Four Days in San Francisco

Highlights of my trip include touring some vineyards in Napa Valley, experiencing a mud bath in Calistoga, biking to Sausalito, and exploring the city.

Quick Tips:

I used Priceline.com for accommodation and ended up paying a night, excluding taxes and fees, for a three-star hotel at Fisherman's Wharf. Go to the website below to read my review of the hotel, and check out the bulletin board on how to get such a great rate for the hotel using Priceline.

See http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm112.showMessageRange?topicID=83.topic&start=12&stop=12.

Best Way To Get Around:

You don't need a car for exploring San Francisco. However, you'll need it if you plan to head anywhere out of the city, e.g. vineyards at Napa Valley and Sonoma.

I have just returned from a three-night stay at the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf, won through Priceline for $57 a night. I had no hiccups during check-in and was given a room with two double beds. The quality of the room and furnishings exceeded my expectations for the price paid. My fiancé and I had no problems with noise, smell, cleanliness, or service. Go to the website below to read my review of the hotel, and check out the bulletin board on how to get such a great rate for the hotel using Priceline.

See http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm112.showMessageRange?topicID=83.topic&start=12&stop=12.

San Francisco is famous for Boudin sourdough bread, and where better to try it than the Boudin Sourdough Bakery and Cafe on Pier 39. The bread is freshly baked and goes well with the many types of sandwiches you can get here. Ask them to toast the bread for a warm, hearty meal. We also got the clam chowder served in a bread bowl, which was delicious. Prices are New York-ish or Starbucks-ish. If the queues aren't too long, I'd recommend grabbing a quick bite here.

We stopped at this restaurant for lunch during our visit to the Napa Valley. No particular reason, other than our fondness for Spanish food and tapas in particular. For those unfamiliar with this cuisine, Zuzu is a good place to try it out. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared and tasted fresh. There are many good reviews of this place on the Internet, and it's easy to see why. The service and decor was pleasant, and we could find no fault in the food or the prices. Overall, it's a worthwhile visit if you're in this neck of the woods looking for a light meal to go with a good wine.

Route CA-29 runs through Napa Valley and is an hour away from San Francisco. We spent a day visiting several vineyards along this route while enjoying the views along the way to Calistoga (for mud baths - separate review). Along the way, we stopped at Frog's Leap Vineyard, V. Sattui Vineyard, and Beringer Vineyard for informative wine tours and tastings. Frog's Leap is a good vineyard for beginners to learn about wine making. Do make reservations, though, before arriving, as tours are limited. Fans of V. Sattui wines should visit this vineyard, as their award-winning wines are sold exclusively at the winery. Beringer Vineyards is a worthwhile visit as the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley and the first to offer public tours. Any fan of wine should try to make a trip out to Napa/Sonoma Valley while visiting SF as an opportunity not to be missed.

The Chinatown is San Francisco is the best one I have found in the Western world. The area is surprisingly clean, and shops are generally well maintained and pleasant to browse in. You could spend hours walking around, looking for bargains and knickknacks. Remember that everything is negotiable, and be prepared to walk away.

Being a fan of fortune cookies (don't ask), I was happy to stop by Golden Gate Company, home of fortune cookies. You get to see how they are made and can taste a few for a small fee ($0.25). It's all good here.

This pier area is pretty fun for families, and there's a lot of interesting things to do here: an aquarium, ferry rides, local foods, and more. To top it off, there's a bunch of lazy sea lions and seals relaxing at the pier making fun of humans as they go by. Maybe they are just happy to have escaped from the sharks in the bay. Compared to other piers in other cities around the country, Fisherman's Wharf is second to none. It's a tourist trap, I know - but hey, we're tourists!

Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. Calistoga Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa is nestled in the heart of California’s Napa Valley wine country and makes the perfect end to a day visiting vineyards. I chose this spa because they offer couples mud baths in private treatment rooms. Also, you can get a discount if you print out the coupon from their website at www.goldenhaven.com, which makes them the best value there. Do make an appointment, as they can get busy.

Getting into the mud bath is an experience unto itself, kinda like one of those Fear Factor challenges. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but you'll see what I mean. It's a weird feeling being suspended in mud. However, after a while, I started to relax and really enjoyed the experience. The service is excellent and the staff does a good job making you feel comfortable. We left feeling very peaceful and rejuvenated.

On a friend's recommendation, my fiancé and I rented bicycles from Blazing Saddles at Pier 39 Fisherman's Wharf and cycled to Sausalito. Rental costs were expensive, even after the $5 coupon found in the many free local guidebooks. However, the bikes were good and came fully equipped with locks, pouches, and maps. I believe there are cheaper shops around if you don't mind hunting for them.

We decided to take our time, spending a day cycling and making many stops along the way to take pictures and visit some shops. The journey to Sausalito takes you along the bay, across Golden Gate Bridge, and into Sausalito. The bike trails were easy to follow and clearly marked. The views were fantastic throughout, as they also were on the ferry back. Along the way, we saw some couples struggling along on tandem bikes. While this option is cheaper and sounds romantic, I'd recommend against it, as you lose maneuverability. Also, parts of the trail can get steep, which means bad news for us masculine fellas providing the pedal power.

Been there, done that. You've just gotta do it while in San Francisco. My fiancé and I took the cable car from the Wharf all the way to Union Square. At $3 per ride, this is one expensive form of public transportation. But it's a good experience, especially if heading into some very congested areas like Chinatown or Union Square. I guess everyone should try it at least once.