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Family trip to San Francisco/Santa Cruz
LordFizzlebeef
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My family is piecing together a 2 day vacation in San Francisco (it's only 4 hours away) and then another day in Santa Cruz. They seem to be gravitating toward a list of old people things, I was wondering if there are any natives of the SF area who can suggest some awesome places of interest?
Things to avoid: Art Museums (Other museums could be ok if you know of one that is awesome), Alcohol-related things (allergic), anything excessively pricey.
Things encouraged: Anywhere a 20-something internet nerd would love.
Things to avoid: Art Museums (Other museums could be ok if you know of one that is awesome), Alcohol-related things (allergic), anything excessively pricey.
Things encouraged: Anywhere a 20-something internet nerd would love.
LordFizzlebeef on
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Any other hints as to the kinds of activities that interest you? Indoor or outdoor? Food types you really like or restaurants you may be interested in? Do you want to see touristy things like cable cars, Alcatraz, or the Golden Gate?
I went to school at UCSC - spent about four years and change down there. Been a few years, but yeah, loved the place. If you're into hiking, definitely check out Cowell park. There are a bunch of neat fire trails in upper campus, or you can drive up Empire Grade and go from there. Boardwalk is a lot of fun if the weather is nice, might be closed for the season though, so check that out.
There are so many neat things to do in SF, it's hard to know where to start. Food trucks @ Fort Mason. Touristy Pier 49 stuff. Fisherman's Wharf. Union Square shopping. Haight Ashbury shopping (Amoeba Records!). Heaps of stuff.
What's your favorite kind of place to eat at?
Touristy things would be good. I have already had a few other friends suggest that Alcatraz might be worth the boat ride there and back. But I was also hoping for a few hidden gems.
I have added California Academy of Science, Pier 49, Fisherman's Wharf, and Exploratorium to the list. Union Square and Haight Ashbury were already there.
We are trying to pack in as many sights as possible it seems, so I think we are limited to either San Francisco or Santa Cruz.
Edit: Forgot to mention. I have been to the computer history museum already during our first san francisco trip, which was essentially "here is the computer history museum. Here is a hill. That's a cable car. Ok get back in the car let's drive home." I am trying not to repeat that experience.
Pier 39 (not 49) and Fisherman's Wharf is also a good go-to place. Grab some clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.
Double-check how elderly-friendly Alcatraz is before you decide on that. I remember there being a good amount of stairs, but it's been a while. Also be sure to book your ferry far in advance if you want to do that, as it fills up fast--especially for weekends.
Restaurant-wise, if you have any garlic lovers in the family, check out The Stinking Rose in North Beach (Little Italy). If you have any vegetarians in the family who always have to settle for something lackluster when you go out, check out the Greens restaurant in Fort Mason and eat great fine dining without realizing it's all vegetarian.
I highly highly recommend you plan to take a slow, scenic drive down Highway 1 when you go from SF to Santa Cruz, maybe stop by Half Moon Bay or some other fun coastal town for lunch. Taking 280 is going to look pretty much like any other interstate in the country, but Highway 1 just about counts as a wonder of the world.
I hope you're planning a stop at a beach somewhere, either in Santa Cruz, or in between the two cities. Just be sure you don't pick one that'll have your grandmother scaling down a cliffside to get to the waterside.
Is there a particular reason you chose Santa Cruz for destination #2? Not that it's not a fun city, but I would easily choose to send your family to Monterey instead if that was possible. Between the aquarium, Cannery Row, beaches, and 17-Mile-Drive, it's got a lot to offer.
Honestly I'm not quite sure where Santa Cruz came from. I think my mom might have really really wanted to see the boardwalks at Santa Cruz, or her friends might have really sold her on it. Looking at a map, Monterey is farther away, and I'm 99% sure that all we would be doing that day is going to a beach and beach-side attractions anyway.
(Angel Island takes considerably more time and effort, a whole day trip really, with a ferry ride to get there and then a 1-2 hour moderate uphill hike to the top. Doesn't sound like it fits for your trip right now, but really, check it out some day if you're back in town, it's beautiful.)
If you're going to check out the Academy of Sciences, (which I add another recommendation for!), I've got a competing suggestion for best Chinese in town, in a nearby neighborhood to the Academy: Spices! on 6th Ave and Clement. Don't be put off by the name if you're not interested in spicy food, their non-spicy stuff, which there are still a load of dishes to choose from, is still the best Chinese food I've ever had. Then, if your group likes books, you can digest your meal while browsing at the wonderful old independent Green Apple Books right around the corner on Clement.
Or, another restaurant pick for another cuisine you mentioned: Al-Hamra for best Indian food, 16th St between Mission and Valencia. After that meal, wander a couple blocks over to 18th St and Dolores for a spot of the best ice cream you'll ever have at Bi-Rite Creamery, and step across the street from there into Dolores Park, which on a sunny weekend day is the best place in the city to soak up some rays and people-watch. You will see many flavors of very San Francisco-y colorful characters relaxing and having a good time. Also a decent chance there'll be a free concert or something of the sort going on.
Steam: badger2d
Tommy's is over in the same neighborhood as the Academy of Sciences, and even growing up in California, it is some of the most interesting, delicious Mexican food I've ever had. Also if anybody you're going with likes Tequila their selection is amazing.
For Ice Cream, this place usurped Bi-Rite for me when they opened. Every scoop is made to order with liquid nitrogens, unique flavors every week, smoothest ice cream you'll ever eat.
Definitely second taking Highway 1, and maybe stopping in Half Moon Bay. There's a restaurant there called Pasta Moon that I really like. There's a neat beach called Pescadero on the way down to Santa Cruz that has really easy access. You might also catch some kite surfers there, who are always fun to watch.
If you like Vietnamese food, I've got to recommend Yummy Yummy. It's a bit out of the way, in the Inner Sunset, but it's my favorite spot for pho or bun in the city. And San Tung is right next door - awesome authentic Chinese, and AMAZING chicken wings.
I haven't been to the Musee Mechanique since it was under the Cliff House way back when, but it was way cool. Except that goddamn Laughing Sal
Laughing Sal is a terrifying abomination that has haunted me since childhood
The San Francisco Zoo is pretty fun and might be worth checking out if you're interested in that sorta thing.
Mandalay is located on 6th Avenue and California Street and has amazing Burmese food.
If you end up at Fisherman's Wharf make sure you check out the sea lions, they're always fun to watch.
Also if you like french bakeries Fillmore Bakery makes amazing macarons, cakes, cookies, and breakfast treats - the breakfast stuff goes fast though, at least on weekends.
And even though it's hipster ground zero and the people that work there depress me, Tartine is an amazing bakery. Their bread... ohhh....
Lastly, any good cheap simple food places? I refuse to get stuck at a chain restaurant at any point during this trip.
Fillmore Bakery is fairly new. It replaced the Delanghe Patisserie after the owners retired, and at first I was heartbroken because Delanghe moved here from Paris and so all of their stuff was wonderful and authentic. But Fillmore Bakery is a worthy replacement; the only thing that I've been disappointed by so far is the brioche and that's just because Delanghe/Paris gave me pretty high standards.
In-N-Out is pretty awesome for a chain but if you only live 4 hours away you've probably had it before. My boyfriend is really fond of the Chinese BBQ places around 8th and Clement - $5 and you get a huge portion of rice/noodles and two different menu items of your choosing. The taste is usually pretty good but it's pretty greasy and I've actually gotten somewhat sick (just in that my stomach has felt kind of off for the rest of the day) a few times from them; but my stomach is pretty weak when it comes to these things and my boyfriend has never had any problems, so it's probably the grease rather than the quality of the food. So I'd say beware depending on your constitution :P
Most of the burrito places in the Mission are pretty cheap - boyfriend's favorite is El Farolito, it's pretty authentic. La Combre is pretty good too (I think I spelled that right) and has been on the Food Network; I guess it's the original restaurant to serve super burritos. It's always been one of my family's favorite places.
Oh, one more place - it's not super cheap, but it's an awesome spot for breakfast: The Pork Store Cafe. There's a location in the Mission and one in the Haight, but it gets pretty crazy-crowded on weekends if you go at like 10 am or after, so get there early. Their sausage gravy is amazing and totally worth it though.
Japantown is pretty fun for shopping. Basically a big indoor mall with all Japanese shops and restaurants.
http://www.sfjapantown.org/
Cool parts of SF to me:
1. Telegraph hill with the company of parrots that's around there (group of green parrots that nest there)
2. Chrissie field and the whole waterfront by the Presidio
3. Golden Gate Park
Also neat is going over the Golden Gate to Sausalito and Mt. Tam. There's a great seafood place called Fish there, as well as a fun french place called Le Garage.
There's cool stuff all over the city though, and the other reco's are also good. In SF, the city is the spectacle (in my opinion), as each street has something new and different about.
Fun options: find out where the bacon bacon truck will be and eat there. I also recommend Nopalito if you're in that area.
@Melinoe - The food trucks at Ft. Mason are awesome; I forgot it was called off the grid, that's cool. My buddy lives a few blocks away on Laguna, and we try to go once a month or so. The Chairman Bao pork belly buns are crackfood.
Man, we SF folks should grab a beer or something sometime!
Santa Cruz: The Crepe Place. This is one of my favorite restaurants ever. They're not your usual crepes, they're stuffed huge. Also, their chocolate mocha pie is excellent.
There are also a number of good sushi restaurants in Santa Cruz. Takara (Capitola), Shogun (downtown), and Mobo (also downtown) are safe bets.
A lot of people really love Taqueria Vallarta in Santa Cruz, but I find it is extremely overrated. If you want Mexican food, go to Acapulco or El Palomar instead, or just wait until you get to San Francisco, because the Mexican food in SF is far superior to anything in Santa Cruz.
Another Santa Cruz restaurant I find is highly overrated is Saturn Cafe. Overpriced vegetarian college student fare.
San Francisco: really, you could trip over yourself on any random corner and there's a good chance you will stumble into a good restaurant. If you visit the California Academy of Sciences (which is a thing you should definitely do), I recommend going a little bit north to Clement street where there are a number of good restaurants: I like Q's (modern & trendy, but not very family-oriented), Ton Kiang (Chinese dim sum), or Giorgio's Pizza.
The Mission district is where you find the best Mexican food, but there isn't much there that's family-friendly and touristy, and it might be a little awkward to get there from other parts of town. Good options include Pancho Villa and El Farolito. Some travel guides will recommend La Cumbre for historical reasons (they were the original inventors of the California-style burrito) but they're just not that good anymore.
If you go to the Exploratorium, then you'll be in the Marina area which I don't know too well. What I would recommend is to schedule it on a day when Off the Grid (http://offthegridsf.com/) is in Fort Mason, as that's a short drive. Alternatively, the Sandwich Shop is a good bet for lunch, but it gets busy.
I agree with everybody else that the drive from Santa Cruz to San Francisco along Highway 1 is beautiful, and Half Moon Bay is a good place to stop for lunch along the way. Just keep an eye on the weather report, that highway gets slow and a little scary when it rains.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
And yeah, Saturn Cafe is crap. I think I had OK sweet potato fries there once, but I'm probably remembering it wrong. One of my favorite places to eat in Santa Cruz was a Sri Lankan place called Sri, but I hear that's closed
D'anna's Deli in Soquel (just a touch south of Santa Cruz) has some of the best damn sandwiches on this planet. Get a bridge club. Mmmmmmmm....
Natural Bridges State Park is a very cool place and the Monarch Butterflies should be there now. Your grandmother should have no problem getting to the place they hibernate (or whatever butterflies do during winter) because they have a wooden pathway down into their ravine.
"burger." on Mission St and Aloha Island Grill are both one of my favorites. Silver Spur and Zachary's has some of the best breakfast food ever. The Buttery also has some of the best bakery items ever. Their devil's food and black bottom cupcakes are delicious.
if you are down near chrissy field and the bridge you should check out Pacific catch on Chestnut, some amazing Poke there. oh so good, that is one of the places i miss after moving back east
Second Muir woods. though it might be a bit of a hike up from the city if you are focused on the south. though it would be easy for the grandmother
Good call. Their pastrami sando is fantastic. Great brisket too. Can be packed at times, but the service is fast and it's worth waiting for.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlopatin/4942802526/
The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun.