So, normally I don’t travel in any sort of structured way. I never really use an itinerary… BUT I’m going to be in SF by myself for only a short period of time (the last weekend in April) and I want to make the best use of the time I have there. Will somebody please look at this itinerary and give me some constructive criticism? I fly in to SFO at 9:30pm on Friday and depart at 10:00pm on Sunday.
Friday night
Sky Terrace @ the hotel for some wine and snacks
Saturday
Breakfast at Kate’s Kitchen
De Young/ Legion of Honor
SF Camerawork
Lunch somewhere in the Mission
Ice Cream at Mitchell’s
Walk from Powell St. through the different neighborhoods
Ferry to Sausalito for coffee and walking around??
Dinner in the Tenderloin (Naan & Curry or Shalimar)
Sunday
Breakfast
SFMOMA
FCUK & Giant Robot
Lunch somewhere near this stuff
Japan Town mall for stationary
Something could go here, I think…
Bus #76 (Muni) to Ft. Cronkhite for sunset
Dinner on the way home
1) Do any of the restaurants I picked totally suck? In spots where I don’t know where to go, can you suggest anything? I want to try some good Thai food but am overwhelmed by my options. I’d also like to try a good Malyasian or Indonesian restaurant.
2) I tried my best to plan my sightseeing so I back-track as little as possible. Are there any combinations I should rearrange to make better use of the layout of the city?
3) Does this seem too rushed, in general? It seems reasonable enough to me, but hell, I don’t really know/
4) Is there anything I left out that you think I shouldn’t miss? I love the arts, especially photography and I also love view points. Maybe a nice park or something pretty like that?
i dont' know if i'd bother going to sausalito on such a short trip, there's plenty of areas in SF you could walk around and get coffee. how are you getting around? your plans might be a bit much if you're taking the bus, it can be slow getting across town. any reason for going to the tenderloin for dinner other than the restaurants? you might be better off going to a different neighborhood that's a little more pleasant at night. for views, you get a nice view of the bay bridge walking along the embarcadero, coit tower has a nice view, and you also get good views walking up the hills. if you're in golden gate park, the botanical garden there is free and pretty nice.
You know, I’m already thinking of scratching Sausalito. You’re right, on such a short trip – might be to much. Ditto on Ft. Cronkhite, sadly. It looks so temptingly beautiful but it’s an hour on the bus each way and so it might be a waste of my very precious time in the city.
I’m going to be getting around the city on the various methods of public transportation on offer – hopefully it’s not too much of a pain in the ass?? I did choose the Tenderloin for it’s smattering of Indian type restaurants, but also kind of for the seediness. I like that kind of thing for some reason. I feel pretty confident with my “ability” to navigate these types of neighborhoods and I’m looking forward to pretending I’m just a well-seasoned local going to one of my usual haunts! : )
I’ve just added the botanical garden to my list for right after my visit to the two museums there. Thanks for that.
How about any other nice parks? A favorite restaurant?
I REALLY wanted to try A16 but I feel shy since I’ll be on my own. Seems like it’s the kind of place best enjoyed with friends or a lover or something. I don’t want to be that ass out to dinner alone!
Sounds like full days to me, so play it by ear.
Lots of great restaurants in the Mission, especially along the Valencia corridor, and along Mission Street. Mostly between 14th & 24th Streets. Stop by Bombay Ice Creamery on Valencia near 16th. They have exotic flavors like saffron & almond or cardamom (if that's your thing).
Straits Restaurant in the new Westfield Center (on Market near 4th) has yummy Malaysian-Singaporean food. It's close to SFMOMA and other places in Union Square.
A16 has a few seats at the bar where you could eat solo. The bartenders will keep you entertained. The restaurant attracts the successful, monied set. And it's not cheap either. We dropped $80 for lunch 2 years ago!! Eating out in SF has gotten VERY expensive, even at more casual places. Thank goodness for the cheaper ethnic eateries.
Have a great time!
Wow, thank you for that load of advice!
I will try the Bombay Ice Creamery for sure now! I just read about it this morning in my “Secret San Francisco” book. Ice cream is totally my thing and I think the idea of ice cream in Indian flavors sounds delicious! I’m making a note of the Straits Restaurant because I don’t know what I’m doing for lunch after the MOMA, might be perfect. I do kind of have my eye on a place called Singapore-Malaysian on Clement though. I absolutely LOVE chicken rice and I hear theirs is really good. We’ll see.
“A16 has a few seats at the bar where you could eat solo. The bartenders will keep you entertained. The restaurant attracts the successful, monied set.”
Oh perfect. Because I epitomize the successful, monied set!
Haha! Just kidding! I may just have to stop in for some wine and a sampling of their burrata. It’s supposed to be lovely. Or maybe a pizza?
Thanks again for all your help.
I really appreciate it!
For mine "Singapore" food means Singapore noodles. Malaysian is much more interesting and diverse from Singaporean (which is mainly Chinese eg the Hainan rice you mention). Try the malaysian satays, currys (eg Kapitan), Laksa or Beef Rendang - all yummy.
BTW Im coming to SF for the first time myself in May, so reading this post with great interest, though Ill be there for 4 nights.
Well, colour me jealous!
I wish I had four nights!
Man, I hope we both have the best time!
I’m actually kind of cheating cause I’m going up for a super quick trip to SF on Saturday morning. My best friend’s cousin is performing at a show there and so we’ve rented a car and are just gonna stay one night so I can be back to work on Monday. I won’t really get a chance to see the city though cause my time is almost completely spoken for.
I am going to break away with my friend and go for some calamari at Cha Cha Cha though. I’m gonna HAVE to try those damn pupusa’s too!
YEAH, I love San Francisco! I can’t wait till I go on my own in April (and you in May!) !!!!
Doing both the deYoung and the Legion of Honor will take hours...allow 2 hours for both unless you're just going to walk through quickly without absorbing....
I would skip the jaunt to Sausalito--you are restricted by ferry schedules and it will eat up hours of the day. Unless it is sunny and perfect (for shots of the city) don't bother.
For great indian food, try Lahore Karahi on Leavenworth and O'Farrell. I love this place and the guy who runs it will tell you what's good. It's in the Tenderloin so you'll get your fix for that.
The areas around Powell St. are not that interesting, IMO. You've got the Union Square/shopping area, then Nob Hill and the big hotels and that's about it. You might like the Mission a bit more since it's interesting, colorful, etc. There is a Senagalese place that's fun if you're on your own called Bissap Baobab. Sorry if the spelling is off a bit, but it's a well known, fun place.
Have fun!
I’m excited! I’m excited!
WOOO WOOOO WOOO!
I made a note of that Senegalese place and what the hell, I may just try it!
There’s so much to see and do!
I can imagine how long each of those two museums will take but some of the stuff just isn’t my style and I’ve got a map/layout of the museums so I know what floors/areas I can skip. See, I’m not a HUGE fan of classical art. I love indigenous art and textiles though. I’ll probably go see Water Lilies just for the hell of it but I’ll skip most of the Dutch master crap (sorry). Blah, Blah. I’m planning for 3 hours between the two museums plus another half hour or so to enjoy a latte at one of the museum cafes!
YEAH! WOOOO!
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