Alcatraz Island

1. Alcatraz is an island that has been used as harbor fortification, a facility for military detention and a maximum security federal penitentiary. Alcatraz Island has a rich history and housed many of the United States most notorious criminals, including Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly. The natural locale of Alcatraz makes it an amazing place to visit – it’s easily viewed from around San Francisco, and is a quick boat ride away. Now a National Park it’s an incredible and educational place to visit.

A waterfall is just some of what you will see!

2. Golden Gate Park is one of the world’s most famous urban parks. Families can visit the serene Japanese Tea Garden, the oldest Japanese garden in the United States, with its Zen gardens, the famous Drum Bridge, and tea house. Stow Lake is a fun attraction on warm days, as families can rent rowboats and pedal boats and cruises the lake at their own speed. A visit to Golden Gate Park wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Bison Paddock, where you can visit a herd of bison that has been kept in the park since 1891.

3. The Exploratorium is a unique science-cum-art museum that kids (and adults!) love. There are many participatory wonders that you can discover with your family at The Exploratorium, including The Science of Music, The Science of Cooking, even Skateboard Science. These exhibits teach valuable information on living things, the material world, the mind, human culture, the earth and more.

Who doesn't love boats?

4. San Francisco Maritime National Park lets you visit and climb aboard some of the more famous vessels in U.S. Maritime history, including the USS Pampanito, a WWII Balao class submarine, the Balclutha, a 300-foot long three masted sailing ship from the 1880s; the C A Thayer, a three-masted schooner from the 1890s; plus seven more ships both big and small to explore.

Sea lions basking in the sun!

5. Sea Lions At Pier 39 will give you an up close and personal view of a throng of cute but loud sea lions. Their numbers fluctuate – at times there might be as few as a dozen, at other times there have been over 1,500. They are fun to watch, and kids can stare at them for hours. Pier 39 is a fairly touristy location, so it usually isn’t too hard to pry kids away from the sea lions.

6. Chabot Space & Science Center is a center that focuses on space sciences and astronomy. There are visitor shows and programs held for families to discover the secrets of our universe and the Milky Way. The Planetarium and MegaDome Theater are always big hits.

Enjoy the lush greens of the 4-story rainforest

7. The California Academy Of Sciences is one of the largest museums of natural history in the world. Founded in 1853, the CAS currently houses a large number of historical exhibits along with the Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium, and Kimball Natural History Museum. The four-story living rainforest display is an amazing display of fish, plants, animals and birds, and is one of the highlights of any trip.

8. Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. It’s also a major tourist attraction, drawing more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge. There are always interesting events taking place, whether something large like a parade or festival, or one of the more mundane snapshots of daily life (life shopping in a traditional Chinese market)

The largest Chinatown outside of Asia!

that can be fascinating to the uninitiated. It is a place that you cannot afford to miss when in San Francisco.

This post was written by Randall Pinkston of Neotravel.com, who specializes in travel deals, airfare sales, vacation discounts and Budget Rental Car coupons.

images by: Manue@PrettyKiku, Ricky Romero, Jerry Downs, iriskh, wallyg, clickykbd and albertobastos

1. Omnivore Books on Food (3885A Cesar Chavez Street)

Omnivore Books on Food storefront

A trip to Omnivore Books on Food is the perfect destination for anyone who is a cookbook collector, is a general fan of cookbooks, or just loves all things cooking. The store includes new, collectable, and antiquarian books on both food and drink. You’ll find anything and everything from early 19th century guides for starting a kitchen garden to what you need to know about your 21st-century apartment kitchen. If you can’t find what you need browsing their varied, interesting shelves, don’t be afraid to talk with one of their staff members. Many of them are knowledgeable and friendly. Don’t forget to see what’s on their events calendar. While you’re in town, you may be able to catch a tasting, author talk, or pot luck.

2. Discovery Street Tours (various locations)

These walking, street tours are science-themed. They provide an urban study of the science in your food, under your feet, and in every part of your daily life. The tour includes eating a variety of delectable goodies, participating in hands-on activities, and meeting like-minded people who are active, curious, and maybe just a little bit out of the ordinary. Foodies should consider one or more of the following tours: “The Science of Bread and Cheese,” “The Science of Tea,” and “Fermented Favorites: The Science of Cheese and Wine.” These tours will give you the opportunity to learn captivating food science while getting some exercise and touring a variety of San Francisco neighborhoods.

3. The Cheese School of San Francisco (2155 Powell St., 2nd floor)

Cheese sampling at the Cheese School of San Francisco

San Francisco’s Cheese School is a must-stop destination for all cheese lovers visiting San Francisco. The school is located in the historic, gorgeous North Beach neighborhood. Their web site offers schedules for cheesemaking classes, cheese tastings, open houses, cooking-with-cheese demonstrations, cheese movie nights, and occasional cheesemaker dinners. Additionally, they have intensive three-day programs for professional-level cheesemakers, which are held twice a year. If this is not for you, consider a one-night class such as “Mountain Cheeses,” “How to Stretch Mozzarella,” and “Vermont Beer and Cheese,” all of which provide an informative, delicious night out in San Francisco.

4. TCHO Chocolate Factory (Pier 17, at Green Street, on the Embarcadero)

Some delicious TCHO chocolate

The TCHO was founded by a former Space Shuttle technologist and is known for its dark chocolate. They make excellent milk chocolate as well. Their web site provides anything and everything that you could possibly want to know about chocolate science, history, and politics. When you are filled up on chocolate facts, head on over to the Factory at Pier 17 right on the water for a free tour. The views are stunning so don’t forget your camera. The tour will include a presentation and factory tour from their very entertaining and knowledgeable staff. The tour also includes a comprehensive, guided tasting of artisan chocolate that is out of this world.

5. Brenda’s French Soul Food (652 Polk Street)

Breakfast at Brenda’s French Soul Food

Chef Brenda (with the very appropriate last name Buenviaje) is a New Orleans native. She specializes in cooking with Creole and Southern influence and technique rooted in French cooking. You don’t want to miss her famous cream biscuits that are buttery, fluffy layers way beyond anything that you could imagine. The beignet flight is one not to skip either. It includes plain, apple, chocolate, and crayfish (if you can believe that) beignets. The destination is close to the downtown San Francisco area and is creative and delicious with generous portions that are still reasonably priced. What’s not to like here?

This post was written by Charlie of the Five Star Property Management Team who specializes in San Francisco single-family, multi-family and HOA management, as well as spreading the word about all of the great things about San Francisco.

images by:Kanaka Menehune, Ms. HC, pkingDesign, Laughing Squid & Caroline on Crack

Unless you are a San Francisco resident, you won’t know about some of the cities most interesting hidden reservoirs. Mission Street Food is a restaurant within a restaurant open Thursday and Saturday night. The restaurant is inside an noticeable Chinese establishment called Lung Shan. Each week guests are treated to a new guest chef, which keeps things interesting for the customer’s taste buds. Customers can feel good about their dining out experience because all proceeds are donated to charity. Mission Street Food’s unique business model has enabled them to donate a remarkable $22,000 to a changing roster of local charities in 2009. Mission Street Food is now proposing a full-time business model; either way, be sure to check out this restaurant during your next visit to San Francisco.

Address: 2234 Mission Street

For more information on Mission Street Food, click here.

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