Best restaurants & places to visit downtown

[BuckeyezRule]

TY so very much guys! Keep'em all coming. =) We're gonna have a nice sized budget to vacation on, I just figured if I could fine cheap & free things to do also, that would be great. =)

What are some good indoor options, in case it rains? =) Leave cost out this time. LOL =)

[humboldtrat]

I wouldn't worry about the rain. It doesn't rain here between April and Nov. I would however bring warm clothes because of the fog and wind. It's fun to watch tourists in T-shirt and shorts in August freezing their ***** off

[worktolive]

Take the kids to the Exploratorium - it's a hands-on science museum near the Presidio at the Palace of Fine Arts. Tons of kids of all ages running around there. Also, that's right near to Crissy Field and Ft. Point. Crissy Field is a world-class windsurfing area with a nice beach and lots of runners, walkers, strollers, etc. Ft. Point is an old fort that was converted into a museum. You can get up onto the ramparts and you are right underneath the GG Bridge and can look up into the support structure. Just be warned, it's very windy and cool there (hence the windsurfers) so bring warm fleece and sweatshirts. Crissy and Ft. Point are both part of the Presidio National Park, so they are free to access.

As for food, there's tons of good, cheap, ethnic restaurants and cafes all over the city. You can find pretty much anything - it just depends on how adventurous you are. Most are family friendly. You can tell just by looking inside whether it's a "chi-chi" kind of place or not. In general, small eateries here tend to have pretty good food - there's so much competition that if they didn't they wouldn't survive long here.

[Katimae]

If you like Mexican food there are a lot of taquarias that are so inexpensive and have great food. Our favorite is Pancho Villa, there is one right next to the ferry building and one in the mission district. They have yummy quesedillas and tacos for the kids.
Pancho Villa Taqueria: Home Page

There's a cute carousel and bowling and ice scating in Yerba Buena park and a kids museum, lots of little places to eat and a huge play structure, very nice.Yerba Buena Gardens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Also right around the corner from the SF Museum of Modern Art.

Golden Gate park is beautiful and huge, lots of hot dog vendors, great people watching, the Japanese Tea garden was a big hit with our nephew. There's a lake with boat rentals, lots of museums, playgrounds, bison, windmills, it's really great for kids. San Francisco Neighborhoods: Golden Gate Park