Why Am I So Cold In The Middle Of July???

The most memorable moment was visiting Alcatraz. The ferry ride alone is worth the trip, as you get to see San Francisco's skyline in the distance as the ferry departs to Alcatraz Island. Although it is a fair hike up to the cell blocks, walking through the cell block house is such a memorable experience.

We also enjoyed the numerous shops around Union Square (especially Old Navy). This seems to be the "hub" of downtown San Franciso, with its plethora of shops and restaurants. This is is also where you can catch a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf. The Sony Metreon is located south of Union Square. Although many purists may poo-poo the notion of going to such a blatently commercial building, we enjoyed seeing a few movies here. The theatres are excellent, with huge screens and reclining seats.

Don't miss the Exploratorium, beside the Palace of Fine Arts (especially if you have kids). As well, we saw the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Asian Art Museum (in Golden Gate Park).

Visit the USS Pampanito, a World War II submarine docked at Fisherman's Wharf. This is the submarine that was the inspiration for the movie U-571. The tour includes an audio narration, and you can see how cramped a real submarine is.

Quick Tips:

Bring a sweater! Wear good shoes! Ignore the panhandlers!

Best Way To Get Around:

We bought a weekly bus pass for , which enabled us to ride the buses and streetcars free, and the cable cars for half-price (this is different from the weekly pass, which is the same as the pass except the cable car rides are free).

Since we stayed for six nights, the seventh night was free. The location is a bit iffy, as it borders on the Tenderloin area, although it is only 3 blocks west of Union Square. Just don't head south early in the morning or late at night. The rooms are pretty small, although they come with a refrigerator, microwave, toaster, coffeemaker, etc. There is also cable t.v. and an in-room safe. The locks on the door could be better (e.g., a deadbolt would have been nice). The bathroom was tiny (had to walk over the toilet to get to the shower). No elevator, although the building only has four floors. Washer and dryer in the basement of the building. Staff pretty helpful.

The food here was very tasty (I had a crabmeat sandwich). The service was very good (the waitress we had was very personable). But the outstanding feature of this restaurant is the Bay views, visible from every table in the restaurant.

The highlight of our trip. We bought tickets three weeks in advance (via the web site). We simply showed our confirmation number to the ticket booth (no lining up) and received our tickets. Would recommend seeing the movie 'Escape From Alcatraz' before visiting.