A San Francisco Day Trip

Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. There's nothing more traditionally San Franciso than that! And it was one of the main reasons we came to Fisherman's Wharf. Boudin's Bakery makes the best sourdough anywhere. Soft and chewy inside, perfectly golden crispy on the outside. Scoop out the center of the round loaf and ladle in hot, creamy clam chowder. Ooooh! This alone was worth the trip.

The Boudin Bakery Cafe is right near the entrance plaza to Pier 39. Seating is tight and the place can be crowded on a sunny weekend, but don't pass it up!

Tourist tip: There are bathrooms right outside of the restaurant, but they are the first ones available and the line tends to be long. Take the stairs and find the restrooms on the upper level. Much less crowded!

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years, no trip to San Francisco was EVER complete without a stop at Ghirardelli Square for a hot fudge sundae.

There is always a line out the door and you may have to lurk to get a table, but it's worth it! Huge sundaes, meant for sharing but too delicious to be that generous are the specialty. Several flavors of ice cream are available as well as different toppings. However, if you're a chocolate fan, GET THE HOT FUDGE!

On your way out, shop for Ghirardelli goodies to take home for friends and family.

There are stores and a few restaurants in the Square. Kara's Cupcakes http://www.ghirardellisq.com/ghirardellisq/food.php?id=17 seemed quite popular. But why get a cupcake when you can have a hot fudge sundae????

Tourist Tip: The F Line trolley stop is only a few blocks from Ghirardelli Square, so make this your last stop before heading back on the trolley.

I've been to Pier 39 many times, but my son was quite young the last time he was there, so I wanted him to have the experience. After a delicious bread bowl of clam chowder from the Boudin Bakery Cafe, we just wandered around.

The Candy Baron is a great store where you can buy candy by the pound. The best part is they have every flavor imaginable of salt water taffy. The taffy is displayed in old-fashioned barrels. Oh, the wonderful smell and colorful scene!

There are plenty of souvenir shops, galleries and arcades. We just wanted to see the sea lions! I was living in the area when the sea lions began arriving, in 1990. They have taken over and, San Francisco being the conservation-minded city that it is, has let them stay. Summer has the peak sea-lion population and most of the animals migrate to the Channel Islands for breeding season. There is a group that hangs out year-round however. For web-cam pictures, go to http://www.pier39restaurants.com/cam.htm.

Tourist Tip: ALWAYS bring a sweatshirt or jacket with you to San Francisco. I promise you'll end up buying one at a souvenir shop if you don't!

Even Disneyland has a Boudin Bakery to represent San Francisco at Disney California!

The large bakery at Fisherman's Wharf is a great place to stop for a tour, a bite to eat, or just a couple of loaves to take home. We didn't have time for a tour on this trip, but it would have been fun to watch the bakers prepare and bake the fresh loaves. There is an interactive museum as well.

We bought a couple of round loaves to take home and, honestly, I wish I had bought more. So delicious and fresh, they were gone in a day! Seriously, the sourdough alone was worth the trip.

"Wanna fly somewhere on Saturday since dad's going to be gone?" A little hesitantly, my son asked, "Like where?" "How about San Francisco? We can go to Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square for a hot fudge sundae," I answered. The next morning we boarded an 8am flight bound for the Golden Gate, San Francisco!

Once at the San Francisco airport, we followed the signs to the BART trains. Having done my homework before we left, I knew we could ride to the Embarcadero Station, then take a trolley on the F Line to Fisherman's Wharf. After purchasing round-trip tickets for 2 ($10 each) at the kiosk (debit cards are accepted as well as cash), we boarded the yellow line, ultimate destination, Pittsburg/Bay Point.

At the Embarcadero Station, we just went up to street level, crossed the street and waited for the trolley at the corner stop. $3.00 per person, correct change only, got us a round-trip to Pier 39 and back. By the time we arrived at the Pier, having made several stops along the way, the trolley was packed; standing room only.

After a fabulous bread bowl of clam chowder and a walk around Pier 39, we walked over to Ghirardelli Square, stopping for a look through the Boudin Sourdough Bakery at Jefferson & Taylor Streets on the way.

The F Line terminates at the corner of Beach and Jones street, 3 blocks from Ghirardelli Square. After our hot fudge sundaes at the end of the day, we just walked those short blocks to catch the F Line back to Embarcadero, rode BART back to the airport and boarded a 5pm flight home.

I work for an airline so our flights were free, but still, it seemed so decadent! It was a great day spent with my teenage son. He must have enjoyed it too because all of his friends knew about it and even their parents called me to ask about our day in San Francisco!