The Summer of Love is far in the past, and most people haven't used "cheap" and "San Francisco" in the same sentence for a couple of decades. But forget the Google Bus and all it implies; you can still have a jewel of a weekend in this culturally rich and astoundingly beautiful slice of the world without spending a king's ransom -- if you know where to go.
Little cable cars don't get anywhere near San Francisco's Outer Richmond, one of the least trendy but most authentic neighborhoods in town. Bordering on the Pacific, the Outer Richmond is an inexpensive and relaxing hub for exploring Golden Gate Park -- including the fabulously renovated Museum of Natural Sciences, the De Young museum and the Botanical Garden. Free street parking is easy to come by, and the largely Asian neighborhood boasts some of the best unsung and crazily cheap restaurants on the West Coast. Balboa Street, the commercial center, is lined with eclectic mom-and-pop stores such as friendly Nibs Bakery, a tiny, terrific cafe that opens early and closes before noon; Mixed Nuts, a happy marriage between stored junk and an antique store; and the Balboa Theater, the local movie theater, where they still show films on 35 mm projectors. Stay in the Seal Rock Inn, overlooking the ocean, or check out Gigi's B&B with its beautiful backyard on 43rd Avenue and Geary. Sunsets, crimson or over easy, happen every night and cost nothing.
Hotels are the high-ticket item of SF getaway weekends, but there's no need to pay hundreds when you can get a room -- plus an adventure -- for a pittance by thinking hostels instead. You'll count over a dozen hostels in San Francisco's downtown, and most offer not just traditional bunks but private rooms too, with access to a common kitchen. HI-San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf is the first and perhaps the best inside city limits, with its ideal location in historic Fort Mason, right on the Bay. But some prefer the Point Montara Lighthouse hostel, just 25 minutes south of town, where you can get a very cheap shared room or a reasonably priced private room on a bluff overlooking the pounding Pacific. The burgs of Half Moon Bay and Montara are within spitting distance, and you can easily spend a weekend whale watching, kayaking, biking, horseback riding or tide-pooling on the rocky beach.
Yes Virginia, San Francisco has a ferry system. Alright, it's not like Seattle or Hong Kong, but the San Francisco Bay Ferry to Vallejo will get you out of expensive downtown and into the inexpensive East Bay in an hour. This allows you to cram your weekend with the City's famous attractions, from Fisherman's Wharf to the Pyramid Building, while paying but moderately for accommodations. Vallejo has all the cheap hotel chains, so you'll pay least by stopping there, but for more charm, head 6 miles east to Benicia where you can find rooms of character in the town's restored inns and B&Bs. The Shorelight Inn is a particular favorite, a turn-of-the-century building transplanted to the waterfront. Each of the six suites has its own luxurious personality, and most have sweeping views of the bay. After a full day exploring San Francisco's noisy, urban charms, it's nice to return at night for a quiet sleep and a delicious, free breakfast each morning.
Call it a sanctuary, a recreational opportunity or a miracle -- Point Reyes National Seashore inspires all who tread its peaceful paths. Less than an hour's drive from downtown San Francisco, Point Reyes is 100 square miles of coastal wilderness, giving you a place to hike on a beach beside stark cliffs; watch elk herds in their native habitat; explore forest and meadow; count migrating birds in estuaries and grasslands; bike; kayak; climb peaks; picnic and laugh. You can indulge in wild adventure for peanuts by getting a back-country camping permit, or, for a little more, take a room in the Point Reyes Hostel, a relaxing retreat for young and not so young alike, offering dorm or private rooms and group kitchens in former ranch buildings in the park itself.
