Visiting San Francisco in July Need Beach Advice! (Orange: nicest, commute)

[hooplaman]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

Yes, because you can see the beach and the Pacific all up and down the California coast. Do as some have recommended--visit Point Reyes or go see Bodega Bay--breathtaking! They are an hour outside the City. Head down to Monterey. Beautiful!

To come to one of the most interesting, eclectic and vibrant cities in America for only a day and not enjoy its urban fabric, though is weird. Why come to SF at all? Why not just simply go to Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay?

Coming from Yosemite, it would be easier to go to Big Sur--the coastline there is the most unbelievably beautiful in America. Why waste your time going to SF if you don't care about seeing the City? There are much better beaches between Yosemite and here.

You are making a lot of assumptions here that I will spend my entire day at the beach or something. So far on my list of things to check out in San Fran are the following...

Pier 39
Coit Tower
Telegraph Hill
Japanese Tea Garden
Rocket Boat!
Golden Gate Bridge
Muir Woods

I am looking for more suggestions of what areas to check out in the city. I am not that into shopping but open to everything else. Exploratorium worth a visit? Sounds like the Liberty Science Center here on the East Coast to me.

[tstieber]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Stinson Beach. It's awesome! And it's in southern Marin County, so it's not that far. It's a south-facing beach so it doesn't get nearly as much fog, wind, or chill as San Francisco. Almost everytime I go, it's beautiful and sunny while I can see the fog bank on the horizon over San Francisco. Three miles of warm, soft sand. There is a small town there with some cute restaurants, a surf shop, library, general store, that sort of thing. On the south end, there are more people, and you'll see beachy activities like volleyball. The north end is much more beautiful, though, even though there are few people on that side. The ocean is cold, but if you go to the very north end, you can swim in Bolinas Lagoon which comes in from the ocean but is really gentle and shallow (making it warmer).

Santa Cruz is generally more beachy though, but it's a 90 minute drive. Tons of different beaches, a way bigger population, more people, and a funner vibe. It's the only stereotypical "California" beach vibe you'll get outside of SoCal. It's also south facing, and it averages in the 70s in the summer, which is about ten degrees warmer than SF and similar to SoCal beaches. The water is still cold, though. Heck, it's cold in LA too. It's like 65 or 66 degrees down there. The warmest water you'll find in California is in San Diego, in late August, when it gets into the low 70s for a few weeks, and that's still colder than the water in New Jersey in summer. But you WILL see palm trees on the beach in Santa Cruz at least:





Stick to one of those two beaches and you'll have a great time. Avoid all other beaches because of the aforementioned fog and cold.

[tstieber]

Oh yeah, and as mentioned, Tahoe beaches are really amazing. It's not the ocean, but everyone I've taken to Tahoe says it beats any ocean beaches anywhere in California. It's usually pretty hot and humid in the summer there, and the notion that it "could" snow in summer is pretty far fetched; maybe it's happened before but like one day every few decades. You'll get your best beach weather and nicest beaches there:

[lvoc]

There actually are some pretty nice beaches in So CA. And the ocean will be a good bit warmer...

There are a number of neat beaches accessible only by boat. And a relatively warm water beach in Avalon.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cata...w=1004&bih=744

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by hooplaman

You are making a lot of assumptions here that I will spend my entire day at the beach or something. So far on my list of things to check out in San Fran are the following...

Pier 39
Coit Tower
Telegraph Hill
Japanese Tea Garden
Rocket Boat!
Golden Gate Bridge
Muir Woods

I am looking for more suggestions of what areas to check out in the city. I am not that into shopping but open to everything else. Exploratorium worth a visit? Sounds like the Liberty Science Center here on the East Coast to me.

Dude, in one day you can do one or two of those things. If you want to do touristy things, have at it. You will waste your day as surely as you would with a trip to the beach. Read up a bit on San Francisco. If you think a ride on the Rocket Boat or Pier 39 is the attraction here, you are probably right to devote most of your time to something like the the beach and those other dogsh!t things to do. If you'd like to spend your one day exploring neighborhoods or soaking up some real SF, you are not going to have enough time to mix in a stupid beach trip or a Pier 39/Rocket Boat/breadbowl-full-of-chowder self-fisting.

The Muir Woods idea is good. Spiritual. Unique. Breathtaking. It's an all-day event if you do it right. You could mix in some BBQ oysters at Tomales Bay or a quick run to Lagunitas Brewery for IPAs and eats with live music, if you really tried, I suppose, but forget seeing anything in the City.

Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill and North Beach? Absolutely! Do it! But, plan to spend all day eating, shopping, bar-hopping, and sight-seeing. No time for a trip to the beach.

Same for The Mission, Russian Hill, The Marina, Pacific Heights, Inner Sunset, The Haight--you'll spend all day in any of these places with no time for the beach, but you won't regret it.

Bottom line--Come to the City for the City. Go to the beach for the beach.

[hooplaman]

I will go to Bodega bay the next day on my commute to Yellowstone/Glacier National Park. Hell I might even do Muir woods that way too. I like to do my commuting at night so that might give me a bit more of time in the area.

Where can I get BBQ Oysters at Tomales Bay? Any specific eatery?

Whats the deal with North Beach? If you had just one day what would your itinerary look like?

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by hooplaman

I will go to Bodega bay the next day on my commute to Yellowstone/Glacier National Park. Hell I might even do Muir woods that way too. I like to do my commuting at night so that might give me a bit more of time in the area.

Where can I get BBQ Oysters at Tomales Bay? Any specific eatery?

Whats the deal with North Beach? If you had just one day what would your itinerary look like?

Commuting at night is a terrible idea in this part of the world. "Getting there" on scenic highways flanked by giant redwoods, cliff side routes with waves crashing on rocky shorelines, mountain passes with switchback roads, etc. is half the fun.

...and North Beach is not a beach. It's a neighborhood.

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by hooplaman

I will go to Bodega bay the next day on my commute to Yellowstone/Glacier National Park. Hell I might even do Muir woods that way too. I like to do my commuting at night so that might give me a bit more of time in the area.

Where can I get BBQ Oysters at Tomales Bay? Any specific eatery?

Whats the deal with North Beach? If you had just one day what would your itinerary look like?

What you want from life? If you can work it out have breakfast or a brunch in Sausalito. Then continue up 1 to the John Muir. That trip and place is one of the few experiences that I consider life time notable.

For a day in SF play tourist. Fisherman and the cable car and all that. Don't try and get anything more than an over view...it is a place that needs weeks or months to even sample. And the neatest thing you can't even get...making the passage from the sea under the golden gate listening to the fog horns until you break out into the sparkling dark harbor as you clear the bridge. Than navigate through that mess and up the back channel into Oakland.

But you need another 30 years of touristing until you arrive at that level.

[hooplaman]

Originally Posted by dalparadise

Commuting at night is a terrible idea in this part of the world. "Getting there" on scenic highways flanked by giant redwoods, cliff side routes with waves crashing on rocky shorelines, mountain passes with switchback roads, etc. is half the fun.

...and North Beach is not a beach. It's a neighborhood.

Well my night time commute will be mostly route 5 and I am forced to do this drive at night since its going to be a 12-16 hour drive depending on rather or not I axe or keep Glacier National Park in my trip. For most of the trip it will be day time just not the last few hours of my drive.

I plan to return one day to do a more extensive trip of the west coast.

[tstieber]

Glacier National Park is several states away! I don't even see how California fits into this intinerary!