely do little more than a driveby of Fisherman's Wharf. I know it's entirely tourist lameness, but it was a favorite when I used to go as a kid, so I at least gotta take a look at it.

Oooh, and better than Fort Point under the bridge, is the bluff on the Marin side where you look down over the bridge. Glorious, although you can't pretend to be Jimmy Stewart. (You can pretend to be living 'Soarin' Over California')


Lordy, I haven't been to San Francisco in 15 years or so! It's a weird and beautiful place. Have a great time!

GD - don't listen to any of these people. We're going to spend the day - the whole day - at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum (as long as you take me to yours when I come to visit).

...and of course our Stinking Rose restaurant - or perhaps our excellent Rainforest Cafe.

We'll have to go up to Hollywood as the one in Buena Park's closed.

Damn I'm jealous.

It's not Folsom time, so I'm out of suggestions.

I feel like a kid....suddenly my family says "We're going on vacation!" :)

It's a great surprise and I'm very excited! :D Whatever we do I'll be in awe of simply being up there.

I like Ghirardelli Square. It smells heavenly in the ice cream shoppe!

If both cable car and Fisherman's Wharf are on your list, I suggest taking the Powell Street cable car from the Powell Street end and then when done at Fisherman's Wharf walking back to Union Square via North Beach then Chinatown.

It is a lot of walking but much more interesting than just passing through the various neighborhoods on a bus.

OMG, how could I forget Ghirardelli Square?!

Weird... I could have SWORN I posted something in this thread yesterday, but it's not here today.... :confused:

Well, what was it?

Another thing I remembered last night...no way I'm missing my first chance to drive down Lumbard street myself :D

First of all, you couldn't have made this trip earlier when I was in the Central Coast area?

Secondly, never say 'San Fran' or 'Frisco' it's always 'The City'. People in San Francisco will hiss at you. :D

Thirdly, the fine arts museum there is great. Lots of Rodin.

Fourthly, find out of Mayor Newsom is going to marry me or not. I want to be First Lady of San Francisco.

:)

Because other than the presence of the Ghiradelli ice cream shop (identical to WDW's) it is just another yuppie mall? There are some interesting art galleries on the neighboring streets but other than to say you've been there and maybe eat crab standing on the sidewalk I'd recommend as little time in the Fisherman's Wharf/Ghiradelli Square area as possible.

Also, when the guy behind the bush jumps out at you, do me a favor and cockpunch him.

As if there needs to be another reason?

They have really good chocolate milkshakes. There was one by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
:)

If GD and CP need to stop at Ghiradelli, I'll be sure to run them across the street to Margaret Keane's gallery.

Well, that's one way to get me to stick to my diet. yikes.

She painted the pirate wench picture for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, yes?

There are few things out there that I have to turn away from....that site is one of them. I'll blame Mousepod for my nightmares.

For a different brand of entertainment there's the famed Mitchell Brother's O'Farrell Theater...(uh, the home page may be workplace safe - but anything beyond that - click at your own risk)

Or the Gold Club if you want to bump it up a notch.

Ooooo... You know San Francisco! I knew there was a reason I like you!!! :cool:

I love The City!

Edited to add: Personally... I prefer to pretend I'm Kim Novak when I'm there... Such style, such grace.

So which gay nightclub should we hit? ;)

"Moby Dick's" or "The Bar on Castro"
:)

You beat me to it, GC. :)

Of course, I've never been there myself. It's not a place for such a distinguished lady like myself.
;) :D



Ahem, yeah right.
:D

Uh huh.

But I did expose my ankles once on Castro street to hail a cab. It worked.
:D

My partner and I are going up to SF for Pride Weekend in June. I can hardly wait!

Last weekend was the weekend. I would have written sooner but I'm sick as a dog, and GD has the pics in the camera with him as he stays the rest of the week.

It was a wonderful weekend. Mousepod and his lovely wife are excellent hosts. We had what I considered perfect representative weather for the region - nice on Saturday and rainy on Sunday. We looked at the Golden Gate, saw some cable cars, bumped into a whole group of dirty hippies (what do you call a group of hippies - a gaggle?) and once again reaffirmed that DCA only makes California look like sht.

Our guides kindly shuttled us along most of the 49 Mile Scenic Drive and pointed out sights. GD got to drive Lombard Street, in the rain, and in Mousepod's car. Funny stuff.

We drove through China Town and stopped at Fisherman's Wharf for a walk around. There we saw lots and lots of sea lions vying for a spot in the sun at the docks. We stepped into the Musee Mechanique and dropped quarters into many different machines from the past century. So many whimsical devices!

I want € to know that we stayed up until 2am on Saturday watching Black Orpheus. Great film.

When we get the pics back set up we'll Rank the Swank on this amazing restaurant we visited called Foreign Cinema. One of the best meals we've ever had.

That's all I have the mind for at the moment...

Ooh, forgot to mention the Exploratorium, at the Palace of Fine Arts which was so bastardized in DCA. We ended up checking out the Exploratorium. That kind of hands-on science stuff is too much fun. It's a great museum, with a huge open space so you can visit the "exhibits" however you want.