What are the best places to visit in San Francisco and the surrounding area for two days?|187612

I know the Golden Gate Bridge. What else unqiue I can see there?

Must Do San Francisco

1. Ride a Cable Car, the only moving historical landmark in the world. Stop off at the Cable Car Barn at Washington and Mason to get a full understanding of this unique form of transportation. Riding the Powell Hyde line will allow you to see Lombard Street the famous crooked street.

2. Visit Alcatraz, this former prison is the most popular destination in San Francisco. The bay cruise to and from the island will give you the opportunity to see the skyline from the water a unique perspective. During the height of tourist season it is wise to purchase tickets before you arrive as tours are often sold out days to a week in advance.

http://www.alcatrazcruises.com


3. Visit Coit Tower, Beautiful murals inside, impressive bay view from the tower or Pioneer Park at the base. Then descend Telegraph hill via the Filbert Steps on the East side of the park for a unique view of how folks on Telegraph Hill live, more beautiful bay views and the chance to hear and see the famous Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

4. Golden Gate Bridge, not just a feat of engineering, this 1.7 mile span offers incredible views of The City, the bay and the Pacific ocean. Be sure to visit Ft. Point under the bridge for a different view of this San Francisco Icon.

5. Explore Golden Gate Park, this large urban park can consume a whole day. The New Academy Science, Japanese Tea Garden, Deyoung Museum [American Art], the Arboretum, Bison Paddock, and Paddle boats are all worth a look and watch the sun go down over the Pacific over a drink or dinner at the Beach Chalet.

6. Chinatown, the most densely populated portion of San Francisco offers the largest Chinese center for shopping, food and unique architecture found outside of Asia. The best place to buy souvenirs to take home to friends and family.

7. North Beach, traditionally the Italian section of the city which has no beach but abounds in quaint shops, great restaurants and The City��s best coffee options.

8. Civic Center, the largest collection of Beaux Arts buildings in the US. Home to San Francisco City Hall, with a dome larger than the US Capital, the Asian Art Museum and the Modern San Francisco Library with its San Francisco History Room housing an eclectic collection of city artifacts and photographs.

9. Buena Vista Gardens, this urban park is home to; the Museum of Modern Art the Museum of The African Diaspora, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Cartoon Art Museum and the Metreon will keep you entertained for hours.

10. Twin Peaks, see The City and the bay spread out at your feet. Especially captivating at night when the lights seem to go on for ever.

Visit China Beach to get the best photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Take a tour of The Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown. It_s plenty of fun.

Drive down the _crookedest street in the world_ Lombard Street.

There are many good walking tours in S.F. Some of my favorites are Chinatown Fung Shui Walking Tour, Chinatown Ghost Walking Tour, Little Italy Walking Tour, and North Beach Walking Tour.

You_ll also want to visit Muir Woods (great scenic area to take a stroll just north of S.F.), Alcatraz, Fisherman_s Wharf, Coit Tower (go to the observation deck and enjoy the view), Pier 39 and The Embarcader for shopping, Golden Gate Park (the S.F. Botanical Gardens are lovely), The San Francisco Zoo, and The Cable Car Museum.

I wasn_t born and raised in San Francisco, but I have been living here for three years, so I think my answer would be legitimate. Tourists usually visit Downtown San Francisco, Union Square and City Hall. But there will always be places where tourists never get a chance to go see. There_s Golden Gate Park (it_s big, but I recommend going to the Japanese Tea Garden and the rose gardens, Conservatory of Flowers, Buffalo Paddock and that one lake near it), you can also get a magnificent view of the city at the top of Dolores Park, the park is basically a HUGE hill (right at the bottom of Dolores Park, is BiRite ice cream, the best ice cream in the city). I definitely recommend taking the scenic drive on the Great Highway starting from Ocean Beach. I also recommend eating some dim sum, we have the best Dim sum. Hope you have fun :D

check
http://www.bayareavisit.com/
for top 10 most visited sites in SF and around.

embarcadero

What ways are there to get to Portland, Oregon, from San Francisco, other than taking my car?|186545

I_m planning a family trip to there to visit relatives, are there any fast and not-so-expensive ways to get there other than me having to drive?
Thanks! :)

1. Hitchhike. I don_t know about California law, but in Oregon it is perfectly legal to hitchhike since the early 1970s. Don_t stand on the road. Stand behind a curb or on the sidewalk if possible, or as far away from traffic as practical within the highway right-of-way. Display a sign saying _Portland_ for faster pickup.

2. Amtrak is quoting $121 one way if departing today (Oakland to Portland). I_m not sure if the fares change from day to day or hour to hour like airlines.

3. Cheapest flight is $194 for tomorrow (from Oakland), but $124 for Sunday June 28th. Both are round trip on Alaska + American.

if you want to travel and get there fast check the airlines some have low fares. otherwise there is am track or greyhound but you wont get there fast. and sometimes the fare is not that cheap compare to airlines.
my favorite is alaska airlines not only do they have the best service but they always have low prices.

DON_T swim down the coastline----you_ll end up in San Diego. Swim UP the coastline. Seriously, Southwest Airlines should have a $39 fare on Ding!

Take someone elses car

Planes, trains, and very large buses.

Take the train my friend! Especially if you have no kids!

I would say, take Greyhound. Maybe not the fastest route, but definitely cheap.

swim down the coastline.

airline, bus, or train

train is fun!

Any ideas for a special night out with hubby?|197643

I_m planning a surprise trip to Chicago with my hubby (whisking him away for some R_R), and he_s never been there. I_m going to let him pick our daytime activities, but I would really like to take him someplace unique for a nice dinner or show (in the city). Does anybody have any suggestions? I_ve only done tourist type trips to Chicago, never got into the nightlife...Thanks!

See an improv show at Second City. Reserve tickets early--the shows sell out. Second City was the basis for the show _Saturday Night Live_ and is a great night out. Very unique to Chicago and the cast never disappoints. Then, if you walk west on North Avenue, you can go to the little dive bar that John Belushi and friends used to hang out at. I forget the name of it, but if you ask someone at Second City, they will know because that_s where they hang out too. It_s about two blocks west of North and Wells, on the south side of the street, and it_s a total dive. The bartenders know all the comedy stories if you get them talking.

Have a great time--Chicago_s a fun city.

horse drawn carriage if you have never done it?

Is there a Cubs game that weekend? That is a must.

Here is the absolute best thing!!
Take him to Tommy Guns Garage for dinner and a show. It is a wild night! You have to give a password at the door :) and then you have a great dinner and an interactive (there is audience participation!) show about gangsters and prohibition and runnin_ booze in Chicago in the _20s. It is a hoot!
You could really pull one over on your hubby - he_ll get a kick out of you _knowing_ the password at the door!


http://www.tommygunsgarage.com/


It is Chicago_s longest running audience interactive dinner theater show - most obviously because it is GREAT!

Does he like chocolate? The Peninsula is a beautiful hotel, and they have a chocolate buffet with live jazz.

You don_t say if you two are meat eaters, but if so take him to Fogo de Chao (
http://www.fogodechao.com/),
a meat lovers restaurant. You pay one price and are served about seven different kinds of meat by waiters dressed as gauchos who bring it to your table on skewers and slice it right there. Beef ancho, fillet mignon, pichana, alcatra (top sirloin), fraldinha (bottom sirloin), cordeiro (lamb), frango (chicken drumsticks and chicken breasts wrapped in bacon), etc. They give you a card and when you_re ready for something new, you flip the card the green side and when you want to take a break, you flip it to the red side. It_s a unique dining experience.

As far as a show, try Zanies comedy club (
http://www.chicago.zanies.com/).
It_s the top stand up comedy place in town. There are different acts almost each night, but I_ve had a good time every time I_ve gone. And they say that laughter is a great aphrodisiac :)

You might also want to check out the Green Mill Jazz lounge (
http://www.greenmilljazz.com/).
Even if you_re not a big fan of jazz, you_ll love the atmosphere. The place used to be the hangout of Al Capone and still retains some of that aura. There are dark booths, waiters in ties and aprons and great music almost every night of the week (except Sunday when they hold the weekly Poetry Slam, which is also a great time). Dress up a little (you don_t have to, though) and pretend you_re both members of the Rat Pack waiting for Frank or Sammy to show up. I was there one time and to my left Ani DiFrank (an indie music star who had a concert nearby) and former SNL star Nora Dunn, and on my right was Jeremy Piven and John Cusak. It was weird. But be warned: lines have been known to form to get it. The place isn_t that big, so you may want to get there earlier in the evening.

I agree with the dinner cruise on Lake Michigan. They have many different kinds that have different prices, so if you_re looking at a more expensive, romatic cruise, they have one, and if you_re looking for just a more casual cruise, they have one.

A dinner cruise. There are several to choose from.

You never did say when you were coming...prior to your visit you might want to check the site Metromix which has virtually every kind of activity you can think of including dining places (Chicago is a virtual melting pot of restaurants with food from all over the world) and entertainment.

Personally he might like a good steak dinner at one of the many steak houses just north of the Loop area. From Ruth Chris_s to Mortons (which is more local) there might be a steakhouse just for him.

Theaterwise....if you can find tickets, Blue Man Group might be one of the most unique shows you will ever see....caution though as tickets sell out way in advance. If you want a taste of Broadway, the Broadway in Chicago shows are cool to see as well. Currently Wicked is continuing its long run at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts....also The Color Purple which is based on Oprah Winfrey_s bestseller is playing.

But if Broadway is not your thing, there are many smaller more intimate theaters. As was mentioned in a previous answer, Second City which is in Old Town is an excellent choice. All around the city there are other more local theaters you can check out as well.

Have fun...Chicago is a great place to go in the summertime!!

You could go to dinner at the Signature Room in the Hancock Building.

For Dinner try Geja_s. Very romantic dinners there/


http://www.gejascafe.com/

Where is a nice place to live in or near the Daytona Florida area?|197245

My family and are moving to Daytona and we are not sure what area we should buy in. We would like a hip area with lots of things to do. We are in our early thirties with one son. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Is it worth it to look into buying a foreclosure?

Ormond Beach has the best schools in the Daytona area. I would look with a real estate agent, Some of the foreclosures in Florida have been stripped or vandalized, and you may be able to get as good a deal with someone who has more equity in the property and has to sell. I have a friend who bought a house from an elderly woman who just wanted to move for the same price as a foreclosure and it was in beautiful condition and in a stable neighborhood.

I live in Port Orange. It is the city south of daytona. You could also try Ponce Inlet.

Either way you won_t be walking as most things are a short drive away.

My buddy does only forclosures and there are some excellent deals.

Send me a message if you are serious.

Should have a look at the site of the City of Daytona. Regarding to the foreclosure, maybe you can get more information at sites about Real Estate in the zone.

Hi Brian, I hope you have a job lined up because FL unemployment is a point above the national average at 8.1% and Daytona was rather quiet the last time I went. I think Daytona is cool though.

Leaving aside the Green Bay Packers, what is Green Bay and the surround part of Wisconsin like?|137182

What_s the ethnic mix of the population? How the economy? Who are the important local politicians? Other local sites?

Green Bay has a strong Hmong population. It is like most towns in the Midwest.
The outskirts are all farmland and woods.