Welcome to San Francisco from the visitor bureau - links to sites, tours, information

Fourth of July Celebration
2:00 pm-10:00 pm
Fireworks at 9:30 pm .
Experience the Fourth of July at Fisherman's Wharf. Aquatic Park stage (Jefferson & Hyde) showcases an afternoon of family entertainment. Great food, live music, kids' activities and family fun leading up to an amazing fireworks display. Location: All along the waterfront, the Cannery, Ghirardelli Square and PIER 39. Fireworks launch from the foot of Municipal Pier and barges to the north of PIER 39.

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Top Ten SF Sights according to about.com - http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/sanfrancisco/a/sfbest.htm

Local opinion poll of the Best of the Bay - restaurants, things to do, etc

SF Convention Bureau site for all kinds of helpful links

With so much to see, people recommend an intro tour to get oriented - lots of tour companies from which to select.
Reserve early, especially for Alcatraz, Yosemite, Muir woods and the redwoods. San Francisco's
public transportation is wonderful and the city so walkable, you might want to take a quick bus tour
as an overview and then go back to visit favorite spots on your own. Here are just a few I
found on net, not recommending them, there are dozens.

Bay City Tours - seem reasonable

"All SF" City Tours - another tour company

Shuttle Tours - this one claims to be #1 and have more stops.

Using the BART system - the Hilton is just a block from the Powell St Station.

San Francisco Cable Cars are the only mobile National Monuments! There are two lines/routes: the Powell-Hyde and the Powell-Mason. Catch them both just a block from the Hilton near the Powell St Bart station.

Local Neighborhood Maps

Diane's Recommendations: 1) spend a day at the Exploratorium; 2) walk across the Golden Gate bridge (free); 3) ride the Cable Cars; 4) skip down Lombard street (free); 5) watch the seals lounging at Pier 39 (free); and 6) tour Alcatraz. All easily accessible by trolley. Alcatraz tour leaves from Pier 39 so combine Seal watching w/ the tour. BRING THE KIDS!!
(BTW, I wasn't at all interested in Alcatraz, but my kids were and I'm so glad I went. Loved it! - diane)

Alcatraz, National Park Service site - The most important thing to know is that all access to the island is through a private ferry company under contract with the National Park Service. Tickets are limited! We STRONGLY recommend advance purchase - in summer and around holidays we frequently sell out. For schedules, prices, and to purchase tickets in advance visit the Alcatraz Cruises web site. First tour leaves the pier at 9:15am and the evening tour departs at 4:20pm. DO NOT make the mistake of buying a tour "around" Alcatraz - you want one that goes to the island and tours the prison.

Seals at Pier 39: http://www.hotelcharlotte.com/sf.html

Why San Francisco's is tops - the #1 AWARD WINNING city!

Fodor's San Francisco travel page

NY Times article about natural hot mineral springs/spas just north of SF

NY Times article about exploring SF's hidden alley treasures.

Shopping: Enjoy the easy access to over 415 stores anchored by Nordstrom and Bloomingdales at the Westfield Shopping Center just steps from the Hilton. Whatever your taste, whatever your needs this exceptional mall has it all.

There is plenty to do inside the city to keep you occupied (China Town, the Embarcadero, Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Ghirardelli Square, The Presidio, Golden Gate Park...). I would recommend to everyone that they book tickets to Alcatraz (if interested) well in advance (3+ months). - Erik Carlton

Email diane@smartmarriages.com your favorites and I'll post them - web sites or your own list of favorite things to do in SF. Include suggestions for trips in surrounding areas for vacations before or after the conference.

Play Golf at the Presidio - San Francisco's Favorite 18 Holes. Individual tee times can be made 30 days in advance
at http://www.presidiogolf.com or through their 24 hr reservation line 415/561-4653.

Museums, buses, suggestions:

- ADVICE
Diane,
I think you should tell people about some of the museums - there's so much
more to SF than just that bridge and Alcatraz. The Palace of the Legion of
Honor has the best Rodins and European art in the United States. The De
Young Museum has our country's best collection of Latin American art, also
great American art. And the Asian Art museum near the Civic Center -
greatest Asian Art collection in the U.S.

You should also tell people that the cable cars are ($5? per ride) - ride them once just for the thrill but that SF has the best trolley/bus system in American and they run every 10 or 15 mins - never wait longer - $1.50 to ride and you get a ticket that you keep to transfer to the next bus/trolley. Don't hand it over - remember, it's good for 2 hrs. This is a "no car" city...costs a fortune to park. Absolute best way to start from the Hilton is to either walk to Fisherman's Wharf (great walk either over Nob Hill or through China Town and little Italy OR take the F1 Trolley from right near the Hilton at Powell street and go down Market Street to the Wharf to see the fireworks anywhere in Pier 39 area. Or, any other day, continue past Ferry Bldg on the F1 down to Pier 39 to see the 100 to 500 sea lions permanently encamped there. The sea lions are on piers outside the Pier 39 buldgs. As you face the water, sea lions are on left - walk around to left on outside. No fee to go out to the Pier 39. Shops, sea food restaurants, views. From Pier 39 area, take the #30 bus to the Palace of the Fine Arts (ery much "must see" beautiful - bring your camera place! The only structure left from the SF World's Fair) and the Exploratorium ("must see" fascinating, scientific. Perfect for kids or the kid in you.) Exploratorium is $13 for adults. From there, take the #28 bus to the Golden Gate bridge and walk across and back. Bridge built in 1937. Under bridge is the fort built in 1863 in the Civil war, Fort Point that so many people miss, but shouldn't. Beautiful spot. They can then take bus #28 south (opposite direction back towards the hotel) but transfer to Geary St bus #38 and take that to the Cliff House. A top restaurant right on the ocean cliffs with magnificent views. Great sunsets. Reservations required. Reserve NOW. Or, from the Golden Gate Bridge, can walk along the cliff path - it's called the Land's End Trail - make it from the Golden Gate bridge to the Cliff House in about an hour through magnificent park and past the Sutro Baths ruins. From Cliff House can take the #38 bus back to the Hilton. Or, take the #18 along the coast for more scenic route and transfer to a bus to Hilton. Another great day is to ride the Sausalito Ferry from Fisherman's Wharf for only $7 each way and have lunch in Sausalito and get wonderful views of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, the city.

Also, advise people to avoid the Tenderloin district which is just west of our hotel, the Hilton. There are 20,000 homeless living on the streets who are quite aggressive about pan handling. If you're out walking, don't go west of the Hilton, don't cross Taylor. Fine and safe to walk north, east or south. Can of course, walk west once you get on the other side of the small Tenderloin district 9 (by the trolley or busses) - Golden Gate Park, the Mission district (great Mexican food), the Castro district, and Haight Ashbury are all west of the Tenderloin and all great and safe and even ritzy places - the Victorian lady houses - to walk around and see the sights. One more thing, Miur Woods and the Giant Redwoods are an hr away.
Stan

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This was shared by someone familiar with Yosemite National Park and encourages you to visit - when you're so close. I can hear the sound of you all calling to try to change your flights. - diane

> Yosemite is one of my favorite places and I love to share it with others.
> Entrance fee to the park is $20 per private car. Lodging within the park is
> usually booked up already for July and is (in my world) expensive. Google
> Yosemite National Park lodging for availability. You'll find Curry Village
> tent cabins around $100 a night or more to the Awhanee at over 400 a night and
> up. Plus I'm assuming most of the conference attendees will not be bringing
> camping gear. Camp sites are also all booked up that time of year and the
> first come first served sites are outside the valley. Great camping though
> and I love Tuolumne Meadow campground. If no camping gear and park lodging
> not available I recommend staying in one of the motels in Mariposa and driving
> into the park daily. The park fee is good for 7 days into and out of the park.
> I personally have stayed at the Mother Lode Lodge in Mariposa - the price was
> right, less than $100 per night, the place clean, I felt safe there, and it is
> walking distance to Savorys restaurant. My favorite place to eat in the area.
> I like it better than the fancy dining in the Awhanee! Reservations strongly
> recommended. There are other lodges and motels in Mariposa and the areas
> outside the park entrances.
>
> Visiting the park, places to see: Valley visitor center area, see video "The
> Spirit of Yosemite", Indian museum, Indian village, take open air valley floor
> tour, well worth the money, walk trail around lower Yosemite Falls Drive to
> Wawona. Park at store/gas station and catch free shuttle to the Merced Grove
> of GIANT Sequoias. The newspaper Yosemite Today that one receives when
> entering the park is packed with info as to what to do and what programs are
> scheduled that week. With kids, while in the valley visit the nature center -
> great flat trail, beautiful area, on the Merced River, trail head to Vernal
> Falls if they feel like a hike going up and seeing some great sights! I could
> go on and on. I dearly love the place.
> sandy
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Those who are interested in going to Yosemite might be interested in going with one of the tour groups that provides transporation, camping equipment and food from downtown SF. The price is very reasonable for a three night camping experience. They take you to a campgroup near the park, show you the highlights of Yosemite one day and then help you do your own plans the second day. I hiked up to Nevada Falls with a group of Australians and a 65 year old woman from Usbeckistan with her son who had just graduated from San Jose state. A really memorable experience. I found my group online. I think there are several operators.
Jane Leingang