Going to California...

[Grape_Ape]

I am visiting San Fran in August. I've never been there so I'd love some information on the best places to stay (within reason and budget) and eat. What are the best things to do, outdoorsy-like, in San Fran environs? Best place to rent a mountain bike?

Probably going to make a pilgrimage to Yosemite too. Any info on where to stay there?

Thanks guys!

[systemoverblow'd]

One thing that ISN'T outdoorsy but I found interesting was Alcatraz. And also the Winchester house.

[gatorboy]

x2 Alcatraz.

There is a recent thread on this too.

[hutash]

I can't say much about SF, I never liked the city, but can tell you a lot about Yosemite. When are you going? For how long? Driving a rental car? Camping? Planning on hiking, climbing, just seeing the sites? One can spend a life time there, but if you are there for a few hours verses a few day will depend o what you try and see or do.

[schuss]

Living in SF, I'll say this:
Stay away from Fishermans Wharf, try to explore the neighborhoods more. Just busting around the city on foot/bicycle you'll see a lot of cool stuff. Coit Tower/Steps are pretty cool, Alamo Square is good for a picnic lunch (Great Deli nearby), and the beer garden in Hayes Valley is a good time.

[Grape_Ape]

hutash - we'll probably just spend 2 nights there and hike (no climbing or anything serious). No camping - still have to get the girlfriend broken for that. Rental car. Mid-August.

[JimmyCarter]

hutash - we'll probably just spend 2 nights there and hike (no climbing or anything serious). No camping - still have to get the girlfriend broken for that. Rental car. Mid-August.

Not many options inside the park. We stayed just outside (south entrance) at Tenaya Lodge - interesting drive in and out every morning, but still pretty convenient. Im sure there are better options, but it worked for the wife, who was not up for anything too spartan.

We stayed mostly in the valley/glacier point/southern yosemite area.

As far as hikes:
Did the mist trail up to nevada falls. If you're not making it all the way to half dome (which we didn't) i'd recommend at least heading that far up. Plan on it taking a good part of a day (4-5 hours at a casual pace and stopping at the falls)
Sentinel Dome is the best effort/reward hike. Really short hike, ridiculous views. Off glacier point road.
Mariposa grove is pretty cool for an hour or two.

[guroo270]

Watch Anthony Bourdain's Layover. SF edition. He's pretty spot on, and has the mentality of a maggot. A restaurant near fisherman's wharf that is not hugely known but should be is Scoma's, but be prepared to pay a little extra for all the famous people on the walls. There certainly is more to do there, but that's a start. If you ride motorcycles, you should ride down Lombard St. when it's busy. Kind of a rite of passage.

[OldLarry]

bring a jacket for sf in august.

[BraddA]

Anchor Steam tour (reservations needed), dim-sum downtown or in the Richmond, stroll through North Beach, maybe up to Muir Woods. There's no shortage of eating and drinking to do if the weather is crap.

[guroo270]

bring a jacket for sf in august.

You should always bring a jacket to SF, but August is the best time to go. The ocean is at it's warmest and it's just starting to cool back down. The worst (coldest) time to go is March/April, when it's been cooling all winter.

Grab a giants game. There's no better ball park.

[Kied]

Fair warning there's a ton of shitty places you can get roped into on Hotels.com if you don't know what you're looking for. Hands down the best place I've found is called Sleep over Sauce. It's a small B&B type place that's over the Sauce Tapas Bar. Clean, affordable and pretty centralized. If that place is sold out there's a joint on Van Ness callled the Opal, which is legit if you cannot get into Sauce. These are the cleanest, most reasonable and have nearby parking. Loads of places will charge upward of $50/ night for parking so make sure you ask when making reservations.

For bikes I'm not sure if Sports Basement in the Presidio or on Bryant St rent, you might try them or Lombardis... they're a good shop as well.

Must do's are the headlands, just on the other side of the GG bridge - insane views of the city and the bridge. Ocean Beach & Crissy field in the Presidio. I'm not a huge fan of Union Square, or Alcatrez, but they're pretty standard fare if you want to get the full experience. I could go on and on about the parks and different neighborhoods, but the best thing is to just get out and go exploring. Good food to be found on Valencia St if you're in the Mission.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

You should always bring a jacket to SF, but August is the best time to go. The ocean is at it's warmest and it's just starting to cool back down. The worst (coldest) time to go is March/April, when it's been cooling all winter.

Grab a giants game. There's no better ball park.

You really have know idea what you're talking about do you? I lived in the Bay Area for 17 years. Mid September through October is the best time of year. August can be hit or miss with heat or cool and foggy. The worst is usually mid May through mid July. March and April can actually be very nice and summer like. If you want great hiking head to Marin or down the peninsula to the MPOSD lands. The Skyline National trail sections above Woodside down to Saratoga gap are stunning.

[Pegleg]

Go to Mission Chinese (in the Mission, duh) and get the kung pao pastrami.

[guroo270]

He wasn't going then, but I would agree that August to October is the nicest time to go. I was trying to get to the point that a lot of people go in "Summer", and that's not necessarily the best time to go. I lived in San Jose for 10 years and only visited occasionally, so I'm no expert, but I wasn't necessarily that far off either.

along the lines that you said, and part of what I said, if you are a motorcycle rider, yes, skyline is wonderful, rent a bike (a ducati, bmw, sport bike, anything but a harley) and go to Alice's, hit up HWY 9 to Saratoga, go towards Big Basin, then back to Alice's, Ride LaHonda if you want, then head back to SF cruising the top of the mountains to SF. I used to do it every Sunday. If you go on Sat or Sun, there will be a million bikes. I recommend Tuesday morning around 11. Even if you just go in a car, it's one of the most fun roads ever.

...and come on, "I really have KNOW idea what I'm talking about...?" Not the best statement I've ever heard.

[PNWbrit]

Sail boat out to underneath the Golden Gate. There are a couple of charter companies. Or were.

Don't miss Alcatraz.

Trolley Car is cool to ride too.

[Benny Profane]

Awesome city. You may be somewhat surprised at the many homeless, though. As a New Yorker, I found myself crossing the street to avoid trouble more than once. Never do that in Manhattan anymore.
Best Chinese food in the country. And walking is a lot like hiking. Lots of hills. Wear good shoes.

[hutash]

Getting a room in the valley will be a challenge, but start trying and you might get lucky. Wawonna is an option for a funky old lodge style hotel outside the valley.

Tenaya is the most likely place to book. There are also other options outside the park entrances at varying distances in Goverland, El Portal and Coursegold/Oakhurst. Mostly motel type places but the Wawonna and Goverland Hotel are cool while the Tenaya Lodge is upscale. Of course if you have the coin and can get a room at the Ahwahnee Hotel they are the best digs in the Valley. Things to do and see are a drive up to Glacier Point with a short hike out to Sentinel Dome. Do see one of the Sequoia redwood groves. Which one depends on where you are in the park, there are three. It is easy to visit the Mariposa grove when doing Glacier point. (get there early, it can be a cluster fuck.)

Definitely hike the Mist Trail at least as far as the top of Vernal Falls. Be sure to go the extra couple hundred yards up stream the the silver apron and emerald pool. If you have the time continue further up to the top of Nevada Falls, and if you want a little scramble go just a little further and then head up a use trail to the top of Liberty Cap for great view of the backside of Half Dome. Getting a permit for Half Dome can be tough, and it is an ass kicker hike, but well worth it if you have the time and legs. Better yet, since time is limited I would consider a hike to the top of Yosemite Falls. Go early and you can be up a down before the masses.

The Valley is so spectacular, that if it is your first visit, just riding around on one of the open top shuttles is worth some time just to sit and gawk and not worry about driving, which in summer can be a nightmare.

I most enjoy the Toulumne region, but with limited time I would stick around the Valley on a first rip.

[Grape_Ape]

Awesome city. You may be somewhat surprised at the many homeless, though. As a New Yorker, I found myself crossing the street to avoid trouble more than once. Never do that in Manhattan anymore.

Being from Balmer, I don't think I am afraid of the homeless or think much about them (other than "why can't they pull themselves up from their bootstraps"), but I have heard from more than one person that it's "different" in SF in respect to this.

[hutash]

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"

M. Twain

[systemoverblow'd]

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"

M. Twain

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/twain.asp

But regardless, it's the truth. I was sunning myself with no shirt on my deck in Fremont. Went to SF a couple hours later and it was hailing and freezing cold.

[Toofus]

If it's nice, Lands End is a nice little walk. As mentioned, if you can catch a Giants game, do it. And bundle up.

[RockChalk]

How many "What to do in SF" threads have been posted in the last 3 years?

Not much has changed, use the search function.

[Huck_Schmuck]

Be sure to take some dark tinted sunglasses with you.

Lots of hot Cali Girls and you don't want to upset your girlfriend with your roving eye...

[carvedog]

Just be careful. The last time I was there they had a big fucking earthquake and bricks fell off the building I was parked near and dented my fender. Haven't been back since.

I did enjoy my time there until that happened. Ate some awesome chinese there including one place that when I walked in fairly late night everyone stopped eating and talking to stare for a minute. I was the only non-Asian there. Kind of like the western bar scene. Then the very nice waitress came and ushered me to a table and I guess the locs decided I was just a stupid lost tourist from Idaho.

Can't tell where anything is/was as I lost my mind at Shoreline a few days before....or was it the free Jefferson Airplane show in Golden Gate Park.

I do remember a cool place, maybe called the Exploratorium. All kinds of weird science shit there. I had run out of mind benders by then and it still stands out. I enjoyed hanging out on Telegraph near the UC Berkeley more than the Haight. Great coed watching up and down that street. It's been a while maybe I should try again. I fucking hate earthquakes.....they scare the living shit out of me.