San Francisco Using Frommer

Best things - Muir Woods, riding the cable cars, lunch at the Ritz Carlton, and driving to Monterrey.

Quick Tips:

Plan ahead! Buy Frommer's San Francisco and use it! Every direction was correct and every restaurant was marvelous!

Best Way To Get Around:

Buy the CityPass - includes MUNI passport alowing you to ride cable cars, and buses. Good for 7 consecutive days. We ordered the more expensive one that included the Alcatraz tour. Was nice to not have to stand in line when we got there. Ordered it on-line.

Best Things Nearby:
Powell Place is right on the cable car lines. Walk up 1/2 block and get on either the Powell lines or the California line. Walking distance to Grace Cathedral and to China Town. Safe area.

Best Things About the Resort:
Beautiful Victorian apartment that FEELS like San Francisco! Left us two beautiful roses the first night that were still beautiful at the end of the week. Daily cleaning at no extra charge with turn-down service at night and a piece of candy on the pillow. AND the staff had to be the friendliest, most helpful anywhere!

Resort Experience:
Powell Place is right up Powell St and I DO mean up. One of SF's typical STEEP hills! It's a lovely Victorian timeshare with an old-fashioned gated elevator where you pull the gate closed before going up or down.

Our unit was a studio but was plenty large. My sister and I didn't want to sleep together and had brought a twin-size aerobed with us, but the lady at the desk said she would send up a rollaway bed. Perfect!

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We loved our waiter! Waiters wear tuxes and our guy looked like an actor -- a bit-player for an older waiter. He was retiring the next week after 39 years.

My sister had the best meal and I had shrimp Louie. She had 1/2 salad (huge!) and grilled halibut and potato. I asked if we could have a bag for our leftover bread. Was scrumptious sourdough bread. He brought us two full bags! I took it to the condo and froze it and had it for supper the rest of the week!

I had bought the SF Entertainment Book, but forgot to bring it with me. Would have gotten our meal two-for-one!

We went to Moose's at lunch after exploring China Town. We ate our main meal in the middle of the day in North Beach. Again, it was a Frommer-recommended restaurant.

Had delicious roasted chicken with creamed potatoes and haute vert (great green beans). Wonderful bread!

Sat in front of window across from Washington Square Park. Enjoyed listening in on San Francisco socialites' conversation!

We went to the Zuni Cafe for Sunday lunch. Lots of fun. Sat facing the open kitchen and watched the chefs at work. Started with polenta with mascarpone and then had a scrumptious hamburger (with a grilled portobello mushroom on it) on grilled rosemary focaccia bread. Yum!

This was absolutely our favorite restaurant! Had the three-course prix-fixe lunch. Scallops for appetizer, Moroccan chicken that was scrumptious, and a puff pastry dessert with creme, rutabagas, and kumquats -- may not sound good, but was SO good! The best bread of the week and that's saying something. The busboy gave us each a container to take home and since we were leaving the next am, we froze it and brought it home to our husbands! Super olive bread plus others. Service was perfect. This was our last time to eat out on the trip and was a perfect ending.

My sister and I had a marvellous time seeing San Francisco. We arrived from Atlanta in Oakland (had purchased our airline tickets 9 months earlier for under $180 round-trip!) Following Frommer's directions, we caught the shuttle bus to BART and rode BART to Union Square. Went straight to the SF Tourist Information which is right where you exit and collected a whole bag of info which we promptly left in the taxi! We tried walking up the hill to Powell Place but the hill is much too steep. Finally gave up and took a taxi -- $5.

We LOVE Powell Place -- perfect location for getting around SF! Bought a MUNI pass on line before coming to SF and had unlimited transportation on buses and cable cars for the week. Took the California Cable car to a large grocery store, and bought cereal and stuff for breakfast.

Each morning, a newspaper was delivered to our door.

Did Frommer's walking tour of China Town on into North Beach. Beautiful sunny day. Saw Washington Square Park, Cathedral of St Peter and Paul, and Coit Tower. When we got tired, hopped on a bus and rode to the waterfront. Walked out on Hyde St Pier and could see Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, and great view of San Francisco. At Aquatic Park, went to the Maritime Museum. Rode bus to the Cliff House and walked along the ocean at Ocean Beach.

We were in SF on Easter Sunday. Went to Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, arriving at 8:30 for their 9am service. Perfect timing! Got second row seat. The folks next to us were from Nigeria and were friends of one of the singers who was fantastic! Exciting, upbeat service with lots of clapping and singing, and good, short sermon by Rev. Cecil Williams.

After lunch at Zuni's Cafe, we walked to the Civic Center and happened on the Japanese Cherry Blossom Parade. Lots of floats and groups. Went into the City Hall with beautiful open rotunda - 112' high. Marble and oak.

Took a bus to the Golden Gate Park - free admission to California Academy of Science and Aquarium with our MUNI pass. Enjoyed the Japanese Tea Garden. Passed by the Painted Ladies, Victorian homes, on the way home.

Next day, we had tickets for Alcatraz (also included in our MUNI purchase) - bought the City Pass. The seals at Fisherman's Wharf have multiplied since I was there. Tons (literally!) of them!! We both loved the audio tour. Really well-done and almost too real! Obviously not Disney World!

Back to China Town for a little shopping. Great white water repellant, fleece lined jackets on sale for $7.99!

The next day we picked up our rental car (reserved on internet ahead of time) and headed south. Loved the scenery along Hwy 1 and it was easy driving - not what I expected. Lunch at another Frommer's winner (I got this info from his website because I bought the SF book which didn't include Monterrey.) I think the name of this place was - Tullie's Bistro - was past little airport on left. We split two entrees - great crabcakes on salad and a fish entree. Pretty flowers, quaint house.

Did the 17 Mile Drive and took lots of pictures. Saw Lone Cypress tree and Pebble Beach Golf Course. Walked around in Carmel and headed back to SF.

The next am, we went to Sausalito and Muir Woods. Man can't create a cathedral as gorgeous as those redwoods! On to Napa Valley with lunch in Yountsville at Bistro Jeanty.

Returned our rental car by 6:30pm and took the Cable Car back to Powell Place.

Our last full day, we took the cable car to the SF Shopping Center and then back up to California St for the bus to the Palace of Legion and Honor where we saw Rodin's Thinker and lots of paintings by the masters - Monet, Manet, Picasso, etc.

Back to Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiradelli Square. Had to get a sundae there! Last ride on the cable car and actually ran into friends from my church at home while standing in the line! Small world!

Shuttle to the airport and home to our husbands. My sister makes a GREAT traveling companion and we couldn't have had a better trip! Hope you enjoy yours!