San Francisco: 3-day whirlwind

There are so many things to do in San Francisco that a list of highlights would not do it justice! The typical highlights seem to be Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, riding the cable cars, Lombard Street, and Castro. But don't forget to stop at Twin Peaks and wander into some of the lesser-known areas of the city.

It becomes hard to pack everything you want to do into a short space of time—it is definitely worth it to spend a week or so wandering around and hitting up the "tourist" spots. I definitely enjoyed Fisherman's Wharf, because of the fantastic views as opposed to the kitschy shopping.

Quick Tips:

Try to get out of the city for at least one day of your trip. Nearby, you can find Muir Woods, Sausalito, Napa Valley, and San Jose. If you are unable to access a car, it is easy to find a tour group or other means of transportation to get to any of these popular spots.

A word of warning, though: sometimes renting a car for half a day is much cheaper and more practical than taking a tour bus. That way, you can have all the time you want to spend at each destination, and are not packed in like sardines with a million other visitors.

Best Way To Get Around:

There is no problem with finding your way around San Francisco. Between MUNI, BART, the cable cars, and taxis, we were never more than short walk from any destination.

Of course, you can always hoof it anywhere, too. The hills may seem steep, but they afford fabulous views! There are also several place to rent bicycles for longer trips.

Han's is just like every other greasy spoon: a tiny corner shop that serves coffee and closes by 4 in the afternoon. What separates this eatery from others is just how tiny it is and the value you will get for your money.

I cannot emphasize how small this place really is! There are no more than 8 tables, and 3 seats at the counter. The cash register is crushed between part of the kitchen and the coffee maker. And if you need to go to the bathroom, well, good luck. The bathroom is up a narrow, steep set of stairs.

That's not really the important part of Han's, though. The value is the key to their success. The food is average breakfast and subs, but it's so cheap! Their main breakfast special is $4, and includes an egg of your choice, pancakes, bacon, and hashbrowns. While none of the taste stands out beyond something you could make at home, it's nice to go out to breakfast with three other people for less than $20. Han's also offers smaller breakfast options, as well as waffles and other options.

Han's is open from 7am to 4pm everyday, and they only accept cash. There is no ATM in the diner (where would they put it?), but you can run to the coffee shop across the street to find one.

The enormous dragon that is visible from the street is the sole reason I wish to go to Tian Sing. Our friends have never dined at the place before, and wish to give it a taste. I am more than willing, because I want to see how they created the dragon masterpiece.

Tian Sing is a very narrow and long restaurant, perhaps three tables wide at its maximum, but at least 30 tables long. The dragon on the wall is made out of some sort of cut out metal that showcases the brick wall behind.

The food here matches the decor—interesting, but very good. The dishes are a bit expensive for your average Chinese restaurant, weighing in at around $10 to $12 for a main course. But it's well worth it when you taste the mix of spices, noodles, and meat.

I indulged in the Seafood Stir Fry Udon noodles, which were heavenly. They had a bit of heat to them, and came loaded with shrimp, prawns, and other seafood. My companions all had the Pan Fried Noodles with Black Pepper Beef, and were more than satisfied.

Tian Sing was not crowded when we went, which was around 7 on a Saturday night. Perhaps it is because of their location, tucked away on a smaller side street near Union Square. You would never notice it unless you squinted past the Irish bar sign on the corner.

Overall, this was a great meal with a friendly waitstaff. Head over to the Tian Sing website for menus with pricing and location.

Just a few short miles from the crowded city streets, you'll find one of the most peaceful and rejuvenating places I've ever visited. Muir Woods is so quiet and so natural, you'll be afraid to talk.

The roads leading to Muir Woods wind you through some fantastic scenery, over the Golden Gate Bridge and along valleys. The park is a mere $3 to get into, making it the best value in the San Francisco area. There is one small drawback to the park, in that parking can be difficult to find and quite a hike from the entrance. We had to park almost half a mile away from the entrance.

Even our parking woes could not deter from the wonderful majesty of the woods. Immediately upon entering the park, you are surrounded by 1000-year-old redwoods, reaching hundreds of feet tall. There is no comparison, and words cannot simply describe how neat this experience is.

There is some fire damage to some of the trees along the main trail, which shows the resiliency of these redwoods. They burn down and grow back, and even split and grow around other trees to adapt to their conditions.

The main trail tends to be crowded with visitors, so head along some of the longer trails, and at times, you'll find yourself alone. We headed along the Dipsea and Steep Ravine trails, but there are 5 or 6 other paths as well. The smaller trails are not good for children or for people with disabilities, since they narrow and have branches and rocks strewn along them.

You can easily spend all day in Muir Woods, and if you have the time, I would highly recommend at least 3 hours. Visit the Muir Woods website for directions, park hours, and other essential details.

A small detour from San Francisco led us to the wonderful city of San Jose. Just a 30-minute drive from downtown San Francisco, the Winchester Mystery House is located just off of several highways.

The mansion was built by Sarah Winchester, wife to the famous rifle company owner. This oddity was created by her after her husband died. A fateful trip to a psychic led Sarah to believe that unless she built room to house all of the spirits killed by way of Winchester rifles, she would be haunted for the rest of her life.

Sarah then began to build. The building was helter-skelter, 24-hour a day work, and continued until the day she died - 38 years later.

With that bit of history out of the way - the mansion is fascinating! All of the television specials in the world could not have properly shown off this beauty. While only part of the original mansion stands (the rest was lost in the 1906 earthquake), what remains is monstrous. Sarah Winchester was a crazy genius, and it shows through in much of the architecture. As an example, the garden room floors slope slightly downward, plus the tiles can be removed so water can be collected and reused elsewhere after the plants have been watered.

A lot of the wild building has been showcased again and again, but some of the highlights include the repeated use of the number 13 throughout the house (13 drain holes in the kitchen drains), the "door to nowhere" and the staircase to the ceiling. Winchester also had a custom-created stained glass window that is absolutely stunning, but she continued to build around it, so no light ever shines through the window.

Overall, the mansion may be pricey, it is well worth the price. I would also recommend taking the behind the scenes tour as part of the "Grand Mansion" package. It's not worth the cost by itself, but for the extra $5 as the package, go ahead and splurge!

Visit the Winchester Mystery House website for directions and details.