Bay Bleg

Take the ferry over to Tiburon and have lunch/drinks at Sams. Great view of the bay in a nice off-the-beaten path seaside town.

The new California Academy of Sciences is worth a visit. The architecture is more interesting than the exhibits, but it's worth a few hours. Get there early on a Sunday as it's still drawing crowds. I like wandering around the Mission and Castro districts. Four Barrels for a cup of coffee and Ike's Place for a sandwich (Napoleon's Complex) are just a couple out of dozens of places for a sip or a bite.

I just found out about the culture bus. Makes all sorts of fun museums, and the like that's already been named accessible by foot/transit. http://www.sfculturebus.org/ Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to go down to the Palace of Fine Arts or Legion of Honor, they're are other buses that do that.

You seriously need to get a burrito from Cuco's at 488 Haight St. I once had two in the same day, they were that good. Sadly I don't live in SF anymore, and I long for them constantly.

Beautiful site and neat to see the Hetch Hetchy water pouring into the reservoir within the little Grecian temple. See here for more info: http://sfwater.org/mto_main.cfm/MC_ID/20/MSC_ID/177/MTO_ID/308 It's very near Filoli, with beautiful gardens http://www.filoli.org/

You have two places, Bi Rite Creamery around 18th and Valencia (the 16th and Mission BART stop). And even better (best you might have in a long while), Humphry Slocombe just off of 24th in the Mission (about 5 minute walk, or less from the 24th and Mission BART stop). http://www.humphryslocombe.com/%7C_Home_%7C.html Other than that, on a nice day you should walk up the Filbert or Greenich steps to Coit tower. You can see Lauren Bacall's character's apartment from Dark Passage right there. To get in the mood for SF, you should watch Vertigo, Dark Passage, Maltese Falcon and Bullitt.

One day? A ferry is probably worthwhile (Tiboron for dinner?). Cal Academy isn't far from the MUNI N-line (9th and Irving). Spendy though (and crowded). They're actually funding science with your money. Also nearby is the San Francisco Botanical Garden and the De Young Museum. Should be nice in a couple of weeks. Telegraph Hill for a nice view (and parrots). What you should be asking about is breakfast and lunch.

This is obvious, but if the weather is good you can easily waste a whole day in Golden Gate Park. The Academy of Sciences has been mentioned, as well as the botanical gardens but within walking distance of those is the DeYoung museum, the Japanese Tea Gardens which is a nice time, and the Conservatory of Flowers which is nice if you like flowers. You can also rent bikes (if you are of that ilk) and bike down to see the Buffalo and feed the ducks at the lake. Also, 9th and Irvine (nearby) has a collection of decent and cheap places to eat (has a college feel). I second the Alcatraz vote and suggest investing in the audio tour. If you’re traveling by car, it’s worth making the trip up Twin Peaks to one of the best city views.

One of my favorite places in the world : Musée Mécanique http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_M%C3%A9canique

Another great walk is Crissy Field/Fort Point (the fort sits right under the Golden Gate Bridge). Crissy Field was once the air field serving the Presidio/Fort Mason. Now it's a beautiful grassy expanse, fringed by a small beach, lovely walkway, and old army warehouses. There's a small coffee house if you need a warm-up.

Cha Cha Cha at 1801 Haight St is a wonderful Puerto Rico/Chinese/Cuban tapas restaurant with santeria altars on the walls and the best sangria and tapas I've ever had and it's just down the street from Amoeba Records which is a hoot to visit. Lunch at the Burma Superstar (voted the best Burmese Restaurant on the West Coast by Asian Times mag) at 309 Clement St. is a real treat also, and it's in the middle of the new Chinatown, oh, and right down the street from The Russian Apothecary and across the street from the biggest Chinese herbal shop I've ever seen. Do ride the antique trollies to Fisherman's Wharf and find the Irish Bar there that originated Irish Coffee, it's close to the Wharf but not in it. Ditto on The Exploratorium!

Another ++ for the Ferry Building, although for the full foodie effect it's better on Saturdays when the Farmer's Market takes over. Hop a trolly out to GG park or over to the harbor, both are good fun depending on the weather and what you're in the mood for. For some kick-ass unpretentious food: http://www.nopasf.com/ on Divisadero, although you might have to eat at the bar or the community table, reservations can be hard to come by.

I second this non-obvious suggestion: Go to the Old Krakow restaurant in West Portal. Take Muni line M to West portal station. good Polish food (dziuggy.com/ok) Also there are interesting Russian places in the Geary area north of the park. Everything else ethnic foodwise, Asian, Mexican, etc, are things you've got aplenty in socal.

1. Castro theater - best place to see a movie. Revivals and art-house in a beautiful theater and an organist plays before every show. Down the street from Twin Peaks - first gay bar that had windows, and a relaxed place to have a drink. 2. The best Alcatraz tour is at night (4 - 6:30 pm). Great views of the city and the rock in daylight on the way there and back. 3. North Beach: check City Lights book shop (Ferlinghetti's store), then go to Vesuvio or Tosca's for a drink. (Good to do after Alcatraz.) L'Osteria for good, inexpensive, non-touristy Italian. Walk back to downtown through Chinatown and Union Square. 4. Hard to get to by public transit (there's a bus, but it's not frequent) but on a sunny day, Sutro baths is nice. 5. Dolores Park. Close to the aforementioned Bi-Rite ice cream shop. Nice view and right off the J-church. Also check out the Mission Dolores, down the street, complete with 1800's-era cemetary and original parish. 6. If you're not in a hurry, take the F-market to or from the Castro or Fisherman's wharf (fewer tourists on the Castro side). 7. Sunday is a great time to go to GG park - JFK drive is closed and perfect for renting bikes there. Paddle boat or rowing in Stow Lake is fun on a nice day.

I highly recommend the brand new California Academy of Sciences, if you have half a day for it. Be sure to show up early (like 10am at the latest) to grab tickets for the planetarium show. The De Young is right next door, and you can check out some of the outdoor sculptures without paying to get in, also see if you can find the Andy Goldsworthy installation. The SF Moma and the Exploritorium are also really cool places to visit. Foodies are advised to check out the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero downtown. The folks advising you above are right. If you want kitschy boutique shopping or just window snooping, check out Valencia street in the Mission and Hayes st. in Hayes Valley, both areas are a swarm in tchotchkies and great lunch venues. Don't forget to bring your hipster-watching guidebook. If you have a car, pop over the golden gate bridge and take the first exit, from there you can cruise around the spectacular Marin headlands. Or if you are secretly a big nerd you should stop by Isotope Comics in Hayes Valley, and tell James the internet says hi. And finally If you want to score some methamphetamine you can stop by the Haight street entrance to golden gate part, or any corner on the Tenderloin. Restaurants you should consider! Tadich Grill - downtown, chioppino to kill for Cafe Sport - also wonderful seafood, in North Beach Cafe Zuni - Excellent organic & local Italian but very $$$$ Arizmendi Bakery - Co-operative owned bakery, great for breakfast or lunch pizzas if you are out near the museums, near the N Judah line. Zuppenkutche - great german food, also large beers Cocktails are good here: Slanted Door - in the ferry building Orbit Room - on Market st. near the Castro Casanova - the mission's premier dive bar Restaurants you should not consider: Anything in fisherman's wharf, good for a bread bowl 'n chowder but I wouldn't sit down in one ever again. Welcome to San Francisco... BRING MONEY!

Everett and Jones BBQ is about a 15 minute walk from Lake Merritt Station in Oakland. It's really good BBQ and I think I remember that you're into that.

The cartoon art museum http://www.cartoonart.org/ might appeal to you. If you've never been to Alcatraz, it's pretty fascinating, gets you out onto the water, lets you bypass the Fisherman's wharf scene, and go somewhere. San Francisco's charm for me has always been in its neighborhoods outside the tourist traps. Some nice walking tours here http://www.sfcityguides.org/ Taking one of the Haight would leave you close to Golden Gate Park.

I've lived here for 35 years, and most of the suggestions that have been given have totally depressed me. There's not much actual San Francisco character left. The only suggestion I can second is: 3. North Beach: check City Lights book shop (Ferlinghetti's store), then go to Vesuvio or Tosca's for a drink. On the other hand, if it's a nice day go walking anywhere - Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, the Embarcadero, the steps on Telegraph Hill, North Beach. You can't miss. If you have to eat, you can check out John's Grill. That's where Sam Spade would chow down on pork chops (still very good).