San Francisco Bay Area: Your favorite things to do or places to go

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Alcatraz tour. I am usually anti-touristy things, but this tour (get the audio guided tour thing) is really cool.


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I'd heard this forever, and it didn't make sense to me. It often gets mentioned as a Great Thing To Do in SF That a Local Never Does. So a couple years ago I took a visitor on the tour on a spectacular summer day. And I tell ya, I still don't get it. The answer came to me in the form of a question as I stood in front of a cell and listened to the audio tour: Why visit a prison on your day off/vacation? Seems of limited historical interest. There's a small Hollywood connection easily taken in through views of the thing. Different strokes...

I didn't read all of this thread. Here's a couple I didn't see:

Angel Island (better ferry and picnic option, imo).

There's a nice trail that hugs land's end through GG National Rec Area accessible from the parking lot above the Cliff House. It goes out to painted rock and sneaks up on the GG to provide a different view of it. It spits out in Sea Cliff, giving options to head back the way you came, cut through Lincoln Park GC, take the street up to the Legion of Honor. I suppose you could carry on to China Beach or the Presidio if you wanted, as well.

One thing I like is when I'm at 22nd/Irving right next to the market there is a Mediterranean deli (Palistinian?) called "Sunrise" I think, where I get the falafel and/or mujeddara. Yeah, I know, all the great asian stuff in that neighborhood, and a great sushi place, but give it a look.

I didn't see Rose Pistola in North Beach mentioned, seems like I usually drop in when I'm in the neighborhood.

I'm gonna stop here...