Things to do in San Francisco: Waterfront

Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square, covering about half a dozen blocks along the waterfront, constitute much of the stereotypical San Francisco image and together are perhaps the most popular things to do in San Francisco. Our house is just 4 blocks from the Waterfront activities.

Tourists walking here are entertained by street performers and tempted by souvenir shops and restaurants. While these places are popular, and many people feel they haven't visited San Francisco unless they've seen them, keep in mind that this tourist haven bears little resemblance to the rest of the city of San Francisco.

The Golden Gate Bridge is an engineering marvel. Not only is it one of the city's most enjoyable things to do, but it's also one of the most-photographed sights in the world. A walk on it is a must.

Alcatraz, the former prison, wasn't always a place people wanted to go, but today it's one of the city's most popular sights. Reserve your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.

Things to do in San Francisco: Around Town

Union Square, one of the city's three original parks, is now a public space atop a multi-level underground parking garage and ringed with elegant shops and hotels. The Powell cable car line begins about a block away, and the theatre district is nearby.

Cable Cars are often called San Francisco's moving landmark.

Chinatown expresses what Western architects thought Chinese buildings should look like. There's much here that's created just for the tourist, but with our hints, you can get a glimpse of the "real" Chinatown in its alleys and shops. Just three blocks up Columbus Street, and you're there.

Lombard, the "Crookedest" Street is neither the crookedest street in San Francisco nor the steepest, but it's surely the best-known. The "crooked" section is the block below Hyde Street. No car to drive down? Take the cable car to Hyde and Lombard and walk.

Coit Tower, atop Telegraph Hill offers panoramic bay and city views, and a bit of San Francisco in the 1930s preserved in its murals.

Things to do in San Francisco: On the Ocean and Bay

Sausalito, just across San Francisco Bay, has some of the best views OF San Francisco in the area. Take a ferry over, browse a few art galleries and have lunch or dinner at Spinnaker, one of my favorite area restaurants.

Cliff House, on Ocean Beach. has been a San Francisco standard since 1863, when the first Cliff House was built. Today's version is the fourth restaurant to stand on this spot.