Giants road trip 2012: San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge at Dusk Credit: iStock/yunus emre karakoyunlu
The Giants travel to San Francisco to play the 49ers on Sunday, Jan. 22 in the NFC Championship. If you're going to travel to the Bay Area for the game, here's a list of 10 things to do and places to eat (in no particular order) while you're in town. Use the comments section at the bottom to share your favorite places.
1. Exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
415-561-0360
exploratorium.edu
The Exploratorium isn't your run-of-the-mill museum. There are no displays or exhibits behind a glass wall. The Exploratorium is about hands-on experiments that involve art, science and human perception. This is a great place for kids and adults alike who are interested in discovery and working with others. The Exploratorium is a stone's throw away from the Golden Gate Bridge.
2. Musee Mecanique
Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf
415-346-2000
museemechanique.org
If you're looking for a trip down memory lane, then visit Musee Mecanique to see vintage pinball machines, arcade games, cranked music boxes, coin-operated pianos and antique slot machines. Musee Mecanique is privately owned by Edward Galland Zelinsky, who has been collecting these antiques for decades.
3. Japanese Tea Garden
7 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.
415-666-3232
japaneseteagardensf.com
The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States located inside Golden Gate Park. Built in 1894, the tea garden houses beautiful monuments, bridges, native Japanese plants and ponds. It's a great place to take photos and have a cup of tea and other Japanese snacks.
4. Lombard Street
Lombard Street & Hyde Street
This stretch of Lombard Street is famous for its wavy roadway that forces drivers to make eight turns in a single block. It can be a nightmare for drivers, but makes for a fun walk for pedestrians. The street was constructed as such in 1922 because of the steepness of the hill. The speed limit is 5 mph.
5. Ride a cable car
Nothing says San Francisco like riding a cable car. There are three distinct routes you can travel, all conveniently located near numerous tourist attractions. A cable car ride can be a bit of a thrill as they clatter up and down the hills, theirs bells ringing. If you're lucky and fearless, you may be able to grab an outside seat or stand on the exterior of the cable car.
6. Yosemite National Park
209-372-0200
nps.gov/yose
Take a three-hour ride east to Yosemite National Park to gaze at 1,200 square miles of mountainous terrain in the Sierra Nevada of California. Walk among the 500 giant sequoias located inside the park. You can hike, bike or tour the area with a park ranger. Yosemite is open all year, but certain parts of the park are closed at different times of the year. Check the website for the latest updates before making any plans.
7. Coit Tower
1 Telegraph Hill Blvd.
415-362-0808
Coit Tower provides you with wonderful panoramic views of San Francisco. Located on top of Telegraph Hill, you can see Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and much more. If you're looking for majestic photographs to take home, then this is a one-stop shop. Beautiful murals inspired by Diego Rivera, a prominent Mexican painter, are painted on the inside of the tower.
8. In-N-Out Burger
333 Jefferson
800-768-1000
in-n-out.com
Is there a better fast-food burger joint outside of New York? The menu is simple: three kinds of burgers, fries and a milkshake. It's not about quantity at In-N-Out Burgers but the quality. Of course, there's also the secret menu. Order "the octopus" and see what happens. And please, go animal style or don't go at all. Multiple locations in the Bay Area.
9. Night tour of Alcatraz
alcatrazcruises.com
Take a ride over the bridge to San Francisco. Then hop a boat for a night time tour of the most famous prison in the country: Alcatraz. The tour leads visitors through solitary confinement, where you can stand inside a dark cell and listen to the voices of inmates who spent time there. Close your eyes, and you can sense the isolation, the desperation. Tickets are available about 60 days in advance; reservations recommended.
10. Fisherman's Wharf
On the northern waterfront area of San Francisco between Van Ness Avenue and Kearny Street, Fisherman's Wharf is arguably one of the busiest areas in San Francisco. Tons of restaurants line the streets. After your belly is full, head over to the aquarium or the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum. Fisherman's Wharf is conveniently located near tons of hotels, putting you right in the middle of the action.
