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  1. #1
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Default 3 days in San Francisco...input on itinerary

    Dd1 and I are planning a trip to SF in September. This is what we have so far. We will not have a car, and Dd1 doesn’t like Uber/Lyft, etc. (silly, but I sort of get her hesitation as she says it is organized hitchhiking) so it will be all public transport (most likely just Bart).

    Day 1 (Friday):
    *Plane arrives from LA at 10 am to SFO (we will have no checked bags)
    *Take airport shuttle to hotel (Fairfield Inn Milbrae) and drop off suitcases at hotel; see if early check in is available. It seems like we will have two options:

    *Option A: leave bags at hotel and go straight to MOMA/Yerba Buena Gardens, visit for a few hours, grab a quick bite to eat, and then go back to hotel and change to go see Anastasia musical which is playing at at Golden Gate Theatre on Taylor and Market.

    *Option B: see if early check is available, leave bags in room and then go eat locally near the hotel (there is a strip mall near by). If no early check in go and eat. After eating go back to room and then change clothes and head back to city around 3 or 4 and walk around SOMA, San Francisco Shopping Center (7 story mall), eat at or near center, and then go to 7 pm show.

    Saturday:
    eat in the city somewhere near a BART train station (Citymama, and Smiles rec. some good places near the Mission district) unless we end up tailgating pre game.
    Go to Giants/Dodger game.
    No idea as to after game plans as my parents will be there as well so we may end up going out and then they will take us back to our hotel.

    Sunday:
    Eat at hotel, and go to Alcatraz on a tour that starts before 10 am. Spend a few hours at Alcatraz, and go to Ghiradelli Square (walking distance from the pier). Take cable car to Union Square and pick up BART (or walk to Embacadero Bart) and return to hotel by 4 pm as the plane leaves at 7 pm.

    My main concern is Friday and maybe Sunday. She says she wants to go to the show, and to go to Ghiradelli Square. I don’t feel like Alcatraz will be too much of an add on, but I don’t want to be stressed for time.

    FWIW: we have been to Golden Gate Park, but she was 8 and I have no clue how to get there via public transportation.




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    Annie
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  2. #2
    sariana is online now Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    No Exploratorium on your itinerary? Maybe you can do it the same day as the game. It is somewhat near the stadium. Oh, wait, what time is the game? I was thinking evening, but it's probably at like 1:30 or something.

    You could hit Pier 39 before or after Ghirardelli Square. My kids (15 & 11) enjoyed seeing the sea lions and just walking around. Fisherman's Wharf is an option too.

    Alcatraz is fine but probably unnecessary. Have you looked into getting tickets? I think you need to buy them pretty far ahead now.
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  3. #3
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Just some thoughts...

    Did you already book Alcatraz? If not, you are probably too late. I really like Alcatraz.

    Don't waste much time in Ghirardelli Square. Head out of the tourist trap because you don't have a lot of time available.

    Uber and Lyft are organized hitchhiking?? I disagree. I would at least budget for an occasional taxi. There are points that just aren't convenient to public transportation and you're already limiting yourself by staying somewhere in convenient. I'll tell you a quick story-- I'm pretty city savvy, have no issues traveling solo and accept that I'll encounter some things that aren't always ideal. I was in SF and taking Muni from Golden Gate Park to the Embarcadero. Some mentally unstable guy got on our train and started muttering then quickly escalated to shouting threats to everyone. Every single person got off the train at the next stop. It wasn't where I wanted to get off but there was no way I was staying on with that guy and everyone else felt the same way. I had to come up with a plan B (for me it meant exploring where I was instead for a while) but you need to have some options in your back pocket to get around, imo. Factor in something like rain, blisters (you'll be so far from your hotel that you won't have an easy fix for those problems)...have cab fare budgeted and maybe work on getting your dd open to Uber or Lyft. We had trouble getting a taxi in the past- it's not like NYC where you can easily hail one on the street.

    There's a great food court in the basement of the San Francisco Centre Westfield. I usually stop there to eat.

    Note that the line for the cable car can be absurdly long (an hour +) so plan accordingly.

    I also like to eat at the Ferry Building in The Embarcadero. https://www.inside-guide-to-san-fran...francisco.html

    You can take Muni to close to GGP and walk the rest of the way. No biggie. Tea Gardens, de Young, CA Academy of Sciences, and Koret Playground are worth a stop. Even bigger kids would like Koret. That puts you right near Haight St (Amoeba Records, Haight/ Ashbury...) and I like to eat at Parada 22- yummy!

  4. #4
    AnnieW625's Avatar
    AnnieW625 is online now Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Default 3 days in San Francisco...input on itinerary

    Game is at 1:05. I have no idea if we will be tailgating or what not.

    I have been to the Ghirardelli area before and yes I am aware it is a tourist trap, but she wants to go, and it is a 5 minute walk from Pier 39. Also I know if a cable car stop up off of Taylor so no more than 10 minutes from the area that is way less crowded than the pier cable car turn around spot.

    Yes the food court at SF Shopping Center is great as is the Nordstrom Cafe....I love the view of the city streets from outside. So those are definitely in the cards for dinner.

    There are Alcatraz tickets still available (I just checked), but I feel like she would enjoy the Exploratorium as well. DH and I went when it was still out at the Legion of Honor in our 20s and had a great time.

    We have not been to the Ferry Building, but that might be fun as well especially for Sunday brunch/lunch. I am sure we can find some artisan chocolate there.

    Yes I think my daughter is crazy with her no Uber thing, and I have told her multiple times they are the same as taxis, but she just doesn’t get it. If need be in a pinch I would use one and tell her to suck it up. I do feel confident enough with my knowledge of the SF areas where we will be though that we can do it via public transportation especially since everything I listed is no more than a 20 minute walk to public transit trains. Pier 39 would be the only area that isn’t.

    ETA: Bart doesn’t go to Millbrae on Sunday without stopping at SFO and transferring trains so we will use Cal Train (at the same station near our hotel) instead so for sure I am pretty sure Pier 39 and or GGP is out now because I think we could get more done closer to the Embarcadero area (which I hadn’t thought about before Sariana mentioned it), which is close to Cal Train (like Bart). We could also take Cal Train to and from the game as well.

    Now I just have to figure out if it is worth it to get a Clipper Card or pay for a paper BART ticket.

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    Last edited by AnnieW625; 07-30-2019 at 10:47 AM.
    Annie
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    DD L, 13,
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  5. #5
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    For Friday, definitely option B. Flying, taking the shuttle to your hotel, taking a train into the city, taking a train back to Milbrae and then another one back to the city for Anastasia and ANOTHER one back to Millbrae is ridiculous. Millbrae is not an easy jaunt into the city. If you're taking BART it's like 1/2 an hour just for the train itself. Add in wait times, and time just to get to the station and the trip can easily be an hour.

    I find Alcatraz fascinating. If you had more time I would 100% recommend it. But getting to Alcatraz from Millbrae before 10am on a Sunday seems beyond difficult via public transportation. You keep mentioning Pier 39, but Alcatraz ferries leave from Pier 33. They're not that far apart, but I'd hate for you to show up at the wrong place and miss your ferry. Or, are you talking about the ferries that tour the bay and just sail past the island? You can catch those from Pier 39 I think, but I would not recommend those. You want to get off do the Park Service tour of the prison, it is super interesting.

    The Ferry Building is soooo much better than Ghirardelli Square. Lots of interesting vendors and places to eat. With your time constraints, I think going to the Ferry Building would be a good way to spend Sunday. It's easier to get to than the other places you mention, and there's a lot to do/see (if your daughter likes shopping.) Or the Exploratorium for part of it, and grabbing lunch at the Ferry Building.

    I have a feeling the novelty of BART and Muni will wear off pretty quickly and your daughter will change her mind about Uber. Or, you could just take a taxi if she won't budge on the Uber thing. They're easy enough to catch.
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  6. #6
    AnnieW625's Avatar
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    Default 3 days in San Francisco...input on itinerary

    Thanks Twin Foxes.

    Yes I looked at train times and tbh 30 minutes isn’t bad to get in and out of the city. I don’t think I could do it on a Friday night in 30 minutes or if I was driving or on a weekend day it might take the same time. I did look at rental cars yesterday and the price was less than $45 a day, but I need to calculate how much transit fares and parking will be (DD’s will be 50% off though) so I still think public transit will be a better option. If I can get it down to $90 to $100 for the weekend then I might consider it especially for Sunday so we don’t have to rush back to the hotel and grab our luggage before heading back to the airport.

    I couldn’t afford a hotel closer to the city and wanted something public transport friendly. As it gets closer I will keep checking for price drops but as cool as it would be to stay near Union Square I am saving at least $400 by staying out near the airport, and last I looked a few weeks ago the hotel I booked a few months ago was now over $180 a night and I booked it at $140.

    Yes I agree that option B for Friday seems better than option A.

    I went to Alcatraz years ago and it is fascinating. We will probably wait and do that a different time when Dh and Dd2 are able to join us. I know the general area and just said pier 39 meaning the general area.

    I told her yesterday it made more sense to not rush and try to hit Alcatraz and Ghiradelli Square area and she said that was fine.

    My daughter loves to shop so the Ferry Building would be good and she is also looking forward to the Union Square area as well.

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    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  7. #7
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Maybe try something like Priceline to get a hotel in the city?


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  8. #8
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    I ended up getting Hamilton tickets at The Orpheum for the Friday night we are there! I didn’t think they would be available. The tickets actually ended up being cheaper than Anastasia would’ve been by about $40. I paid $125 including fees per ticket for rear mezzanine seats. The theater is around the corner from the Civic Center Bart so less than a 1/2 mile or so to SF Shopping Center as well so dinner plans won’t change.

    Yes I will think about Priceline or Hotwire as well, but I will only consider 4 star or higher so I don’t know how much luck I will have, but for sure will try.




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    Annie
    WOHM to two wonderful little girls born in April
    DD E, 17
    DD L, 13,
    baby 2, 4-2009 (our Tri-18 baby)

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by AnnieW625 View Post
    I ended up getting Hamilton tickets at The Orpheum for the Friday night we are there! I didn’t think they would be available. The tickets actually ended up being cheaper than Anastasia would’ve been by about $40. I paid $125 including fees per ticket for rear mezzanine seats. The theater is around the corner from the Civic Center Bart so less than a 1/2 mile or so to SF Shopping Center as well so dinner plans won’t change.

    Yes I will think about Priceline or Hotwire as well, but I will only consider 4 star or higher so I don’t know how much luck I will have, but for sure will try.




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    How exciting! Enjoy!


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  10. #10
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    That's awesome!
    I don't think I'd go walking around there too much at night though (edge of the Tenderloin area) so have a plan for transportation. The Trip Advisor forums should be a good resource for figuring out those logistics.

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