I offer free movie tickets and popcorn to y'all. Don't know when you're coming to town, but we'll probably be showing Volver until Christmas. Call the Clay Theatre and ask for Bryan.

Hi, TJs --

Loved your visit to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. But the story continues. I'd recommend trying a San Francisco City Guides free tour of the Castro District to learn a little about the LGBT community and their own struggles for equal rights. Tours happen on Sundays. Learn about the assassinations of Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk back in the '70's, and what made the Castro -- and San Francisco -- what it is today. Check out the following link for availability: http://www.sfcityguides.org/.

Naturally, you can't leave San Francisco without a local Anchor Steam Beer, and of course, sourdough bread and Dungeness crab (it's currently crab season here). Sounds touristy, but I'm a local guy, and I have crab and sourdough every chance I get.

Chinatown? Might seem a little odd since you're from Australasia, but it's such an integral part of the City that it might be worth a walk through, particularly if you have someone along who can give you some of its rich history.

The scene on Valencia Street in the Mission offers a chance to mingle with other young people and to take a look at some of the City's Hispanic heritage. There's also the Levi Strauss Musemn at 250 Valencia, free on Tue-Wed with tours at 9:00 am 11:00 am and 1:30 pm. After all, Levis were invented in San Francisco, and Levi bluejeans have a direct tie-in to the Gold Rush of 1849.

An adventure via BART that will tell you all you ever wanteed to know about California and the San Francisco Bay Area is the Oakland Museum of California very near the Lake Merritt BART Station in Oakland. It's amazing. Current exhibits: http://www.museumca.org/exhibit/index.html

Alcatraz is actually quite interesting, and it presents well on TV. It's a great afternoon excursion. So is Angel Island, which for many years was known as the Ellis Island of the West. The tie-in with Asia is really poignant, as many Chinese immigrants were held for weeks
or months in the Angel Island barracks, awaiting admittance to the US. Many were turned away and sent back to China. Their carved poems of despair line the walls.

Don't forget North Beach and the legacy of the Beat Generation poets and writers. Hit Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore at 261 Columbus Avenue
http://www.citylights.com/ and take a look at the vibrant Italian-American community.

Fisherman's Wharf is mainly geared to tourists. I'd suggest getting a sense of the waterfront by visiting the historic and recently refurbished Ferry Building that survived the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. It's a great place to shop and have lunch at the very foot of Market Street.

Riding a cable car is now rather expensive, but the trip to the Wharf on the Hyde Street Line is worth it. Stop at the Cable Car Museum with all its working 19th century Jules Verne-sized machinery. It's free: http://www.cablecarmuseum.org/

OK, I'll stop. Sorry to be so long-winded. There's enough of San Francisco to keep you busy for a month (it's kept me busy for many years!), so pick and choose carefully. Love your show, and welcome to the City by the Bay!

Ron
roninoz@pacbell.net

You should go down to monterey bay if you have time (about 2 hours from the city) there is no other place like it in the world. I recommend going to big sur or carmel to enjoy the scenery or visiting the monterey bay aquariumwww.montereybayaquarium.com. You can also visit the childhood home of John Steinback in Salinas Valley (about 15 miles from monterey) and visit Cannery Row, a setting where one of his books was based on. If you don't feel up to the drive, visit see's candies. they started in San Francisco and they still make all their chocolates by hand. stinkymonkey94@yahoo.comEnjoy

While you're in the Christmas mood, one of the best Victorian homes all decorated up is on Castro Street, between 14th Street and Duboce Avenue. You can't miss it, and it's absolutely incredible. I don't have the exact address, but my partner and I go there every year to see it. Enjoy! doug1087 from San Jose

quote:

Originally posted by bluntskull:
hey guys, the Dickens Christmas Fair will be at the Cow Palace. Its really one of the best Christmas things to do during the holiday season. Its best to go in the morning and stay for the day lots of shows to see and they run through most of Dicken's stories are played out on the "streets". They have the best food there too, the french onion soup is to die for and the bangers and mash, heaven on a plate. But the thing that brings me back every year is the chocolate eggnog, well that and the French postcard show usually held near the end of the day. Its really risque' but quite worth the wait.

I'm so glad to hear you guys are coming to San Fran!

If you want to go back in time to the 60's check out Haight and Ashbury Street. Very colorful and some wild characters. For the music lovers theres a really great music store called Amoeba. Used cds/vinyls are pretty cheap and you can find just about anything in there! just to go in and see all the people throughout the store is great too.

Alcatraz. Of course you should check this out, but I recommend seeing it at night time. Alcatraz is famous for being haunted. Maybe a little $$ but it is also great way to see the San Francisco sky line at night and maybe see a few ghosts! Here's more information. Alcatraz night tour

Trolleys are a great way to get around the city. It could be exhausting walking up and down the streets. You'll know what I mean!

Have fun TJ's!

Lots to do.

Touristy must sees include the Golden Gate, Lombard Street, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, cable car ride(don't forget the sourdough and Dungeness Crab), Chinatown.

Cheap eats on Clement or Geary in the Sunset district. Try Spices I or II for spicy Taiwanese style food(they have stinky tofu). If the TJ's happen to be in the East Bay/Berkeley try the lively Thai Temple Brunch on Sundays or Vik's Chaat. Red's Java House is something of a landmark.

For museums, I would go to the recently opened De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park to see Modern Art in a spectacular building. Equally as beautiful is the Legion of Honor not far away.

San Francisco is a city of views: Marin Headlands, Twin Peaks, Coit Tower, Alamo Square, Mt. Tam, the Observation tower of the de Young.

Shopping Union Square and the new San Francisco Center anchored by Bloomingdales, one of the best shopping districts and urban malls in the country. Off Union Square is Belden Place, a beautiful place to have dinner. The alley has been closed off to traffic and the restaurants here have set the tables out on the street. Reminds me of Europe.

For the splurge, I would consider A GoCar tour(little GPS 2 seater gocarts)of San Francisco . Since San Francisco is the ultimate dining city would also consider a splurge in one of the fine restaurants. Gary Danko, Fleur de Lys, Myth, Jai Yun, lots of great sushi restaurants. How about Teatro Zinzanni on the waterfront, part circus/dinner theatre/cabaret?

quirky things to do include looking for the wild parrots of telegraph hill, or checking out the houseboat community in Sausalito.

Hey TJ's while you are in San Fransisco you should check out Fishermans Wharf. Lots of sight seeing, people watching, great food, and live seals packed into the harbor. While you are there be sure to go to Ghirardelli Chocolates and grab some of the best chocolate in the area. You can ride a cable car and catch the ferry to Alcatraz from the Wharf. You should for sure go there and get some real American history. Have fun--don't eat too much chocolate =)

Don't miss the Bushman on Pier 39!

Hi again TJ's, just had another idea. While you are in SF you should check out Ripleys Believe It Or Not Museum. They have all kinds of weird attractions like a two headed cow, and a shrunken human torso etc... Yes you guys have gone to a number of museums on your trip but none like this oddity. Enjoy!

Hello
I'm so glad that the TJ's are going to my hometown of San Fransisco. I would like to share with you some of my favorite places there. When I go home, I always am sure to go to Ocean Beach and the Cliff House. There you will find the ruins of Sutro Baths. My mom remembers going there as a child, but it burned down and never rebuilt. As a kid, my friends and I uses to roam all over those ruins and in that big cave there (you'll see what I mean). We also used to go out on that rock and fish off of it.

You must also check out Sausalito across the bay for the day - it's beautiful there and they have some of the BEST Italian food on the planet. You can ferry, but it's also cool to go across the Golden Gate Bridge. If you go across the bridge, once you are on the Marin Side of the bridge, you can take a drive to the top of the hill (or mountain as it were) and there you can find the MOST spectacular view of the the bay including the City, the East Bay, most of Marin and out to sea. It's awesome.

Also, take a drive through the Presidio - it was one of the oldest Army Bases in the United States until recently. I used to live down the hill from the Arquello Gate and loved to ride my bike to look at all the old buildings and tall trees.

Clement and Geary Streets are a great place to find diversity - you have every kind of restaurant, bakery, deli from all over. You can get some of the best dim sum or russian piroski's, you name it. VERY diverse. My fav bakery is on 6th and Clement - best baked pork buns ever!!

San Fransisco offers a lot in the way of museums also. The Legion of Honor is one often overlooked. It is in the Richmond District, just off the Presidio. It also has some beautiful views of the Golden Gate. Also, there is the MUSÉE MECANIQUE. It used to be housed at the Cliff House for years and years but has been moved down to Fishermans Wharf. It has all old time amusement games - really old is in from the early 1900's old. It's pretty cool. It's now housed in old pier 45, just down from Alioto's. While your down in that area, have some fresh cooked Dungeness Crab and some sourdough bread...MMM!

Stop by the Buena Vista Inn when at the Wharf also for the best Irish Coffee ever - and it's pretty famous also. It's been featured in a lot of movies. But the coffee...MMMMMMM!!

Girls - for some cool shopping - try Union St. Great boutiques and some great eats also. Try the onion soup at Perrys!

As you can see, I love SF and every time I go there I get soooo nostalgic. Whatever you do, you are going to have a wonderful time!

Best to you All

i would really recommend that you guys rent a bike and ride across the golden gate bridge. my sister and dad did it the last time we were there and they thought it was amazing. you will be picked up on the other side of the bay by boat and then brought back.

Hi TJs! I'm super excited that you guys will be going to San Francisco since its my hometown. Too bad I won't be there or I would love to take you around! I'm sure you've gotten many of the same suggestions but it also seems like a lot of those things require $, which you guys don't have a lot of. How about highlighting some free activities?

*Weekends in Golden Gate Park often have free plays or whatnot going on. Its usually at the entrance (Martin Luther King Jr. Drive). You can also find the Children's playground there. All the things on the playground (like swings and slides) are "adult size". It's a great way to meet locals too who bring their kids there. They might have some good tips for you guys along the way. That area is also only a few blocks from the Japanese tea garden and the De Young Museum (I like the 9th and Lincoln streets entrance).

*You should definitely go to Cliff House area. Its at one end of Ocean beach (end of Richmond district) and it has some cool cliffs you can explore and hang out by the Pacific Ocean--perhaps you guys can see home if you look really hard hehehe. And at night, the local kids like to build bonfires along the beach so perhaps going right at dusk would be the thing to do. A great sunset along the beach and some time by the bonfire!

*San Francisco is definitely famous for Haight-Ashbury streets as the center of the 60s and 70s hippie movement. It has some great retro shops and some interesting restaurants. Just seeing the neighborhood should give you a good feel of what it must've been like at the height of the movement.

*And what is a trip to San Francisco without a cable car ride or seeing the Golden Gate Bridge?!?! I believe the cable car rides are $5 and you would board at the stop off of Market and Powell streets. And you guys should take the 28 bus to the Golden Gate Bridge! It's a great way to see the neighborhoods of Sunset and Richmond and cheap too!

Whatever you guys decide to do, I am looking forward to watching your adventures! Good luck and have lots of fun!

Aloha TJs!

A great place to visit is Locke, CA (www.locketown.com)

Locke was founded in 1915 after a fire broke out in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove. The Chinese who lived in that area decided that it was time to establish a town of their own. A committee of Chinese merchants, led by Lee Bing, was formed. They approached land owner George Locke and inquired if they could build on his land. An agreement was reached. The town was laid out by Chinese architects and industrious building ensued. The founding of Lockeport, later 'Locke', was a reality. By 1920 Locke stood essentially as you will see it today!

My late (Filipino) Grandmother used to go down to Locke and gamble with the other hard working immigrants ... a visit to Locke would be like stepping back in time - a glimpse into America's not too long ago history.

Mahalo Nui!

Michelle Burge

Hey there TJ's. Even after 12 years here I can't think of ANYWHERE I would rather live. I'd like to extend an invite to join my dog and I for a walk up to the top of Buena Vista Park. It's located right at the start of the famed Haight/Ashbury and offers a 3 bridge view...The Golden Gate, The Bay Bridge and The Richmond/San Raphael Bridge. From the park you can stroll along Haight Street and see where our country lost Its innocence and started saying NO to Vietnam. Hey...I lived about 5 blocks from the Liberty Bell in Philly and haven't lost my love of sharing things I enjoy.

I just recently went to San Francisco for the first time and loved every minute. Definately check out the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Marina Drive, Van Ness Ave, Fisherman's Wharf. Drive up to the twin peaks to get a FABULOUS view of the entire San Francisco area. Trust me, it is spectacular. It is a clean city and there is a lot of outdoor areas to enjoy. The weather is very temperate as well. Keep in mind you are extremely close to Oakland and San Jose and if you can, head down to Monterey and take 17 mile drive. Have Fun!