Pier 39 is exactly that - a pier. At the same time, it is a pier like no other!! It is an area with shopping, restaurants, and local attractions. Many of the cruises and tours depart from right in front of this pier. One of the most famous sights along the pier is the California sea lions that often sun themselves on the wooden rafts that float near the pier's side. There are benches on the pier that make it easy to spend time watching the animals enjoy the rays and adoration. I enjoyed a ride on Pier 39's Venetian Carousel. Carousels are always fun, but one on a pier in San Fran is memory-making material for sure!! Pier 39 is a very lively place. There are always lots of tourists and lots of activity along The Embarcadero. When I was walking around, there was a Jamaican steel drum band playing. Their music provided the perfect sountrack for my afternoon.

If there is one thing in San Francisco that screams tourist, it is Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. Yet, it has to be one of my favorite things to do in this fishy city. Fisherman's Wharf is perfect for the seafood lover, with fresh seafood in the numerous street vender's carts that surround you. Crab is the specialty, but there is also an abundance of fresh clam chowder (in the infamous sourdough bread bowl). If you don't eat seafood, make sure to at least stop at Boudin's for some sourdough bread—the finest there is! There are a lot of homeless people around this area, but they generally keep their distance. Watch yourself at night though, make sure you don't walk it alone.

There is also an abundance of street performers around this area, who are lively and entertaining for the entire family to watch. Just be sure to throw them a dollar or two—remember, this is how they make their living. Going down to Pier 39, you can catch the Sea Lions barking away. That is nature at its best, and although stinky, the kids will love it. Also, near the sea lions you will find a cove of little shops and restaurants, among them Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Here is also where the boats take off for the tours of Alcatraz.

Pier 39 is an easy two block walk east of Fisherman's Wharf at waters edge in San Francisco. It is a two level pier that is lined with 110 specialty shops, 11 dining restaurants, and street performers. There is a beautiful Venetian Carousel for the kids to enjoy while the adults rest their feet.

It is considered to be one of San Francisco's best attractions. It is a year round marketplace that has a noted festival party atmosphere. The shops are unique, you can spend a lot or nothing at all and still have a great time.

The views of the bay and back towards Fisherman's Wharf are magnificent. My personal favorite thing to do at Pier 39 is to watch the California sea lions where they have taken up permanent residence for the past 13 years at an area called K-Dock. You can watch their antics on the buoys and hear their barks to everyone's enjoyment. There are always a sizable number of them waiting to "perform" in their natural habitat for you.

Garage parking for Pier 39 is directly across the street from the plaza entrance and validation with a purchase at Pier 39 is available.

Pier 39 is a really hard area to put in a category. It has restaurants, shops, street performers, movie theaters, and more. My younger sister was once traumatized by a mime who decided she was his "volunteer" in a performance.

Kids will enjoy the old fashioned carousel and seeing the sea lions at the famous K Dock. (You can also check them out at the Sea Lion Cafe--see separate journal).

The area is wonderful for people-watching and just walking around, taking it all in. There are tons of t-shirt/souvenir shops, an aquarium, and street vendors. This is a great area to take pictures, with the backdrop of the Golden Gate bridge and the bay.

There is parking available in the Pier 39 garage (across from the entrance). Pier 39, slightly more family friendly than Fisherman's Wharf, is located 2 blocks east of the wharf.

We had a stop for lunch at Pier 39, and all went off in small groups to have a look around. Our group went through most of the shops, looking for gifts for friends and family back home rather than the rides, and ended up at one of the cafes for lunch. We were told to try the chowder, and I wanted to try the sourdough bread... and so when we found a cafe that had chowder IN a 'bowl' made of sourdough bread, we had to eat there! YUM!

Afterwards, we went and took the photographs of Alcatraz from the end of the pier, and went to watch the sea lions for a while, before heading back...

Check out http://www.pier39.com/ for more information of what to see and do at Pier 39!