vacation to san fran in august whats there to see (San Jose: to rent, hotels)

[hyechica]

hi me and hubby are going to be in san fran this summer


what are some things we should see and do
I hear they have a huge open indoor outdoor food market is that worth visiting hubby is a chef and I am a hobby baker


we heard this pizza place mozzarea (sp) is supposed to be really good


we want to go to the gheradeli place
and ride on a street trolley


we need to pack as much as we can into 3 days as we are heading to san jose for two days to visit with some family and then heading to Moneray (SP) to check out some of the vineyards




we are open to doing anything
we are not big on drinking so bars clubs wouldn't really be our scene unless it was something roof top with amazing food.


do they have any open local artisan markets we should check out?


is there a china town/ Italy in san fran


as for food we are open to anything except sushi, and Mexican


also are there any middle eastern restaurants or bakeries? I am Armenian and I have been to little Armenia in la I know san fran does not have a super huge Armenian community but was wondering if there were any Armenian or even Lebanese markets

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by hyechica

hi me and hubby are going to be in san fran this summer


what are some things we should see and do
I hear they have a huge open indoor outdoor food market is that worth visiting hubby is a chef and I am a hobby baker

You're thinking of the ferry building www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

[evening sun]

There is an Iranian restaurant called Lavash Lavash – Persian Cuisine of Inner Sunset We like the food, it is not super spicy but good quality, however it is a very small venue so maybe make reservations, they used to be open for both Lunch & dinner. This is a nice bakers around the corner from Lavaash https://www.arizmendibakery.com/ or you can google best bakers in San Francisco too. Pack layers of clothes as August will be chilly in San Francisco but much warmer in San Jose. Enjoy.


eta: There is a very large China town in San Francisco & it is adjacent to North Beach which is the old Italian neighborhoods. If you like goofy satire comedy go see Beach Blanket Babylon, it is a crazy show & right in North Beach.

[Ruth4Truth]

Will you be renting a car? Some of the sights (redwood forests) are outside the city.

1. Ferry building.

2. Armenian? The closest I can get you is to a Georgian bakery/café in the Russian district. Ask the Georgians if the Armenians have a restaurant or shop.
While you're out there, you can go to the beach, see the historic Presidio, from when NorCal was governed by Mexico, walk across the GG Bridge from the Presidio, and maybe even take in Golden Gate Park, which has a Japanese Tea Garden, a Conservatory, an aquarium, and the DeYoung Museum. It would be easier to squeeze all that into one day if you had a car, or at least, used taxis, but they're all in the west end of town.
https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/m...ancisco/316768
https://www.nps.gov/prsf/index.htm

3. Trying to ride the Powell St. cable car to Ghirardelli in the summer (high tourist season) isn't recommended. It can take hours of standing in line, and once you get to Ghirardelli (a tourist trap, pretty much), people have been known to give up waiting in line to get back downtown. To ride a cable car, take the California St. car from downtown. Get off around Filmore, and explore the funky shops in that neighborhood. The car will take you through Nob Hill, where you can see some historic mansions in SF's poshest neighborhood.

4. Chinatown. You can walk from the Union Square (downtown) shopping area. From there you could walk to the North Beach area and little Italy, via Columbus Avenue. (See map. Do your research.)

5. Vinyards in Monterey? The main wine country is north of SF, in Napa and Sonoma counties. On your way there, you can stop at Muir Woods, in Marin County, just across the GG Bridge from SF, to walk through a redwood park. You can't come to NorCal without seeing redwoods! Also, in Sonoma you can see the home of the last Mexican general to govern NorCal--Gen. Mariano Vallejo, if you like historic sites. Also, on the Sonoma coast, you can see a Russian fort from the days of Russian Alaska: Fort Ross. Sign up in advance if you want a guided tour.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=479
https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm
http://www.fortross.org/


WARNING: don't try to cross the GG bridge anytime within an hour & 1/2 of commute hours. Just don't. Stay on the other side for dinner, if you have to, to avoid the 3:30-6:30 commute window.

[honobob]

Originally Posted by hyechica

we want to go to the gheradeli place
and ride on a street trolley


we need to pack as much as we can into 3 days as we are heading to san jose for two days to visit with some family and then heading to Moneray (SP) to check out some of the vineyards




we are open to doing anything

Three days is not a lot of time. I'd get a nice hotel with a bay view. After shopping the Ferry Building I'd take my bounty and enjoy the view with a nice wine.

First full day you could take the F Line to the Wharf and do the tourist thing. Maybe a nice dinner at Butterfly. Oops, missed out on that. Butterfly to close after 15 years on the Embarcadero - Inside Scoop SF Maybe Epic EPIC Steak

Second day could be spent exploring Chinatown and North Beach. I second the thought of BBB. It is a changing show and can't imagine what they have done with Trump.

Do you have a third full day or is this a travel day? You could drive to Muir Woods, maybe head to Napa for the wineries and back thru Sausalito for dinner.

There is so much to see/do in SF. I'd block out the time for the must do's and fill in with second desires that you could skip if you find yourself sitting on a bench people watching becoming very entertaining.

[Ruth4Truth]

BTW, OP; the aware that the better Chinese restaurants are outside of Chinatown. Chinatown fare is Cantonese, very bland. The good stuff is out on the west side of town, mixed in with that Russian district I mentioned (check Geary Blvd, as you drive out there, and also cruise Clement St., parallel to Geary). There's a good one on Fulton (runs parallel to GG park on north side) out toward the beach, too. If you walk Chinatown and North Beach, best to seek out an Italian place for lunch, rather than Chinese.

SF is big on seafood. Check out Tadich Grill in the Financial District (downtown). See their website.

[Boompa]

You won't see anything. July and August are the two coldest and foggiest months of the year. Cold and miserable. It's sunny and warm across the Bay but in the city it's winter

[Ruth4Truth]

Right^^^ Chinatown becomes invisible in the fog (which rarely reaches it, anyway), as do GG Park (the Japanese Tea Garden can be magical in the fog!), and all museums, aquaria, and restaurants. Food sours in the fog, so don't bother eating, if it's foggy. At least you'll save money.

The ferry building is an adventure of discovery in any weather, and Marin, Sonoma and Napa will be glorious! Skip the beach, if foggy, and go hiking in the redwoods instead.

Enjoy your visit, OP. Report back to us after it's all over, if you have time. Boompa has a point, though, in that you should definitely bring a warm jacket. Warm, as in wool. Also a light windbreaker, in case it's clear but windy (on the bridge, say).

[NextStage]

If you're planning on some time in Monterey, you will probably want to take in the Aquarium.

Monterey/Carmel does still have some wineries - but most of them seem to use tasting rooms located downtown. You don't really get the feel of a winery. It's more like an upscale Wine Bar.

If you do want to spend some time on the beach, the Monterey area will likely be a better bet than SF. It it still likely to be chilly (the advice of a coat or windbreaker is a good one!) but you'll probably have less fog in Monterey than in SF.

[hyechica]

now that I am thinking about it I am not sure if its Monterey or Sonoma valley I think it might be Sonoma I have to ask hubby when he gets out of work. we have three full days in san fran hubby decided not to rent a car until we are heading out of san fran. I will mention the redwood and let him know its something we must see. Georgian is close to Armenian and so is Persian I will be sure to check them out. I have a feeling he booked us a hotel by the airport and I am assuming that's not close to things to do, if so will have to convince him to switch hotels to someplace where there are things to do


any places to eat that do small plates/ tapas
any fun candy shops or ice cream places other than the Ghirardelli factory
any Greek food joints?


I just recently bought some stuff from the san Francisco salt company do they have a retail store or is it online only?