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Belle
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I'll be in San Fran visiting my little (33 year old) brother over Labor Day Week-end.

I KNOW I'm going to meet up with Notta while I'm there and very excited about that!! :jump:

We'll also be meeting up with some of my brother's business partners and a couple he worked with in Taiwan.

I am looking for some suggestions as to what else to suggest we do.

I know Daddy wants to do some kind of Napa Valley tour while we're there and his girlfriend wants to go to the Hearst Castle, but that's friggin' five hours away <_< , so I'm trying to come up with some alternatives that are closer to San Fran. I'm sure Bro has some other suggestions, but wanted to help out if I can.

Whaddya say?

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What a great trip!! I don't know about you... but I love being a tourist!!!

I remember one time when we went to San Fran... there were tons and tons (litterly!) of Sea Lions just lounging around the pier!! I wonder if they are still there.. or maybe its a seasonal thing?

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Ah Frisco, my fav city in the US! So why are you visiting Notta and not me? Hmmmph....

Just kidding...lets see now. Winchester House, Bubba Gumps, Pier 9...well the warf, San Fran Opera House, Marine World, Marriotts Great America, Alcatraz (make reservations now), That crazy criss cross street (forgot the name), tons of really old churches, Napa Valley is really cool but make sure you have a DD (I know you mentioned it), The Embarcadario, The zoo, Cliff house, China town...

Some of those things are down the coast just a little. But it depends on what you want to do. I just love spending most of at least one day on the warf. The smell of fresh bread mixed with the smell of salt water, eating fresh clam chowder from a hot sour doug bowl while watching the gulls and the sea lions play and fight in the bay, yup my idea of a great afternoon. I top it off with a shanty ride to China town where I take in the sights, buy a few trinkets, and eat dinner at a little outdoor diner or back to the warf for a stop on pier 9 for Bubba Gumps!

Like I said my fav!

Edited by Eyesopen
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Lots of great restaurants in and around town, the Golden Gate Bridge (naturally), Golden Gate Park, and the Palace of Fine Arts (I think that's what it's called, it's not far from the Bridge and is a leftover from the World's Fair in 1908 or so), The DeYoung Museum is nearby there too ,it's neat. Of course the cable cars, ya gotta do that, and maybe go to Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Warf. You could probably do all that in one day, as those places aren't all that remarkable, but worth a look.

Hearst Castle is way cool though. The ride there is pretty neat too, but be aware that the road is EXTREMELY windy and narrow, as it follows right along the coast. So you won't make good time driving there, and once you're on the road, there's no way off of it (short of turning around, which could be quite a feat in itself). Might as well spend awhile at Big Sur while you're there, it's pretty.

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Aahhhhh, thank you!!

2Life, dunno, but my brother lives on the coast in Pacifica, so if they're there, we should surely see them.... hopefully.

Are you in San Fran, Eyes?? I thought, for some reason you were in NV or AZ. If you are in San Fran, then, of course you MUST join us! MUST - as in "not an option", get it?? :biglaugh: I'll make sure we pick a place with lots of gravy!

Geo, I wish you could come meet us there. I know your delightful personality and your knowledge of history would make it an awesome trip.

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Are you in San Fran, Eyes?? I thought, for some reason you were in NV or AZ. If you are in San Fran, then, of course you MUST join us! MUST - as in "not an option", get it?? :biglaugh: I'll make sure we pick a place with lots of gravy![/color]

I am in Nv. but I'm in Reno, which is a 3-4 hour drive from Frisco. Depending on how low I fly. PM me and let me know when you will actually be there and maybe we can meet up. That would be fun!

Edited by Eyesopen
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A real neat thing is to take the ferry to Sausalito.

There are lots of neat shops there, and the view to SF is great!

I loved the wine country, but the Russian River area is neat, and closer.

Korbel Winery is there, my favorite Champagne.

There are also some good small wineries in the Forestville area. Some have retaurants, too.

It has been 10 yrs. since I lived there, but the area is a treat. Be sure to pack sweaters, etc. can be cold and foggy there.

BTW, the winding street is Lombard.

Have fun, and ask locals where to go, they always know the best restaurants, etc

Edited by Priscilla
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BTW, the winding street is Lombard.

Thank you...it's a good thing my life didn't depend on my memory. <_<

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I would suggest a day trip to Nappa, Sonoma, or somewhere similar. I forgot what all wineries we went to but a good, informative one (if you care) is Mondavi. However, you can't beat the view from the Sterling winery. You also have to visit some smaller ones though as they are more fun and you get a better experience.

As far as San Francisco itself, there is too much to do. Do the cheesy tourist thing and check out Fisherman's Wharf and take the $10/hr boat tour under the Golden Gate bridge and around Alcatraz. I don't know that Alcatraz is worth visiting itself, though. There's also Chinatown, which is an interesting place, as well as Haight-Ashbury.

Oh, and if you are taken to this Asian restaurant with "showgirls" don't do it. It's a trap. Those are all transvestites.

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Ah Frisco, my fav city in the US! So why are you visiting Notta and not me? Hmmmph....

Eyes,

I'm going to be on vacation in the Bay Area all next week. If you can come, please do join us! The more the merrier! I'm sure between you, Belle, and me, we can get in to all kinds of debauchery!! :biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

Hearst Castle is way cool though. The ride there is pretty neat too, but be aware that the road is EXTREMELY windy and narrow, as it follows right along the coast. So you won't make good time driving there, and once you're on the road, there's no way off of it (short of turning around, which could be quite a feat in itself). Might as well spend awhile at Big Sur while you're there, it's pretty.

Belle,

It is a long trip, but let me tell you there is NO OTHER PLACE on earth to see beautiful coast line like you see from Santa Cruz to Montery to Carmel to Big Sur. It is absolutely breath taking, and you will never forget it. If you do it, you HAVE to take the coast highway. Do not let anyone talk you in to taking I-5 even though it is quicker.

There are many great wineries in Napa. If you are planning a tour, get reservations now. There is one winery I like a lot called V. Sattui. They have a deli with scrumptous food and picnic tables where you can sit outside and enjoy your little picnic. It is a a different atmosphere than you will see at other wineries.

Don't forget to bring a jacket. It is much colder in San Francisco than it is in the rest of the areas. It should be warm in Napa though.

Edited by Nottawayfer
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Thanks so much, y’all! Looks like Eyes, Notta and I will be hooking up to cause a ruckus in San Fran while I’m there! I’m soooooo darn excited about that! Debauchery, it will be for sure! :drink:

I have passed all this information on to the family and will continue to do so as the suggestions come in.

Priscilla, thanks for the info. The ferry sounds like great and we’re definitely going to do some wine tours, I’ll look up info on the Russian River, Korbel Winery and other areas you’ve mentioned. My brother’s a local now but I don’t know how much he goes out ot eat. Hopefully he’s checking with friends & co-workers.

Dove, What would a trip to San Fran be without some Rice A Roni? Thanks for the reminder! :biglaugh:

Mister P, I do care! That’s why I asked. :) Mondavi… got it – I’ll look into reservations and insist we do the cheesy touristy Fisherman’s Wharf & boat tour. I had wondered if Alcatraz was worth visiting first hand…. I’ve kinda always wanted to. My brother lives just north of Haight-Asbury and I’ve already put that on the MUST SEE list, although he says it’s more of a slum area now and not all that impressive. LOL! Thanks for the heads up on the Asian restaurant showgirls, too!

NLL, Pity you’re not going to be there! We could add yet another Greasespotter to our small little gathering while I’m there. I really didn’t know I’d be going until the last minute. I hope you enjoy your family obligations…. Reunions can be a blast.

Oh Behave – Oh My! That is beautiful!! I will definitely push to enjoy some time there! Thank you!

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When I used to work in the Bay area, I enjoyed Fishermen's Wharf.

Although there's really nothing there, anymore, Haight Ashbury is still worth a visit.

My other favorites in that general viscinity were Mare Island, Napa Valley, San Jose and above all, heed those who suggest taking that coast highway drive down to Carmel etc as that's worth the entire trip...and IMO far better than touring the Napa Valley.

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Also Belle, a drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods is awesome. The redwoods are so impressive. When it rains the perfume from them is like no other.

Mill Valley is also a very quaint town, with a square as the center. Try some Pete's coffee there, and maybe a drive up to Mt. Tamalpais.

Any way, enjoy your time, and let us know what you did! some pics would be nice, as I am getting nostalgic for the area!

Edited by Priscilla
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Hmmm...

Belle, Notta & Eyes? Sounds like GreaseSpotGirls Gone Wild 2 - San Fran style!

Y'all have enough fun and take enough pictures, now - y'hear?

Much love and wishes that the days last long enough to do

all you really, really want to! :eusa_clap::biglaugh:

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I really, really hate to rain on your parade, Belle, but something you have to know is that the Bay Bridge is scheduled to be closed the entire Labor Day weekend. This is the first time the bridge has been closed since the big earthquake and they are closing it to do major seismic upgrades. That will mean a major hassle to get to the East Bay and miserable traffic in general.

If there's anything I can do for you, let me know. I live right on interstate 80 about 90 miles east of SF.

Oh, and another thing, never refer to San Francisco as Frisco, it will peg you instantly as a tourist. SF, The City, or San Francisco is fine. And bring warm clothes. In the words of Mark Twain, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

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I really, really hate to rain on your parade, Belle, but something you have to know is that the Bay Bridge is scheduled to be closed the entire Labor Day weekend. This is the first time the bridge has been closed since the big earthquake and they are closing it to do major seismic upgrades. That will mean a major hassle to get to the East Bay and miserable traffic in general.

If there's anything I can do for you, let me know. I live right on interstate 80 about 90 miles east of SF.

Oh, and another thing, never refer to San Francisco as Frisco, it will peg you instantly as a tourist. SF, The City, or San Francisco is fine. And bring warm clothes. In the words of Mark Twain, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

My sister called me to tell me this tonight. If we meet up in the city, I will take BART. That's not so bad. That was the best way to get to The City when I lived in Fremont. You can get to most of desired places by trolley once you get off at the major BART stations.

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Belle, you're gonna dig it! We're about an hour and a half (in traffic) north of the City by the Bay. We're hard at it this weekend, so if you feel like digging up my front lawn with me and laying some new water lines, come on up!

I concur with all the recommendations, and as Jim said, the Bay Bridge will be closed this weekend. However - that Ferry ride out of the Ferry Building or Pier 39 is fun.

The Blue and Gold Fleet goes out of Pier 39, which is a fun place to visit, get Ghiradelli Chocolate and some serious Sourdough French Bread - there's a one hour tour of the bay cruise that's really fun

Ferry schedules from the Ferry Building to Saussalito including this weekend

Fort Ross is out by the Golden Gate Bridge and a really interesting location to visit. Great Views too!

DEFinitely cross the GG bridge and visit the Vista point on the northern side. If the weather's good, and it probably will be, you'll have a panoramic view of the entire bay. Take a camera, it's really cool.

The best clothing to have for SF wanderings are some comfy sneakers and a nice comfy sweatshirt with a hood. Even if it's warm in the day it'll cool off at night.

Over the bay in Sausalito is the Art Festival this weekend.

We've gone several times over the years, and it's a blast. There's some vintage music on Saturday according to their calendar.

And yeah - V. Sattui is fun, a great tasting room! And there's dinner restaurants nearby, reasonable, a nice way to chill out into the evening.

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Belle a little traveling music

The Animals - San Francisco Nights

This following program is dedicated to the city and people of

San Francisco, who may not know it but they are beautiful and so

is their city this is a very personal song, so if the viewer

cannot understand it particularly those of you who are European

residents save up all your bread and fly trans love airways to

San Francisco U.S.A., then maybe you'll understand the song, it

will be worth it, if not for the sake of this song but for the

sake of your own peace of mind.

Strobe lights beam create dreams

walls move minds to do

on a warm San Francisco night

old child young child feel alright

on a warm San Francisco night

angels sing leather wings

jeans of blue Harley Davisons too

on a warm San Francisco night

old angels young angels feel alright

on a warm San Francisco night.

I wasn't born there perhaps I'll die there

there's no place left to go, San Francisco.

Cop's face is filled with hate

heavens above he's on a street called love

when will they even learn

old cop young cop feel alright

on a warm San Francisco night

the children are cool

they don't raise fools

it's an american dream

includes indians too.

San Francisco.......

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DEFinitely cross the GG bridge and visit the Vista point on the northern side. If the weather's good, and it probably will be, you'll have a panoramic view of the entire bay. Take a camera, it's really cool.

And yeah - V. Sattui is fun, a great tasting room! And there's dinner restaurants nearby, reasonable, a nice way to chill out into the evening.

I have to second these two things in particular too.

Also I think Dot mentioned Sears for getting pancakes. They are good, but I don't find them to be that unusual. There are probably 30 better places to get pancakes here in Houston and in most cities. I don't get why it's so popular given how long the lines are just to get breakfast.

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If there's anything I can do for you, let me know. I live right on interstate 80 about 90 miles east of SF.

That would put you not too terribly far from Davis and Woodland where I used to reside. My son, Andrew was born in Woodland...or does that put you closer to Suisun...I don't remember the distances so much anymore...but I sure traveled that road a lot. Maybe you knew David W. who used to live in Rohnert Park, but moved here about a year ago.

Who knows, maybe I ran into you there 16 or 17 or so years ago.

...and yeah....NEVER call it 'Frisco' while you're there. Locals take umbrage at that.

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I left my heart in San Francisco!! :( I so did not want to leave! There was too much left to do and the weather and the people were absolutely wonderful!

We did quite a bit, but still didn't get to everything we wanted to do. The most important thing we DID get to do was....

:dance::drink: Dinner with Notta and Eyes!! :drink::dance:

Awesome! AWESOME TIME!! Daddy, however, was so busy asking them questions that us three gals hardly had a chance to chat. :biglaugh: He was as disappointed as we were that we didn't have more time to spend together.

Jonny Lingo, we found a much whiter cousin of yours and he very generously agreed to pose for a few pictures with us. I'm waiting for the fam to e-mail me the pics so I don't have them handy just yet.

Had dinner at The Cosmopolitan downtown. Drove Pacific Coast Highway down to Big Sur. Daddy got to see Pebble Beach Golf Course and we took his picture at the 18th hole. We had lunch in Carmel. Enjoyed the 17 Mile Drive. Crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Bought some wine in Napa - some tea in China Town - some See's Chocolates. Hung out on the San Francisco Trolley. Watched

down at the Wharf. Took turns taking pictures with the other tourists at Haight & Ashbury Streets. :spy: I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my visit.

Back to sleeping with the windows closed, the ac cranking and no waves lulling me to sleep at night...... *sniffle*

Edited by Belle
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