Our hotel was right by Fisherman's Wharf, and I had planned this because I remember the wharf as being magical for me as a kid. I had lived in Monterey when I was in elementary school, and I remember going to San Fran was a huge family treat. Fisherman's Wharf was always THE place to visit, and I had loved everything about it. Now-a-days, I'm not so sure. The Wharf is crowded with a lot of tourists (this is the number 1 San Francisco tourist destination) bustling past chintzy souvenier shops and stands on the busy sidewalks. There are, however, many street entertainers that are fun to watch, and many of the tours including the boat tours that go out to Alcatraz are booked at various places along Fisherman's Wharf. I would suggest going to see it---to watch the intersting people---but I would not allow this to be my main experience of San Francisco.

Grab your camera and prepare for the worst smelling experience of your life! Seals, seals and more seals have taken over the docks. They are lounging in the sun, swimming about or talking loudly to each other, (probably complaining about the smell). This is a fun experience though and worth a quick look. The seals are huge and you can get fairly close to them for some wonderful photos. The wharf is a great place to 'people watch', although the more unusual characters charge for photos to be taken. Prepare for some sights you'll see nowhere else! There's also shopping, dining and tours of the bay and Alcatraz if you're looking for the regular tourist sights.