Get your nature (hi there, Giant Sequoias!), Alcatraz history, public parks are full of live music and farmers' markets, the piers and wharves, the food, the MOST crooked street in America...take a trolley (or use the BART) and send a postcard. Lots to check out in San Francisco.

We&#39;re in San Francisco, California, with my new friend Ruth Carlson, the author of “Secret San Francisco” by Reedy Press. We talk about Fleet Week, murals at Coit Tower &amp; schooners at Hyde Park. Show notes are at <a href="https://WeTravelThere.com/sanfran">https://WeTravelThere.com/sanfran</a> Indulge in the timeless production of &#34;O&#34; by Cirque du Soleil, an aquatic tapestry of artistry, surrealism, and theatrical romance performed in, on and above water. Intermission is Over. Now Performing only at Bellagio, Las Vegas. Buy tickets now at <a href="https://cirquedusoleil.com/O">cirquedusoleil.com/O</a>

San Francisco, CA | Fleet Week, Coit Tower & Hyde Park Schooners

On this episode of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson speaks with three San Francisco insiders and uncovers some great ways to experience the City by the Bay. First, Johnson speaks with Josh Armel, owner of the Painted Ladies Tour Company. Armel discusses the city’s rich past and the unique advantages of touring San Francisco’s historic neighborhoods in vintage Volkswagen buses. Each of the lovingly restored vehicles have their own personality, not to mention eyelashes that adorn their headlights. Next, Johnson learns how to plan the perfect literary-inspired weekend with Erica Messner, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The San Franciscan magazine. From taking in poetry readings at a local pub and tasting out-of-this-world focaccia in North Beach to whale watching around the Farallon Islands, Messner has no shortage of hidden gems to explore. And finally, Johnson connects with MeeSun Boice, owner of the bar/restaurant Mersea on Treasure Island. The island, Boice points out, is one of San Francisco’s best-kept secrets and well worth a visit. And with a new ferry service coming soon, it’s about to become much more popular.

How to Hack San Francisco

You can call it the City by the Bay, Fog City, SF, San Fran...just don&#39;t call it Frisco. This week we are chatting with Leslie Harvey from Trips with Tykes to get her best tips for exploring San Francisco with kids. ON THE PODCAST 032: Chatting with Tamara from Nashville 055: Nashville food tour 2:50 Nashville food scene 7:00 Grand Ole Opry 9:41 Union Station Hotel 12:01 Welcoming back Leslie Harvey 13:30 How long to spend in San Francisco 15:12 Must do sites in San Francisco 17:15 Pier 39 and Fisherman&#39;s Wharf 18:39 Getting to the city from the airport 20:03 Getting around the city 21:36 Walt Disney Family Museum 22:38 Best time of year to visit 23:25 Day trips from San Francisco 25:50 Distance to Disneyland 30:56 Best hotels for families 35:00 Best restaurants for families 38:38 Budget tips 41:29 Best place to take a family photo 43:55 Final tips 45:28 Leslie&#39;s favorite travel gear 47:55 Tip of the week ABOUT LESLIE HARVEY Leslie Harvey publishes <a href="http://tripswithtykes.com">Trips With Tykes</a>, a family travel blog that focuses on the joys and challenges of travel with babies, toddlers, and young kids. Her travel passions include all things Disney as well as air travel, even in spite of her constant battles with the TSA over her toddler&#39;s juice box. Leslie is a former attorney and mother of two children, ages 8 and 3. She&#39;s originally from Alabama but now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home. Follow Leslie on <a href="http://facebook.com/tripswithtykes">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/tripswithtykes">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/tripswithtykes">Pinterest</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/tripswithtykes">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://plus.google.com/&#43;LeslieHarvey/">Google &#43;.</a> TIPS FOR EXPLORING SAN FRANCISCO WITH KIDS <li>You need at least three days to visit San Francisco and you can easily spend up to a week.</li><li>Must see sites in San Francisco include: Lombard Street, Alcatraz, Ferry Building, Pier 39, Alamo Square (with the Painted Ladies from Full House), Golden Gate Park, Walt Disney Family Museum, and Chinatown</li><li>You must book tickets for the boat to Alcatraz in advance</li><li>Pier 39 (where the sea lions are) / Fisherman&#39;s Wharf is very touristy so it is worth a visit but don&#39;t plan on spending all your time there</li><li>The Aquarium by the Bay is a great way to learn about the local ecosystem</li><li>If you drive, get an app to find parking but it would be best to leave the car at home and use public transportation</li><li>To get from the airport, you can take a BART train to Union Square but if you are staying elsewhere, you may want to take an Uber or Lyft. It is about a 30-minute drive without too much traffic.</li><li>Use public transportation in the city and if you want to get out of the city, you can rent a car for the day from an office in the system</li><li>The cable car is used as a tourist attraction and not as much for reliable transportation</li><li>Summer is the foggiest but September is the sunniest and warmest so fall is the best time to come. Winter is the rainy season.</li><li>Best day trips from San Francisco include Sonoma or Napa, Muir Woods, Monterey, or the East Bay like Oakland</li><li>Disneyland is a 5-6 hour drive from San Francisco</li><li>Hotels are centered in Union Square and Fisherman&#39;s Wharf. Union Square is more centrally located. You need to watch the convention schedule because when large conventions come into town hotels sell out and are extremely expensive (check the Moscone Convention Center schedule).</li><li>The Westin St. Francis is expensive but you can find deals if you travel off peak.</li><li>The Fairmont on top Nob Hill is also great with a fun tiki bar.</li><li>If you use Airbnb, be careful about what neighborhood you choose.</li><li>Check the San Francisco Chronicle&#39;s top 100 restaurant list for fine dining options.</li><li>Good dining options for kids: <li>Yank Sing dim sum</li><li>Burritos in the Mission District</li><li>Ethnic food</li><li>Food trucks (Off the Grid has pop up locations)</li> </li><li>There are many free things to do in San Francisco</li><li>Do the math on CityPass or GoCard to see if it will pay for itself</li><li>Using the sharing economy (Uber, Lyft, etc) to save money</li><li>Limit how many museums you do as they are expensive</li><li>Be prepared that you may need to walk a lot of hills and plan your route accordingly</li> BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO <li>Take a photo with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background from the scenic overlook across the bridge (if you head north to Sausalito)</li><li>Another great spot to take a family photo would be at the Chinatown Gate, in Alamo Park, or at the corner of Haight &amp; Ashbury</li> FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR Leslie wears a pair of black Mary Jane-style Crocs when she visits San Francisco. Just don&#39;t wear sneakers or you will look like a tourist. TIP OF THE WEEK The fog in San Francisco makes it feel much colder than you think it will be. Be sure to bring a raincoat but also something thicker and dress in layers. MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST <a href="http://www.walkeatnashville.com">Walk Eat Nashville Food tour</a> <a href="http://hattieb.com">Hattie B&#39;s Hot Chicken</a> <a href="https://www.opry.com">Grand Ole Opry</a> <a href="http://www.unionstationhotelnashville.com">Union Station Hotel Nashville</a> <a href="https://www.aquariumofthebay.org">Aquarium by the Bay</a> <a href="http://waltdisney.org">Walt Disney Family Museum</a> <a href="https://we3travel.com/2-days-in-san-francisco-with-kids/">Two Days in San Francisco with Kids</a> <a href="https://we3travel.com/is-citypass-or-go-card-san-francisco-worth-it/">Is CityPass San Francisco worth it?</a> <a href="https://we3travel.com/family-friendly-wineries-in-sonoma/">Family-friendly wineries in Sonoma</a> <a href="https://we3travel.com/tips-for-driving-the-california-coast/">Tips for Driving the California Coast</a> <a href="https://we3travel.com/tips-for-visiting-hearst-castle-with-kids/">Tips for Visiting Hearst Castle with Kids</a> <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7484453/type/dlg/sid/newport/https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60713-d81461-Reviews-The_Westin_St_Francis_San_Francisco_on_Union_Square-San_Francisco_California.html">Westin St. Francis </a> <a href="http://yanksing.com">Yank Sing dim sum</a> <a href="http://tripswithtykes.com/2016/09/20/free-things-to-do-in-san-francisco-with-kids/">25 Free things to do in San Francisco</a> FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vacation-mavens/id1088732340">iTunes</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid&#61;84422&amp;refid&#61;stpr">Stitcher</a>, or <a href="https://play.google.com/music/m/Irqum22lymaujsl43iyps22vndu?t%3DVacation_Mavens_Family_Travel_Podcast"> Google Play</a> and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at &#43;1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on <a href="http://stuffedsuitcase.com/">Stuffed Suitcase</a> and <a href="http://we3travel.com/">We3Travel</a>, or follow the Vacation Mavens on <a href="http://instagram.com/vacationmavens">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/vacationmavens">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/vacationmavens">Twitter</a>. Thanks for listening!

068 Exploring San Francisco with Kids

Our first stop is the Bay Model in Sausalito, a roughly 1.5-acre model of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta system. We visit The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, which pays tribute to over 100 years of surfing in the area. Our last stop is at Musée Mécanique where we meet the owner of this vast coin-operated collection.Additional Reading:<a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11778612/12-off-beat-museums-in-the-bay-area-to-visit-this-fall">12 Off-Beat Museums in the Bay Area To Visit This Fall</a>Santa Cruz Museum Shines Light on the History of SurfingReported by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Bianca Taylor and Maggie Galloway. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho and Patricia Yollin.

You Gotta Check Out These Offbeat Museums

This week, The Beat Museum, City Lights Bookstore and the movement of a Generation that all started in San Francisco, California in the 1950s. These artists wielded their medium to question mainstream politics and culture, ushering a renaissance of new ways of thinking and creating in the world.
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City Light‘s Bookstore & The Beat Generation

On this episode, Kellee chats with Damien McDuffie, the the Director of Brand Strategy &amp; Archives at the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation in Oakland, CA. Damien shares his favorite spots in Oakland, his experiences preserving the legacy of the Black Panther Party, as well as his work supporting Black art and culture in Oakland through the use of augmented reality technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Exploring the Past and the Future in Oakland

Samantha Brown, PBS host of  <a href="https://samantha-brown.com/episodes/">Samantha Brown’s Places to Love</a> talks about the gorgeous views along Highway One and raves about the area’s iconic destinations and also celebrates some of the hidden gems in the region and shares her insights about how to experience them. Outdoor expert and author Ann Marie Brown, offers essential advice on <a href="http://www.visitcalifornia.com/in/attraction/californias-epic-waterfalls">chasing waterfalls</a> in the Golden State, including what to wear and where to go. And finally, acclaimed chef Tanya Holland takes listeners on a tour of her restaurant, Brown Sugar Kitchen, and shares her favorite places to see in the vibrant, diverse <a href="http://www.visitcalifornia.com/in/destination/spotlight-oakland">city of Oakland</a>.

Big Sur, Waterfalls, Oakland

Along the eastern edge of San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area sits a jetty, constructed from an assortment of granite and marbel pieces taken from the demolition of the Laurel Hill Cemetery. Upon it, an art installation like no other. This week, the wave-activated acoustic sculpture known as The Wave Organ, one of many pieces created on-site at San Francisco’s Exploratorium.

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San Francisco

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