Bay Cruise is good way to see the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, and the general San Francisco Bay Area when you have limited time, as it's a non-stop cruise. The cruise takes off from Pier 39, which like a lot of Fisherman's Wharf, is very touristy.

Inside and outside seating are both available on the cruise, and you can quench your thirst and hunger at the onboard snack bar. I suggest taking a cruise that sails during the sunset; the orange of the setting sun deepens the orange of the Golden Gate even more. I was able to take some excellent pictures.

For the $20 I paid, I was also able to see Coit Tower on top of Telegraph Hill, Ghirardelli Square, the Presidio, the Bay Bridge, and the sea lions on the pier - all from the bay. One day I'll go back and see all those places up close.

The cruise also provides a narrative, giving insight into the history of some of the landmarks you see from the boat.

I recommend the cruise if you have limited time. If you have abundant time, take a bike ride over the Golden Gate and the night tour on Alcatraz Island to get the best experiences.

Pier 39 is full of arcades, stores, a carousel and fun activity. It was my favorite part of Fisherman's Wharf. There are sea lions hanging out on the docks, and these are fun (and free) to see. My husband and I also stopped in an arcade to play a couple games of air hockey. The atmosphere definitely brought the kid out in both of us, and I would suggest you at least walk-through to see if anything is of interest to you.

Pier 39 is admittedly a crowded and commercial place. Adults may prefer to take it in small doses, interspersing time at the Pier with time at one of the many fine restaurants along the Bay. Still, it can be fun to let loose and eat like a kid again. Cotton candy, chocolates, ice cream, hot dogs, and every other good-tasting, bad-for-you food can be had here. Especially worth the wait is a freshly made waffle cone filled with Dreyers ice cream (known as Edy's in the Midwest and East). On a recent trip to the Pier, I ate more cone than ice cream. They're that good. Also available for your shopping 'needs' are stores selling Irish and Scottish items, Russian lacquerware, puppets, SF souvenirs, and more. Along with Chinatown, Pier 39 is a prime place to collect trinkets. The one thing you mustn't miss is the sea lions. Sunning themselves on the docks, they'll occassionally bark and put on a show. Best of all, it's free and away from the commercialism of the rest of the Pier. But remember, the sea lions migrate to the Channel Islands to breed during June and July. It's a cruel irony that they disappear at the height of the tourist season. It almost makes you wonder if they don't know something the tourists don't, namely that SF is a much better time (and warmer) in the spring and fall.

This is about the Pier 39 and Fishermans Wharf area of San Francisco. The Fishermans Wharf area is filled with many people bustling around trying to find such goods as freshly baked sourdough bread from Boudins Bakery, fresh clam chowder from the sidewalk restaurants, or trips out to the famous island prison, Alcatraz. Stop here a while and checkout the street performers. Look for the "Bush Man" while you traverse this area. He might just get you if you don't keep your eyes peeled.

From here you can access Pier 39, which is home to such sights as Forbes Island, and also see the Sea Lions that have adopted a part of the docks for their own place to sun themselves. You can also find many stores on Pier 39 and it pays to take your time walking around. You will not only use your sense of sight, but also your sense of smell as you walk down the pier. You can smell the salty air mixed with the smells of coffee, fresh bread, pretzels, cotton candy, etc. The pier is usually really busy, so unless you are a fan of crowds I wouldn't recommend this to you. If you are looking for a trinket from San Francisco, this is the place to shop.

For dinner I recommend going to Forbes Island. It is a small man-made island that is used as a restaurant. It is cozy and pretty romantic. Afterwards, you can watch the sea lions vying for places to sleep on the floating platforms nearby. For more information, check out www.pier39.com.

We didn't spend a lot of time at Pier 39, but we did take the time to see the sea lions who now call Pier 39 their home. It is very entertaining to watch them and see them interacting among themselves, and it’s fun to call friends and family on your cell phone and let them listen to the sea lions in the background. They do smell somewhat. The pier has several tourist shops, camera shops, T-shirt shops...they were fun to walk through, but we thought there were more interesting things to see, and didn't spend a lot of time in this area. Children would most likely enjoy time on the pier, riding the carousel, etc. It is also convenient to book other tours from the pier, such as bicycle rides to the Golden Gate Bridge, cable car tours, and trips to Alcatraz.