San Francisco

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San Francisco is well known for its fog, steep hills, great food, and eclectic mix of people. The City by the Bay has so many sights to see and foods to taste, so tourists should plan to stay for several days (and still not expect to see it all!). Luxury hotels such as the St. Francis Hotel and The Fairmont are popular choices for accommodations with great locations. Transportation Options With public transportation options like MUNI, BART, and the famous Cable Cars (which will increase in price to $6 starting July 1), tourists can get almost anywhere in the city (and even explore the greater Bay Area), without the hassle of navigating the steep one-way streets and trying to find parking spots. Checkout: San Francisco Travel Guide Places of Interest San Francisco is divided into many neighborhoods, of which some are like enclaves of the various cultures represented in San Francisco’s population. Some examples of these cultural zones are Chinatown, Little Italy, and Japantown, which are great neighborhoods to visit when you are searching for some great multicultural foods. The Mission District, where you can see one California’s Spanish missions and find cheap (and huge) burritos, and the Haight, where you can visit the center of San Francisco’s hippie movement in the 60s, are other unique places to explore. In Chinatown, stop by one of the many restaurants for some dim sum, and then find the tiny Ross Alley that leads to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie factory to see how fortune cookies are made and try some that are freshly baked. A quick stop by this place is all that’s necessary, since it’s just a tiny shop. A note of warning: this place charges 50 cents to take photos and gets pretty crowded. Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf are very popular tourist attractions with shops, street entertainment, and great seafood restaurants with a view of the bay and the Bay Bridge. One San Francisco specialty not to miss is cioppino or clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, which can be found at most restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf. Tucked away in the back of Fisherman’s Wharf, the Musée Mécanique is a hidden gem that both kids and adults will enjoy for the the penny arcade that has functioning antique arcade games. The Pier 39 area along the Embarcadero is also where you can hop on a ferry to Alcatraz, and take a tour of the famous prison island, which once held Al “Scarface” Capone and was the setting for movies such as “The Rock.” The famous San Francisco sea lions can be viewed on Pier 39 West Marina (just follow the sound of their barking), and are best viewed during winter. The Golden Gate Bridge is an icon of San Francisco, and one of the most famous bridges in the world. Walk or drive across the 1.7 mile bridge to get great photos of the bridge with San Francisco in the background. Those who drive across the Golden Gate Bridge must pay a $6 bridge toll when coming back into San Francisco. On the San Francisco side, the Presidio has a small beach which makes the perfect spot for a picnic. Whether you want to drive down Lombard, the crookedest street in the world; go shopping in Union Square; or take a walk in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco has something to offer. San Francisco has so many districts, cultures, and landmarks that visitors usually want to return to this diverse and unique city to experience even more.