Any MUST see/do's when in San Francisco?

[paulthenurse]

Alice and I are headed to San Francisco in early May for her birthday. So far I've got reservations for the evening tour of Alcatraz on Saturday night, I have a reservation for a flight in a hot air ballon over Sonoma Valley on the morning of her birthday after which we are meeting friends at their vineyard to attempt to deplete their stock. We're in the city for Friday, Sat and Sunday. The hot air ballon/ dinner with friends is Tuesday, and other than that we have nothing definate other than definately having to be back at the airprt the following Saturday night.

What other must see/do things do you recommend for that area? Is the Fishermans Wharf area just touristy crap? (i.e. If there is a Bubba Gump's there it is automaticly on the list of places to avoid.) Is the Anchor Steam Brewery a decent take? I didn't bother renting a car until Monday morning, figured that since we're staying downtown (the Sir Francis Drake- is that a decent hotel?) we can take the subway or cabs around the city. I've definatley got to get to Haight Ashbury and try to find a few more bootleg Dead CD's, cause I only have a couple hundred of them.

I also have a tentative reservation with a dive shop out there who will rent us a full set of gear and suits for what seems to me to be short money ($100 apiece) I found it weird that there doesn't seem to be any dive boat operations around. Out here in Boston I can think of 15 right off the bat, it seems really weird that there don't seem to be any out there. The girl at the dive shop I talked to said that everyone out there just does shore dives. What sup wit that?

Any vineyards that we HAVE to get to? Any that we MUST avoid?

TIA,

PTN

 

[Bobby_M]

Fisherman's wharf is touristy crap IMHO except I must always get clam chowder in a sourdough loaf for lunch at least once while I'm there. There's also a lot of maritime history there if you're into that. I've walked around on the O'Brien twice now and the engine room still blows my mind.

It's a little out of the way from downtown, but one of the areas that I was glad I ran into by accident was the Sutro District which has amazing views of the Pacific. I wouldn't say it's worth taking public transit to but if you're driving, park there and walk around especially up in the hills.

On your way to Sonoma or on the way back, check out Muir Woods.