Better late than never...
Our trip was wonderful!
The city and surrounding areas were as beautiful as everyone said they would be! Might I say that I was skeptical regarding the natural beauty of SF. I live in North Carolina, where you will find some of the most amazing natural beauty in the world (please come soon!). San Francisco did not disappoint.
The city itself is also a gem. Quite a bit of construction was underway, but it didn't get in the way of our fun. It's such a welcome sight to see a major city on the up-and-up economically. We also thought the city was much cleaner than expected.
Here's an overview of our trip:
-Day1 (really a half day after flying in from NC - sightseeing around Union Square/staying at the Grand Hyatt)
When you go to Union Square, please know that it's a giant urban shopping mall. What made it interesting for us was not the stores, but the people and their comings and goings. If you're into people watching, this is your place. Union Square was where we learned our first lesson: stay away from the tourist traps. There are so many things to do, places to go, food to eat, etc., that are off the beaten path--behind the big stores or down the alleyways. Go to these places! We regret not doing this. Oh, and f you're reading this here on the DIS, then you would probably be interested in knowing there's a really cool
Disney Store in Union Square that has all sorts of unique San Francisco merchandise:
Disney Store Union Square by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
Staying at the Grand Hyatt was quite a treat for us. We had a standard king room on the 16th floor, looking east toward the financial district/south of Market:
Hyatt View by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
If Disney built the Contemporary in SF, it would look a lot like the Grand Hyatt. The hotel has been recently renovated and showcases a classic modern styling (clean lines, geometric shapes, but with warm colors and natural materials). Room was clean, staff was great, sleep came easy. What more could you ask for? We did have room service our first night there. Skip it. There's too much good food in SF outside any hotel.
-Day 2 (Alcatraz and the city)
Being the country bumpkin I am, I thoroughly enjoyed our morning walk down Market St. from Union Square to the Embarcadero. I know it's popular to mess around with the cable cars, trolleys, buses, rickshaws, bikes, etc. But please, if you haven't been to SF and can walk--DO IT! Allowing the small details to flood in while strolling through the city was such a pleasure! We also saw the waterfront from the Ferry Building to Alcatraz landing. When we go back, we will take this same walk as we enjoyed it so much.
Westin St Francis by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
Ferry Building by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
The Alcatraz tour was something I conceded to my wife prior to the trip. Boy, am I glad we went! If you haven't been, go--and go early. If you've been, you know what I'm talking about. The national parks people have done such a good job presenting the park in a way that honors all the history of Alcatraz. Most of us (hopefully) will never be incarcerated. The Alcatraz self-guided tour allows you to spend enough time physically and mentally engaged with the prison, that you should come away with a sense of the place, and what it was like to live there.
Alcatraz Broadway by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
After Alcatraz we stopped by pier 39 on our way to the fisherman's wharf area. Tourist trap alert. See it, and get out.
We then did something so tourist-trappy, but in a good way. Something I haven't talked about yet is walking. When in SF, YOU WILL WALK. Imagine
Disneyland, California Adventure, MK, Epcot, HS, and AK all in one place, but add some of the steepest hills you've ever seen. That being said, our ultra tourist-trap activity was to ride one of those open-air busses around the city, relieving our weary feet. This was the best way for us to see most of the city in the least amount of time. We rode with the folks at City Sightseeing Tours. The drivers were perfect, and the guides were great. We took one tour around Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, S. of Market, and the Embarcadero. Even though we had walked most of these areas already, we learned so much from the guides. Our second bus tour was through the Golden Gate area and Sausalito. Just beautiful.
700 Market by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
Golden Gate (2) by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
From Across the Bay by
rickenmartin78, on Flickr
We were the last tour of the day, so our guide offered to take us back to our hotel after the tour was over (=WIN)!