The city by the bay is one of America’s most beautiful destinations. It’s well known for its foggy weather, steep hills, and red cable cars. It’s also known for the numerous tech companies, like Uber and Twitter, that call it home. This post looks at some of the best that San Francisco has to offer.
Alcatraz Island
No visit to San Francisco would be complete without visiting Alcatraz Island. What better way is there to experience the bay than to ride a ferry over its waters? Book your tickets in advance to make sure you don’t miss out. Another tip: book an evening trip. You’ll get to see the sunset and the ferry will be less crowded. On the ride over the bay, the tour guide will give you some history of the island. Then when you reach the prison you can grab a headset and tour the facility at your own pace. The recording actually features the voices of the prison guards who used to work at the facility when it was operational.
Haight-Ashbury
During the 1960s, San Francisco was the epicenter of America’s counterculture movement. The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, in particular, was known as the home of hippies. Hippie-mania reached its peak during the Summer of Love (1967) when numerous young people traveled to San Francisco to experience the hippie life. Today the neighborhood is known for its expensive boutiques and hip cafes. Music fans will love Amoeba Music, a record store that occupies a former bowling alley. Keep walking west down Haight Street, and you’ll enter Golden Gate Park, one of the most visited parks in the United States.
Muir Woods National Monument
The Muir Woods National Monument is located 12 miles north of the city. The monument protects over 500 acres of land, and nearly half of it is old growth coast redwood. If you make the trip to see the trees, you won’t be disappointed. Coastal redwoods are the tallest living trees on the planet, and some can reach up to nearly 380 feet. When you visit take the Muir Woods Shuttle or a commercial tour bus so that you don’t have to worry about parking.
Dining
San Francisco is home to a number of world-class restaurants. Fans of Mexican food will be overwhelmed by the number of taquerías in the city. The city’s Chinatown section is the oldest Chinatown in North America and features many fantastic restaurants. One of the most popular (and expensive) restaurants in the city is Gary Danko which is located in Fisherman’s Wharf. If you want to eat here, make sure you plan ahead—reservations are notoriously hard to come by. For an in-depth look at the food the city has to offer, look at this list of 100 Bay Area restaurants.
