San Francisco is a city you can easily be carried away in. There is so much to do and see; choosing the best of the city is hard task for any travel planner. This glamorous city by the bay is as famous as the song, and many visitors do in fact lose their hearts to San Francisco. They say New York never sleeps; the same is true for San Francisco. The nightlife is as thrilling as a day of sightseeing. You never know what you will hear, see or, in some cases do, while visiting San Francisco. It is a beautiful and exciting city with a long history. San Francisco should be on everyone's travel list.
The quaint tea garden got its start in 1894 as the California Midwinter International Exposition. The designer and caretaker, Makoto Hagiwara, lived on the garden for nearly 48 years. Today, the garden hosts the famous Drum Bridge, a Classical Zen Garden, and numerous garden pools and bonsai trees more than 100 years old. Sipping toasted rice green tea in the tea hut while you relax and watch people stroll by is a great afternoon treat.
Japanese Tea Garden
7 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 752-4227
www.sfpt.org/japanese_tea_garden.html
Fisherman's Wharf is foodie paradise. There are restaurants that serve fresh Dungeness crabs and side booths that serve gourmet treats such fresh clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls. Any number of restaurants will serve a mix of international cuisines--from Ghirardelli chocolate to fresh seafood--to make your mouth water. The wharf plays host to the USS Pampanito submarine. The vintage World War II sub provides tours to visitors. The nightlife on Fisherman's Wharf offers live music, dancing, comedy clubs, and theaters.
Fisherman's Wharf
Pier 39
Jefferson Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 674-7503
www.visitfishermanswharf.com/default.aspx
San Francisco's historic Castro Theatre was built in 1922. Its interior is an elegant mix of Spanish, Italian and Asian. It is the only theater where the movie starts with the sounds of the audience singing along with the organ to "San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate." The theater presents vintage films as well as newly produced films. The Castro also hosts special live events and shows.
Castro Theatre
429 Castro St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 392-4400
www.thecastrotheatre.com/index.html
The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is a free festival held along John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park. The annual festival is a three-day event that begins at 10 a.m. Friday of the first weekend in October. The festival presents well-known country and bluegrass artists as well as local artists and bands. There are five stages and three cafés, including the famous Foggy Bottom Café. Public transportation is the best way to get into the park area, as many of the streets close for the festival.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park
www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/
The museum is located on the site of the original 1852 Wells Fargo Bank. The museum is free and open to visitors year-round. The museum houses an 1860 Wells Fargo stagecoach, a Wells Fargo stagecoach collection and Pony Express, and Gold Rush exhibits. Throughout the museum, visitors can listen to recordings about stagecoach drivers' lives, stagecoach robberies and life aboard a stagecoach as a traveler.
Wells Fargo History Museum
420 Montgomery St.
San Francisco, CA 94163
(415) 396-2619
www.wellsfargohistory.com/museums
