San Francisco residents...

[saleen836]

As title any on here?
Myself and girlfriend have flights booked into San Fran this September for 2 weeks, the plan so far is to spend the first 3/4 nights there so am looking for recommendations for hotels, I have done a little research and Union Square comes up as a good base for doing all the 'touristy things' such as a night tour of Alcatraz, looking to spend around $200 a night for a room maybe a bit more if needed. After the first few nights I'm planning on returning to the airport to pick up a hire car (thinking Camaro) to then head off down PCH1.
Looking to take in a helicopter flight over and into the Grand Canyon so recommendations for that are welcome and the girlfriend wants to do the Universal Studio tour in LA, other stop off locations/things to do haven't been decided/confirmed yet but will update this thread once they have to ask for suggestions/routes etc.

 

[HellsBells]

$200/night can be tough to swing in SF. Just FYI. I have no recommendations because all the hotels are so expensive I've never stayed in any.

I recommend AGAINST the helicopter tour in the Grand Canyon. I believe they have one of the highest crash rates, if not THE highest crash rate, or any helicopter operated area. They have really strong winds up there.

If you choose to drive down PCH, it's going to take a long time. You'll probably want to spend the night somewhere along the way.

I'll update this when I get more time.

 

[lostsoul]

check out orbitz and call the places you like.. sometimes you can wiggle the price down even farther.

just make sure you have your liberal and gay repellent can with ya.. ohh and the street zombies!.. they made my trip fun =-/

 

[saleen836]

$200/night can be tough to swing in SF. Just FYI. I have no recommendations because all the hotels are so expensive I've never stayed in any.

I recommend AGAINST the helicopter tour in the Grand Canyon. I believe they have one of the highest crash rates, if not THE highest crash rate, or any helicopter operated area. They have really strong winds up there.

If you choose to drive down PCH, it's going to take a long time. You'll probably want to spend the night somewhere along the way.

I'll update this when I get more time.

Thanks for the reply, we have been looking at Hotel Whitcomb as a friend of my girlfriend stayed there while touring with his partner, not bothered about the risks of a helicopter flight as the want to do it outweighs the stats.
I have checked out the travel time down the PCH and after the initial stay in San Fran nothing else is determined as yet on where/how long to stay.

check out orbitz and call the places you like.. sometimes you can wiggle the price down even farther.

just make sure you have your liberal and gay repellent can with ya.. ohh and the street zombies!.. they made my trip fun =-/

Similar to my trip to Key West a few years back (minus the street zombies)

 

[saleen836]

Slight change of plans to our trip, we are now flying into LAX (still flying hpme from SFO) so will be spending the first couple of nights in Santa Monica, and it looks like we will be renting a Mustang after all due to no one way rental on the Camaro, I guess it will be weird driving a left hand drive Mustang on the right instead of on the left

 

[HellsBells]

While in Santa Monica, don't miss:

The Father's Office: they have really good food there, including a less-than-conventional hamburger
Sprinkles Cupcakes: slightly overpriced but if you (or the girlfriend) have a sweet tooth, it's incredibly good

The Getty Center is nearby and provides a nice view of LA, in addition to the art exhibit (it's a museum).
Don't miss the hollywood sign on Mulholland, take the exit off the 101 or map it as such.

If you drive up the 101 instead of the 5, you can drop by santa barbara and check out Hearst Castle (need to book in advance for this one).

If you like garlic, drive through Gilroy in northern california, the air smells and tastes of garlic. It's one of my favourite parts of driving from LA to SF or vice versa (which I did a LOT at one point in my life).

If you venture further into LA:
Felipe's near Chinatown is self-proclaimed home of the beef french dip.

If you venture further south near orange county:
Disneyland (duh)
If you like cajun style seafood, the Boiling Crab (multiple locations) is great and very casual of a place to eat. Lines are long as start as soon as an hour before they even open.

Avoid Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co on Santa Monica Pier, despite the cool Forrest Gump association, it really sucks.

 

[HellsBells]

I am probably missing some things, if you need any tips or have questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[FR500GT]

If you end up coming to Orange County, try and make it to the saturday morning Cars and Coffee in Irvine (It's pretty well known, just look anywhere on youtube)

 

[SherrodMustang]

Pretty cool that you are going to SF in September. Me and my wife are planning a trip for a week (20-27) and staying in a apartment downtown. She booked it online from one of those condo rental places or bed and breakfast sites... can't remember now to be honest.

I know the cost was reasonable and it has a trolley or public transportation right outside the front door. We have plans to go to Alcatraz (night tour), Winchester house, pinball museum, fisherman's wharf, Lombard street, golden gate bridge and going to Giants Baseball game.... and anything else we come up with or suggested... lol.

Pretty excited about it to be honest. So curious to see what people suggest in this thread to do or places to checkout. My wife's sister also lives there and had gave us some insight on where we are staying and things to do and checkout. Third time to the west coast, but never to SF.. always SD area.

 

[HellsBells]

I used to live in SF and I recommend this for anyone who's not familiar with the Bay:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49-Mile_Scenic_Drive

It's long and you don't have to drive all of it but it really gives you a nice idea of what's all around.

Don't forget Haight Street. That's where all the bars/nightlife tends to be.

Don't miss the Castro for all your gay curiosity (even if you're not gay, it's quite interesting to see).





Treasure Island (exit the Bay Bridge half way) also offers a pretty stunning view of downtown SF at night. Here's the view from Treasure Island:

There's nothing else there though, it used to be a military base, now converted to residential housing.

Check out Oakland for real life drive-by shootings, safety not guaranteed though.

Napa Valley if you're a wine lover!

Pro tip: The Golden Gate bridge can be viewed without crossing the bridge (and thus not paying the toll). There's a parking lot where you feed the meters and can go look/walk the bridge. This is where most people end up:

There's also another lookout area that's less visited, and it places you under the bridge, like so:

You can also cross the bridge and drive up the Marin highlands. There's a gorgeous drive up the mountains that takes you up and around, with a view of the bridge and the city from really high up. You also get to screw around in old abandoned bunkers. True story: I went there once and there was a dude shooting pics of this naked chick up there, for a porn or magazine or something.

Also, note that a lot of the Presidio area is actually Federal ground and subject to Federal law. In case any of you are inclined for herbal elevation experiences, I would avoid those areas and suggest, oh I don't know, Golden Gate Park

Also, the Tenderloin is the bad part of town. As well as Hunter's Point.

 

[SherrodMustang]

Very cool pictures... thanks for posting and sharing.

Would love to rent a car while I am there and do some driving. Just not sure about parking and all the fees everywhere...lol

 

[HellsBells]

Very cool pictures... thanks for posting and sharing.

Would love to rent a car while I am there and do some driving. Just not sure about parking and all the fees everywhere...lol

Parking in downtown is going to suck but I find that in the west half of the peninsula, it's not bad at all. You could do a rental for just a day and drive to see the bridge, maybe go to Napa Valley too. There's a lot of public transport in SF but honestly, it's much quicker to get around by car.

Also there's a bazillion food places in SF which are all equally good. I recommend going to Yelp and seeing what everyone thinks and narrowing your choices down to what kind of food you like to eat.

 

[lostsoul]

dont forget to hit china town.. some kick ass chinese food there.

 

[saleen836]

While in Santa Monica, don't miss:

The Father's Office: they have really good food there, including a less-than-conventional hamburger
Sprinkles Cupcakes: slightly overpriced but if you (or the girlfriend) have a sweet tooth, it's incredibly good

The Getty Center is nearby and provides a nice view of LA, in addition to the art exhibit (it's a museum).
Don't miss the hollywood sign on Mulholland, take the exit off the 101 or map it as such.

If you drive up the 101 instead of the 5, you can drop by santa barbara and check out Hearst Castle (need to book in advance for this one).

If you like garlic, drive through Gilroy in northern california, the air smells and tastes of garlic. It's one of my favourite parts of driving from LA to SF or vice versa (which I did a LOT at one point in my life).

If you venture further into LA:
Felipe's near Chinatown is self-proclaimed home of the beef french dip.

If you venture further south near orange county:
Disneyland (duh)
If you like cajun style seafood, the Boiling Crab (multiple locations) is great and very casual of a place to eat. Lines are long as start as soon as an hour before they even open.

Avoid Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co on Santa Monica Pier, despite the cool Forrest Gump association, it really sucks.

Thanks for the tips, we will be stopping off at Santa Barbara as it is on our list of places to stop and will definately check out the cupcakes place as I have a very sweet tooth!
Hoping to stay as close to SM beach as possible as my partner likes the beach, what is public transport like for getting from SM to Universal studios etc?

 

[saleen836]

Pretty cool that you are going to SF in September. Me and my wife are planning a trip for a week (20-27) and staying in a apartment downtown. She booked it online from one of those condo rental places or bed and breakfast sites... can't remember now to be honest.

I know the cost was reasonable and it has a trolley or public transportation right outside the front door. We have plans to go to Alcatraz (night tour), Winchester house, pinball museum, fisherman's wharf, Lombard street, golden gate bridge and going to Giants Baseball game.... and anything else we come up with or suggested... lol.

Pretty excited about it to be honest. So curious to see what people suggest in this thread to do or places to checkout. My wife's sister also lives there and had gave us some insight on where we are staying and things to do and checkout. Third time to the west coast, but never to SF.. always SD area.

Yes am looking forward to it alot! aiming to arrive in SF around Sept 21/21 as we fly home to England from there on the 26th, Alcatraz night tour is on our list along with Fishermans Wharf etc.
Have been to Florida a few times but this will be my first time on the west coast.

 

[HellsBells]

Thanks for the tips, we will be stopping off at Santa Barbara as it is on our list of places to stop and will definately check out the cupcakes place as I have a very sweet tooth!
Hoping to stay as close to SM beach as possible as my partner likes the beach, what is public transport like for getting from SM to Universal studios etc?

Santa Monica beach is not a very nice beach. If you're beach lovers, I recommend Venice Beach over Santa Monica beach. You rarely see people on Santa Monica beach lounging and sunbathing, you mostly see homeless people walking around drunk. The only real notable thing about Santa Monica beach is the Santa Monica Pier and maybe 3rd Street Promenade (a shopping street with a mall on one end). Other than that, it's by no means a beach the way you imagine California beaches to be like. Well, it is but there's nobody there because there are much better and cleaner beaches to be at.

Cupcake place for reference: http://www.sprinkles.com/

Public Transport in LA is terrible. The Santa Monica area is not too bad, you should be able to find a bus route to Hollywood and may have to transfer to the subway. I'm not an expert on this unfortunately. If you're going to spend a few days in LA, I HIGHLY recommend renting a car for the days you are there. You're driving up to SF anyway right? Just rent it a few more days and eat the parking while you are in LA.

Santa Monica is also right at the 405/10 interchange, which is rated the world's worst freeway interchange. I recommend NOT driving between the hours of 8am-10am and 4pm-8pm if you can avoid it at all.

Universal Studios is definitely cool though! Look online for discounted tickets!

 

[saleen836]

Very cool pictures... thanks for posting and sharing.

Would love to rent a car while I am there and do some driving. Just not sure about parking and all the fees everywhere...lol

This ^^^
Our idea once we arrive in San Fran is to ditch the rental car and get about using the trams etc, simply because we have read/heard it is not a very car friendly city and after all the driving we will have done up to San Fran the break will be welcome.
Can you ask the wife for the webiste of where you booked your apartment? Cheers

Santa Monica beach is not a very nice beach. If you're beach lovers, I recommend Venice Beach over Santa Monica beach. You rarely see people on Santa Monica beach lounging and sunbathing, you mostly see homeless people walking around drunk. The only real notable thing about Santa Monica beach is the Santa Monica Pier and maybe 3rd Street Promenade (a shopping street with a mall on one end). Other than that, it's by no means a beach the way you imagine California beaches to be like. Well, it is but there's nobody there because there are much better and cleaner beaches to be at.

Cupcake place for reference: http://www.sprinkles.com/

Public Transport in LA is terrible. The Santa Monica area is not too bad, you should be able to find a bus route to Hollywood and may have to transfer to the subway. I'm not an expert on this unfortunately. If you're going to spend a few days in LA, I HIGHLY recommend renting a car for the days you are there. You're driving up to SF anyway right? Just rent it a few more days and eat the parking while you are in LA.

Santa Monica is also right at the 405/10 interchange, which is rated the world's worst freeway interchange. I recommend NOT driving between the hours of 8am-10am and 4pm-8pm if you can avoid it at all.

Universal Studios is definitely cool though! Look online for discounted tickets!

Thanks,not too bothered what the beach is like, just a case of being close to it,basically only in LA for a couple of nights to catch up on sleep after the flight and visit Universal and do a bit of shopping, I have checked and the saving on the rental car is minimal compared to the hassle of not having a car so will pick up from LAX. We then head out to Vegas for a night or 2 (neither of us are bothered by Vegas,just a case of going to see it and say we have been) and to visit the Canyon while over that way, then heading back over to Santa Barbara for a night or 2 for the start of our drive up PCH1 to end in San Fran with a stop or 2 on the way.

 

[HellsBells]

This ^^^
Our idea once we arrive in San Fran is to ditch the rental car and get about using the trams etc, simply because we have read/heard it is not a very car friendly city and after all the driving we will have done up to San Fran the break will be welcome.
Can you ask the wife for the webiste of where you booked your apartment? Cheers



Thanks,not too bothered what the beach is like, just a case of being close to it,basically only in LA for a couple of nights to catch up on sleep after the flight and visit Universal and do a bit of shopping, I have checked and the saving on the rental car is minimal compared to the hassle of not having a car so will pick up from LAX. We then head out to Vegas for a night or 2 (neither of us are bothered by Vegas,just a case of going to see it and say we have been) and to visit the Canyon while over that way, then heading back over to Santa Barbara for a night or 2 for the start of our drive up PCH1 to end in San Fran with a stop or 2 on the way.

I'm going to the Grand Canyon myself this summer! I have heard the Vegas (west) side kinda sucks. The skywalk is definitely a tourist trap as per tons of people (and my friends).

I recommend the buffet at the Wynn (though they are all good). "O" is probably the best Cirque du Soleil I have seen thus far (I've seen a little over half of them).

When gambling, drinks are free but remember to tip the waitress $1/drink (that's the norm). If you want more drinks, you can start handing her more, maybe $5/drink and you can be sure she'll be back soon with more.

 

[saleen836]

Thought I would give a little update as almost all our accommodation is now sorted,
We are booked in to the Hotel Shangri La in Santa Monica, in Vegas we are booked in the MGM Grand, in Santa Barbara we are booked in the Harbour View Inn, and for San Francisco we are renting a lovely 1 bed apartment with views.
Only 12 weeks to go so what I now need to know is...
what car shows are on and where?

 

[saleen836]

So much for my update post above!
The apartment we rented and paid a deposit on have emailed to say there was an error on their calendar and the dates we booked are now unavailable so will be refunding our deposit in full, have spent a good couple of hours searching rental websites for another. So far no less than 3 I have enquired about which all showed availability (even with a recently updated calendar), have replied saying 'sorry, dates not available'!

Am now back to looking at hotels again, we have a few weeks to sort something so all is not lost!