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Going to San Francisco with wife and kids (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter t8knovr
- Start date
Eephus
Footballguy
How old are your kids?
How many days are you staying?
Good luck on the parking. Some of the hotels on Lombard have free parking but it sounds like you're already booked. If you're just using your vehicle to get in and out of town, you could park at an airport lot but you lose whatever convenience you get by having a car in the city.
How many days are you staying?
Good luck on the parking. Some of the hotels on Lombard have free parking but it sounds like you're already booked. If you're just using your vehicle to get in and out of town, you could park at an airport lot but you lose whatever convenience you get by having a car in the city.
Kids are 6 and 13. We are staying a week and have reservations at a hotel in union square.
Eephus
Footballguy
Spend a day at Fishermans Wharf. It's a tourist trap but you're tourists. The Alcatraz tour is very good. The kids will like playing the old arcade games at the Musee Mechanique at Pier 41.You could rent bikes and ride around Golden Gate Park. The Academy of Sciences museum in the park is new. The observation tower at the neighboring deYoung museum is free. Riding bikes across the GG Bridge might be too much for the six year old.If the Giants are in town, that's a fun day. Since you have a car, a getaway to Muir Wood, wine country or Santa Cruz are also options.The
⚡DEADHEAD⚡
Footballguy
The Academy of Sciences deserves much more praise. It's spectacular. For kids that age, so is the Exploratorium.
Other ideas:
Day trip to Monterey/Carmel (2 hours south) to visit the aquarium.
Day trip to Stinson Beach, plus Muir Woods hike.
Ferry ride to Tiburon. Great little tourist town, marina, outdoor restaurants.
Oakland Zoo is supposed to be great (haven't been).
Picnic on Crissy Field under Golden Gate.
Visit Palace of Fine Arts.
Day trip to Angel Island and/or Alcatraz.
Personally, I can't stand Fisherman's Wharf.
Uncle Humuna
Footballguy
David Dodds
Administrator
another vote for the Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park
This is part planetarium, part natural history museum, part aquarium.
This is part planetarium, part natural history museum, part aquarium.
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ffldrew
Footballguy
When my daughter was around 6 we had a blast at the Exploretorium ...the other thing that was fun was shopping on a Friday afternoon in Chinatown as people got off work to head home. Lot's of hustle and bustle and the stores had all sorts of exotic things hanging outside - everyone speaking different languages mostly Chinese - very cool.
Boat ride to Sausalito is fun as well on a nice day.
If you have time you can take a trip into the Redwoods south and west of Palo Alto down towards Santa Cruz(heck even hit the boardwalk)- or a hike in Muir Woods up north or Stinson as others have stated.
Boat ride to Sausalito is fun as well on a nice day.
If you have time you can take a trip into the Redwoods south and west of Palo Alto down towards Santa Cruz(heck even hit the boardwalk)- or a hike in Muir Woods up north or Stinson as others have stated.
boubucarow
Footballguy
Academy of Sciences is a must for you and your kids and the Rainforests of the World is the absolute must inside. Exploratorium should be very enjoyable for both kids. The Monterey Aquarium is good. Your 13 year old could scuba dive in a pool outside separated from the bay. My niece was 10/11 at the time with no scuba experience and enjoyed it immensely. You need to call ahead for that. If you visit Monterey, whale watching is also an option. Keep in mind that the boats are on the smaller side and hit rough waters. Plenty of sea sickness for those unprepared and you need to hang on to something or sit in the few seats available on most of the boats.
Palace of Fine Arts could be over the heads of the kids. Muir Woods is great if you feel like hiking. Even the easy path can be daunting. Also the trip up can be an adventure in itself driving on the side of a mountain. At least drive across Golden Gate if nothing else although I would recommend more that that (picnic as mentioned). I would do Alcatraz over Angel Island. Everybody of various ages enjoyed Alcatraz. It is better to go at night and be able to view San Fransisco at night. It also puts you slightly in the place of the criminals who heard the sounds and could see the lights of the great city out of their grasp. At least drive down Lombard street. I enjoyed Giants games as well. Fisherman's Wharf will probably entertain the kids for a bit although it tires quickly IMO.
I think that is all for now.
Palace of Fine Arts could be over the heads of the kids. Muir Woods is great if you feel like hiking. Even the easy path can be daunting. Also the trip up can be an adventure in itself driving on the side of a mountain. At least drive across Golden Gate if nothing else although I would recommend more that that (picnic as mentioned). I would do Alcatraz over Angel Island. Everybody of various ages enjoyed Alcatraz. It is better to go at night and be able to view San Fransisco at night. It also puts you slightly in the place of the criminals who heard the sounds and could see the lights of the great city out of their grasp. At least drive down Lombard street. I enjoyed Giants games as well. Fisherman's Wharf will probably entertain the kids for a bit although it tires quickly IMO.
I think that is all for now.
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wikkidpissah
Footballguy
I wouldnt take kids to SF without having them walk the Filbert Steps up Telegraph Hill. Instilling passion is a big part of childrearing, and walking thru those precariously-perched dwellings always inspired me to want a more interesting life. And there's those dang parrots...
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ffldrew
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
With a six year old, the shark move is to go to Coit Tower first and take the steps down, rather than heading up from Levi's Plaza.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Good call, eef.Another nice walk on a good day is to Fort Point in the Presidio. It provides a view of the GGB from underneath that is breathtaking. Sneaking in at night is even more fun, but i bet theyve firmed up on allowing that. When my wife & i were dating, we used to go there to make out - terribly romantic.With a six year old, the shark move is to go to Coit Tower first and take the steps down, rather than heading up from Levi's Plaza.
Judge Smails
Footballguy
My kids (teens) loved Alcatraz. We went during Fleet Week, so it was even more spectacular with planes flying everywhere, bigger ships around, etc.
Another huge hit - we rented bikes and went across the Golden Gate to Sausalito. My kids still rave about it. Go first thing in the morning. Bike through Golden Gate park and then across the bridge. Go into Sausalito and have breakfast at the Lighthouse. You'll be famished, and the fruit pancakes are outrageous. Then you just take the ferry back. Trust me on this.
Lots of other very good suggestions too. Kids will obviously like Ghiradelli's for some chocolate - that's a must. Fisherman's Wharf has a decent vibe on weekend nights but agree that's it's just touristy with so-so restaurants. But I guess you have to go once. We didn't go to Muir Woods but if I was there for a week I definitely would have. COIT Tower, Lombard Street, you can walk through Chinatown and Little Italy (only need to do that once). Obviously - good theatre if you want that. Just a great, great, city.
Don't be afraid to venture out. We saw a phenomenal sandwich shop on Man vs. Food, so we took the F train out to the Castro District to a hole in the wall called Ike's Place. Ridiculous sandwiches. Then again - Smail's family go out of their way for good grub..
Another huge hit - we rented bikes and went across the Golden Gate to Sausalito. My kids still rave about it. Go first thing in the morning. Bike through Golden Gate park and then across the bridge. Go into Sausalito and have breakfast at the Lighthouse. You'll be famished, and the fruit pancakes are outrageous. Then you just take the ferry back. Trust me on this.
Lots of other very good suggestions too. Kids will obviously like Ghiradelli's for some chocolate - that's a must. Fisherman's Wharf has a decent vibe on weekend nights but agree that's it's just touristy with so-so restaurants. But I guess you have to go once. We didn't go to Muir Woods but if I was there for a week I definitely would have. COIT Tower, Lombard Street, you can walk through Chinatown and Little Italy (only need to do that once). Obviously - good theatre if you want that. Just a great, great, city.
Don't be afraid to venture out. We saw a phenomenal sandwich shop on Man vs. Food, so we took the F train out to the Castro District to a hole in the wall called Ike's Place. Ridiculous sandwiches. Then again - Smail's family go out of their way for good grub..
Judge Smails
Footballguy
Good luck with that. San Francisco is horrendously expensive when it comes to parking. Do you need a car? We took BART from the airport and either took that, walked, or occasionally cabbed it. You'll need a car for Muir Woods, but if it was me I'd just rent a car for the days you really need one. It'll sit in the parking garage most of your trip. You don't want to drive/park in that city.
The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
We did this same trip with our 11 year old daughter last summer (only 4 days though).
I just asked her to tell me her favorites from the trip:
1. Biking the GG Bridge to Sausalito and taking the ferry back to SF. With the 6 yr old this might be tough but with a trailer? Still might not be feasible this time.
2. Giants game
3. Academy of Sciences (adding on the Japanese Garden/Tea House afterward).
4. Shopping with mom (I was watching the USMNT vs. Ghana in the WC at a pub during this excursion so I don't know where they were--I suspect Union Square).
5. Fisherman's Wharf/sea lions
6. Alcatraz tour
Not much different than already offered but direct from your target audience. Hope it helps. Have fun.
I just asked her to tell me her favorites from the trip:
1. Biking the GG Bridge to Sausalito and taking the ferry back to SF. With the 6 yr old this might be tough but with a trailer? Still might not be feasible this time.
2. Giants game
3. Academy of Sciences (adding on the Japanese Garden/Tea House afterward).
4. Shopping with mom (I was watching the USMNT vs. Ghana in the WC at a pub during this excursion so I don't know where they were--I suspect Union Square).
5. Fisherman's Wharf/sea lions
6. Alcatraz tour
Not much different than already offered but direct from your target audience. Hope it helps. Have fun.
cstu
Footballguy
We'll be in SF for the day on Tuesday and Friday next week. I was thinking the Academy of Sciences on Tuesday and the Exploratorium/piers on Friday.
After the Academy of Sciences in the morning I was thinking about going to Muir Woods for a few hours in the afternoon. Would that be too much when we have to drive to a friend's house in Walnut Creek?
Apple Jack
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
I think you're better off hitting Muir Woods first. It opens a couple of hours before the Museums do.
The Academy of Sciences is pretty small. It's not an all day kind of place.
