Hi all,

I'm a 2005 Bay Area transplant, but I've probably been to SF less than 10 times (not a city person, reason I pedaled away from Chicago. Well, that and the cold.) My folks are out visiting this weekend for the first time and would like to do the city sights. I'm hoping someone can provide more interesting suggestions than the Wharf or Coit Tower (been there, done that). If I'm going to be in the city, I'd like to explore the lesser-known jewels. Tonight we're doing dinner at AsiaSF, which should be amusing. :)

Thanks!

AsiaSF will definitely be amusing...

Go to Coit Tower, but not for the tower. There are a set of stairs that go from there down to the Embarcadero (one is what would be Filbert Street, if it was a street). These are the stairs that are famous for the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Parrots_of_Telegraph_Hill). If you drive, it is probably easiest to park on the Embarcadero Side (meters) and walk up the stairs.

If you do the driving trip down Lombard Street, check out my driving route suggestions (http://peter-singlespeed.blogspot.com/2006/09/san-francisco-sightseeing-advice.html) to get around the crowds.

Twin Peaks is worth driving up to for the view.

If you have a train buff in the family, you can visit the city and ride many of the different types of trains. Start in Milbrae at the station (Milbrae ve exit from 101). Take CalTrain to the city. At the last stop (4th and King), take the Muni train towards downtown (keep your ticket). At some point after you go underground (and before Castro Station), exit the train and go above ground to catch the historic F-line troleys to Fisherman's Wharf (your Muni ticket will let you transfer on to it for free). At Fisherman's Wharf, walk over to one of the cable car lines, and take this to Powell and Market Streets (either cable car line near Fisherman's Wharf goes to there). At Powell, you can go underground and catch BART back to Milbrae.

Cable Car Museum (http://www.cablecarmuseum.org/) is free, so worth a stop at. Challenge is parking on that area. If you take the Cable Car to it, you have to buy another cable car ticket to get back on the train (no on and off privledge with the cable car).

Just behind the sea lion docks at Pier 39 is a small floating island with a faux lighthouse tower on it called Forbes Island...it is actually a neat little floating restaurant/bar/lounge with a dining room that is partially underwater...it is a bit expensive but the food is great...you have to take a small excursion boat out to it but it is well worth a visit...give it a try...

Here are some of my favorite places in The City...

For a nice view, head up to Twin Peaks, you just can't beat it, period, end of story...

For a nice little neighborhood walk, head down to 24th Street in Noe Valley, between Castro and Dolores Street. I'd walk up there from my apartment on Valencia Street. Lots of nice shops up there.

You can go and see the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina, which was built for the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

If you like the museums, go to the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. And just down a ways from that is the Cliff House, with Seal Rock, and the ruins of the Sutro Baths.

A walk down Haight Street will take you back to the 60's. If it's still there, the Crescent CIty Diner serves the best French Toast breakfast I've ever had.

Fort Point is an old Civil War era coastal defense fort right underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

For very, very old San Francisco history, go to Mission Dolores (16th & Dolores). The original Mission was built in 1776.

These are all worth seeing, but I must add the caveat that parking around some of these places can be tricky at best. But that's what makes it so much fun!

(they must like walking) Park car at Daly City or Colma BART. Take BART to Powell/Market. Walk: Union Square - Chinatown - North Beach - Coit Tower - Pier 39/Fishermans's Warf. Ride cable car back to Powell/Market. Take BART back to car.

Also fun: take the ferry to Sausalito and back, or rent bikes at Fisherman's Warf and ride over the GG bridge to Sausalito and take the ferry back.

All good suggestions. I probably wouldn't take my parents to AsiaSF, but . . . I'd also recommend visiting the new de Young in Golden Gate Park, Fort Miley. Fort Miley is on the west side of the city and there's an easy footpath with some great views of the Marin Headlands. Another neat place I like is that fort down by Crissy Field. I forget the name, but it's located right under the Golden Gate Bridge and provides an interesting perspective looking up at the bridge.

That would be Fort Point, it has a small lighthouse tower on top of it...