- Remember to get on your plane. This way you can avoid any unnecessary upcharges from your airline. If you do happen to not get on your plane, make sure to acquire a very pleasant, accommodating, all around AWESOME customer service agent who can redeem your idiocy.
- Stay at a cute, inexpensive hotel. It should be close to public transportation (like the BART and cable cars) and other San Franciso touristy things (i.e., Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Park, etc.). It should also have a cute, tasty, inexpensive restuarant on the premise in case it’s pouring down rain and you don’t want to venture out. Our reservations were at the Serrano Hotel.
- Take the BART from the airport instead an expensive cab. It cost us $8.10 per person each way.
- Make sure to check out Ponzu even if you don’t stay at the Serrano. They have happy hour daily from 4:30-6:30 PM and $3 small plates that were scrumptiously satisfying.
- On Saturday, purchase a daily Muni passport for $11 that gets you unlimited cable car, lightrail, and bus rides. Just for kicks, make sure you ride both main cable car routes (Powell/Mason and Powell/Hydes) from end to end. They each start /end at Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf area but each gives you a unique tour of the city as you travel from point to point. We started at Union Square on the Powell/Mason line and rode it all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf. After our day of exploration, we took the Powell/Hydes line from Ghiradelli Square back. The Powell/Hydes line takes you to the top of “Crooked Street” and right by the Cable Car Museum. Walk on Friday and Sunday.
- Visit the Cable Car Museum. One word…FREE. We missed this but wanted to get to it.
- Window shop* along Pier 39. You can pick up a coupon book (along with a lot of other helpful literature) at the tourist center in Hallidie Plaza (which is where we got off of the BART coming from the airport). Real shopping is also fun but not nearly as inexpensive.
*taking pictures of merchandise you would like to purchase but don’t have funds for. - Check out the sea lions at the end of Pier 39. I hear their a lot of fun if they’re out…which they weren’t when we were there. It was even too rainy and cold for the seas lions.
- Eat lunch and shop at the main Boudin Bakery. It’s touristy and a meal (which you have to eat anyway).
- Take a $19 roundtrip ferry ride to Sausalito. On the way you’ll get great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Bay Bridge. Spend as much or as little time in Sausalito as you choose (and as the ferry schedule allows).
- Use your Muni pass to take the bus to the Tadish Grill. You can choose whether or not to eat there. We did. It was totally worth it for the touristy experience but totally not worth it for the food.
- Make sure to check out Ghiradelli Square. The shopping there was our favorite (window and otherwise ;)).
- Take lots of self-portraits in front of toursity (or not so toursity but memorable) things to remember your trip by.
i should quit my job and become a professional self-portraiteer. and invest in a “trish's mini donuts” franchise.
i want ponzu paprika fries STAT.
the pics of you & tricia made me smile 🙂
i should quit my job and become a professional self-portraiteer. and invest in a “trish's mini donuts” franchise.
i want ponzu paprika fries STAT.
the pics of you & tricia made me smile 🙂