Anyone been to San Fransisco?

[Bubbs]

Off to a wedding over there and not been before. Will be there for 3 weeks.

5 days will be taken up travelling to San Diego along the coast, but anything I really need to see in San Fran?

I know of:

- Golden Gate Bridge
- Alcatraz

Anything else?

Muchos gracias
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Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

[Skudd]

I went to the Golden Gate Bridge......................... and it was RED. Very disappointed.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[chris-red]

[Rigga]

Go to the twin peaks radio masts where you get an awesome view of the city for photos etc.
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Current bike: Honda CBR 1100xx

[pits]

[barrkel]

I used to visit every 3 months when I worked for a company in the valley.

The usual tourist area in SF is Pier 39 (Fisherman's Wharf), but it's filled with tat and crap.

I've not been to Alcatraz, but I've been across most of the bridges. There's gun emplacements on the hillside on the far side of the Golden Gate, which is a toll bridge don't forget. I have stronger memories of the SF / Oakland bay bridge.

Check out Lombard street if you get the chance. The steepness of the streets is a bit mind-boggling. Walking over the city from e.g. Market St to the piers on the north is quite a hike.

Route 1 along the coast is a very nice drive. There are narrower roads in the Santa Cruz mountains I've ridden on an MP3, but many of them are very narrow and twisty indeed.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
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[prizefighter]

I definitely wouldn't recommend Yosemite currently....

https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57600060/massive-yosemite-wildfire-threatens-san-francisco-reservoirs/

Or tap water...
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ZX6r J1
Aprilia RSV1000R

[BTTD]

If you want to see Alcatraz book it before you go. It gets fully booked up in the holiday season weeks in advance.
If you like the Dirty Harry movies, or Monk, you'll recognise a lot of the land marks.
Lombard street with it's zig zag hill of steepness is worth a look. Cars were queuing to drive down it (bloody tourists) so I walked it.
China town is probably worth a wander around.
There's the book store where Jack Kerouac and the beatnics used to hang out - but it's just a bookstore tbh.

There are some decent surf breaks within driving distance, but I read guides that descibed them as "can be a bit bitey" referring to the potential for sharks at certain times of the year. I gave that a miss.

A couple of hours inland is Sacramento, the state capital. Do not bother stopping. Another hour or so past that and you're at Lake Tahoe. It's 6000ft above sea level, some pretty amazing scenery. Boats in the summer, skiing in the winter.

[Im-a-Ridah]

Is it a gay wedding?

[andys675]

If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

sorry, couldn't resist.
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[Simeski]

Carmel has a really nice beach. It's also the town Clint Eastwood used to be mayor of.

Also, across the bay is Sausalito which is not too bad either.
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Suzuki RG125 Honda CBR400 Kawasaki ZX7R Bandit 600 Yamaha XJR 1200Kawasaki ZX7R - Again!

[waffles]

Coit Tower will give you good views of the city, its free to go in but you have to pay to go up the top (less than $10 I think) and it looks like a massive fire hose.

Golden Gate Park is supposed to be really nice if you need to walk around and burn off some calories. Or have a walk then stuff yourself stupid with tasty food. Either/or.

By the Golden Gate Bridge is the Presidio Social Club which apparently does a cocktail happy hour and dinner. Or the Ferry Building is also supposed to be good for food.

Or there are some ideas here or indeed here
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Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[Deaks]

Went last year and really liked San Fran.

Apart from the places the OP mentioned I went to;

Fisherman's Wharf area is quite nice, good seafood places.

Golden Gate National Park. Just north of Golden Gate Bridge (unsurprisingly) some great views of the pacific coast. If you go across the Golden Gate Bridge you will pretty much end up there as the area immediately north of the bridge.

Coit Tower, tall round tower on Telegraph Hill, gets good view of the city and the bay area.

Also I second booking Alcatraz in advance.
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Suzuki SV650S '04 (09/08-02/11), Triumph Tiger 1050 '07 (02/11 - current).

Live to Ride. Ride to Feel Alive.

[fatpies]

Wonder if this is just hyperbole.

https://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-san-francisco-worst-awesome-city-in-america/
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"It's easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It's a lot more difficult to perform one"

[10 pence Short]

[spnorm]

We did a 17 day tour on a rented RT last year. The Los Angeles Crest Highway to the east of LA is a must when heading past LA. One of the best biking roads I've ridden.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/8774552813_33af8b350c_c.jpg

The Pacific Coast Highway only gets interesting north of Morro Beach, but the Big Sur Section does live up to the hype.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2808/9610811606_70476f36de_c.jpg

We stopped overnight in Carmel and Santa Barbara. The latter is nothing special (great steak in Holdren's restaurant) but Carmel is lovely.

San Francisco was lovely (unlike LA which is a toilet). Lombard Street and Fishermans Wharf were nice to stroll around. The Golden Gate Bridge is beautiful. Alcatraz was great, but the crowds were overwhelming. I've been subsequently told I should have booked the very first tour in a morning or an evening tour. Tickets can be booked a few months in advance.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2810/8774552715_bd505b7a6f_c.jpg

[Skudd]

Should this thread be in Touring and Exploration ?

Mods had better get it moved before CaNsA sees it.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[Bubbs]

[Walloper]

Only one thing I can think of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdvCqUguIh8
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[prizefighter]

[spnorm]

[prizefighter]

Thanks dude
To be honest I wasn't expecting anything less than that (I might have been hoping though ).

I did a 12 day tour of Boston->Pittsburgh->Philly->Atlantic City->New York back in January and it cost just under 3.5k just for flights and accomodation.

I'll check out Eaglerider for a bike rental.

Thanks again
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Aprilia RSV1000R

[Bubbs]

[keggyhander]

I've been to SF but the only thing I'll add is to have a go on those old-looking tram things (they call them cable cars).

Alcatraz is awesome.

[Walloper]