This beatnik bar was recommended to me by a local who claimed the place was the real deal. I couldn’t agree more. It seems that nothing has changed here since 1959. The place is very casual and the bartenders seems to be as comfortable serving the sauced regulars as they are taking care of obvious tourists on the beatnik trail. Talking politics seems to be one of the favorite pastimes of the clientele (not uncommon in many of San Fran’s establishments). The walls are adorned with interesting memorabilia reflecting the eclectic interests of the people who have called this place home over the years. The reading materials are one exceptional characteristic of the place. Browse through a variety of left-leaning newspapers or the most recent issue of the New Yorker while sipping your beer or cocktail. If this doesn’t work for you, feel free to walk across the street and pick up something more substantial from City Lights bookstore – a San Francisco institution that boasts three floors of books. One note of caution – stick to the draft beer. The Tsingtao I ordered was so skunky that I was forced to leave it unfinished.

The Steinhart is located in the middle of lovely Golden Gate Park. I like this museum because it has a large variety of exhibits. For example, you can visit the aquarium, which has an extensive collection of marine life (I like the reptile exhibits); you can also visit the Morrison Planetarium to see a sky show; or you can stroll through the Natural History exhibits to see everything from prehistoric creatures to african jungle exhibits.

You can enjoy lunch in the park to take a break from the museum -- sometimes they have a band playing onstage. This is a great trip for a family -- I took my high school freshmen students there for a field trip and they liked it a lot.