by Wendy
I think Sunny’s recent post on San Francisco is spot on. If you’re only in the city for a couple of days, be sure to check out her must-sees. Since several of my dear in-laws live in the area, I’ve been lucky to visit several times, so I have a few extra tips for anyone planning a longer stay. San Francisco is so beautiful!

City Lights Bookstore
I LOVE this bookstore. It’s more than a bookstore – it is part of Beat Generation history. Disclaimer: I am a perpetual English major at heart, so of course I have a fascination with the Beat writers. They have their flaws (don’t we all) but reading Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso and their friends still inspire college students the world over to try their hand at writing poetry while drinking too much coffee and dreaming about the great American road trip. One of their clique, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founded this bookstore with Peter Martin in 1953. He also founded City Lights Publishers, and you can find these books for sale, along with a myriad of other selections. Fellow bookworms will enjoy browsing the stacks and examining the memorabilia on the walls. A title from City Lights’ Pocket Poets series makes a perfect souvenir. For an extra dose of beatific hipness, visit the Vesuvio bar next door (Kerouac did).

Fillmore Street Jazz Festival
When we visited last July, we happened to be in town for the Fillmore Street Jazz Festival. It was fun walking around this cool neighborhood, listening to bands, stopping by the beer gardens and grabbing lunch from the multiple food trucks. I love people watching and many of the women were pulling off a great colorful vintage/modern 60s look. I could not resist buying flower crowns for me and my adorable West coast niece!

Chinatown and North Beach
Both of these neighborhoods are definitely worth a stroll. Chinatown almost feels like a different country, sometimes you don’t hear a word of English as you maneuver the crowded streets packed with vendors and shoppers. North Beach has enough Italian cafes and restaurants to at least strongly evoke Italy. Wander around, get a cappuccino, or maybe Neapolitan style pizza.

Dim Sum, Sushi and Tacos
My adorable East coast niece MJ discovered clam chowder bread bowls during her recent trip to San Francisco. Sunny told me MJ was obsessed – even requesting one bowl to go so she could eat it on the plane ride home! MJ is right – these are delicious. Other foods I particularly enjoy in the Bay Area include sushi, tacos, and my favorite: dim sum. I’ve tried dim sum restaurants in DC, Maryland and New York City – but have found none that compare to San Francisco. The last time we were there, my brother-in-laws took us to Hong Kong Lounge on Geary Street – SO good. The restaurant can get very crowded, but once you sit down, the servers start rolling multiple carts past your table offering a selection of Chinese specialties on small plates – such as dumplings, spring rolls and buns filled with different ingredients, as well as various rice, vegetable and meat dishes. As you choose, the servers keep track of your dishes on a card so they can tally your bill at the end of the meal. I especially loved the dumplings and fried tofu at Hong Kong Lounge.

Lands End Park
After an epic dim sum lunch, we drove a short way to Lands End Park, for sweeping views of the coast and bridge. I love parks like this that conveniently take you out of a busy city atmosphere for awhile. You can hike through the trees down to a rocky beach and contemplate the rugged beauty of the Pacific Ocean before jumping back into the bustle of modern life.

Maritime Museum / Ferry Building / Hog Island Oysters
Jack and I stumbled upon the San Francisco Maritime National Park and specifically, the Museum located in the Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building on the waterfront. It was a cool museum, but Jack was definitely more captivated than I was. While I waited for him, I spent a fair bit of time memorizing the military alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie…). You never know, it could be handy one day.

The museum is near the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, so you can walk a few miles along the Embarcadero waterfront to the Ferry Building Marketplace. You want to stop here, check out the shops, the views, and then go to Hog Island Oysters. Jack’s favorite thing about visiting San Francisco is seeing his family. His second favorite thing is Hog Island Oysters. A dozen fresh, some champagne – and suddenly I forget how much my feet are hurting from all the walking up and down hilly streets.

A couple others
Consider a walk around Haight-Ashbury, practically the center of hippie culture in the 60s. Or perhaps you want to visit the Palace of Fine Arts and admire the beautiful beaux-arts architecture. There are also many museums and exhibits you can visit throughout the city – but often the weather is just too awesome to be inside!

San Francisco is one of America’s great cities, and I could happily wander its streets for hours. But of course, the thing I look forward to most is family dinners. Jack’s two brothers are great hosts and the best evening is usually at Jack’s brother and sister in-law’s house in the Bay Area, relaxing in their gorgeous backyard patio gardens with glasses of wine, talking with my darling niece and nephew, and enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by my talented brother-in-law. Since this is off-limits to most visitors – I hope you enjoy my other tips!

Peace, love and happy travels!