Discussions

Is there any 'must see' things we should be seeing? Going to be there for a few days the end of June.

Have been to SF several times and have not really scratched the surface of what there is :  
China Town, Fisherman's Wharf, (many small shops and lots of buskers for entertainment) , Alcatraz, the south base of the Golden Gate Bridge( there are many displays there and a Spanish Fort), there are several self guided car tours, you can get a map in most commercial areas.  
These are the main sights if you only have couple of days.  
There is also the Haight/Ashbury district, Coite Tower, Nob Hill, ride the cable cars up the 45 degree street, could go on and on.

Just a hint if you plan on touring Alcatraz, buy your tickets NOW. It's so busy there, tickets are sold out days ahead of time. We learned that the hard way! http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/ is the official website for tickets. Hope this helps

This definitely helps!

We stayed at the holiday inn, the trolley car was right out the front door. We purchased a week pass, can't remember how much it was, but it was pretty cheap. They take you pretty much every where you want to go.

Loved San Francisco....even if we did arrive Sept. 10 / 2001. The next day was downright scary (9/11)... but the city is wonderful. Fisherman's warf is great... A must see to watch the trolley cars on the "turn table " & the food at the Warf is great ! The little shops are terrific for souvenirs.  
Riding the trolley & the ding,ding of the bells ...I missed that for days after we got home. One of my favorite cities.  
Enjoy ! ! Hope you have a blast .

Really enjoyed the city. There is endless opportunity for entertainment along the wharf. The science museum on the pier was a ton of fun, kids of all ages would enjoy it. Also for a tip, buy all of your souvenirs (shirts, magnets, cards, shotglasses, etc.) in China Town. Way cheaper than purchasing on the wharf. And you get the same mass produced product.

Spend the day on Fisherman's Wharf, ride the trolley cable cars and stop at all of the little unique shops. You can spend an entire day walking up and down the Wharf and Alcatraz is a must! They now have a night tour and the prices are very reasonable. You get on right at Pier 33 for the Alcatraz tour so you can park and spend all day. Enjoy your trip!

Can you explain the 45 degree street a little better? Not sure what you're referring too and nor is Google.

San Francisco is a great city. It has a very laid back vibe. The locals shop and dine on Union Street, it's worth checking out. Also be sure to see Lombard Street (the twisty-turny part) and there's also the Full House house and the Mrs. Doubtfire house. If you plan on doing a lot of walking, make sure to wear good shoes as some of the streets are very steep (like the 45 degree angle one) and you wouldn't want to navigate them in flip flops. The city actually seems a lot smaller when you walk it, as opposed to sitting in traffic.

The summers tend to be mild there, but gets very windy in the bay. Bring a jacket and sunscreen.  
 
You can hit the trolley cars downtown, that can take you to Ghiradelli square and Fisherman's wharf nearby. Pretty cool little scene.  
 
Alcatraz was also interesting to visit - but as said before - get your tix now, as it does get busy.  
 
Lotta places to eat, check Anthony Bourdain's recommended list

but its actually built on 51 different mountain ranges, and there are 45 isolated microclimates within that space. If you find yourself looking up one of the '45' streets, take a flat one and go around the mountain. Take in some of the scenery.  
 
Depending on how your travelling, and what you'd like to take in. Hippy Hill in golden gate park is great if you want a drum circle. There's a butterfly museum (don't go behind the observatory) there too, right near the home of the original fortune cookie. All the dead heads at the front of the park are cool kids. They've got a real awesome record store right across the street from there, next to the McDonald's too. Sometimes they've got live concerts. The painted ladies are kind of lame. Go, take a picture. The current owners painted them the same as every other house there now, but you might find someone around there that knew them.  
 
The tenderloin is full of great places to eat, but again. Don't go wandering around there at night unless your looking to get mugged, or have some creep try and sell you something. But some of the folks there will have some stuff on their blankets you've never seen before. And daily food not bombs feeds down at the crossroads, which are interesting to watch.  
 
It's super travel friendly.  
http://sf.funcheap.com/  
http://www.refinery29.com/cheap-san-francisco-restaurants#slide  
Saigon Sandwich has amazing lunches on the go.  
if your going to Golden Gate Park, make sure and stop in on Haight Street to Memphis Minnie's, they've got amazing melt in your mouth bbq.  
 
If you like hostelling, the Green Tortoise is amazing. Live bands, and they cook dinner three times a week for guests. The staff there are amazing, super friendly, and helpful in helping you find places to go. They have regular group events too. It's right in North Beach, and two blocks away from China Town.  
 
The transit system is super easy to ride around, and cheap.  
 
Dolores Park in the Mission is really a great place to take the family on a sunny day. The thrift shops have some cool stuff there, in your typical san francisco style. And oh!!  
 
Go to the Grace Cathedral. If you time it out just right, the sun shines in through the stained glass casting sparkling diamonds over the image of Saint Francis in the depiction of his ascension to heaven. You can almost see his soul being lifted to the upper realms of heaven. It's absolutely breath taking.  
 
Small independent cinemas showing great low budget films, I could go on. This is my favourite city in the lower 48. Lived down there for a few months a couple years back.  
 
If you need a travel guide, I'm available for hire. haha!