| No visit to San Francisco is complete without visiting | | | | bicycles. |
| some of the most popular San Francisco tourist | | | | Spreckels Lake - where you can watch the miniature |
| destinations. Here is a sampling of seven must-see | | | | radio-controlled boat races. |
| places you have to check out on your next visit: | | | | Bison Paddock - Located along John F. Kennedy Dr., |
| 1) California Palace of the Legion of Honor | | | | the Bison Paddock is an exhibit of the San Francisco |
| Located at 34th Avenue & Clement Street, The | | | | Zoo where you can see, what else, bison! |
| California Palace of the Legion of Honor is an art | | | | 5) Union Square |
| experience you won't want to miss. First off, there's | | | | Union Square is the place to go for serious shopping. |
| the building itself. Built in 1924, the Legion of Honor is | | | | Bound by Stockton, Powell, Post and Geary, several |
| a three-quarter scale replica of the Palais de La | | | | buses run to the area and it's a short walk from |
| Légion d'Honneur in Paris, built to honor the | | | | many of the most commonly used hotels. There's |
| 3,600 Californians who lost their lives on the | | | | also a BART and Muni (subway) exit at Market |
| battlefields of France during World War I. | | | | Street. |
| After being wowed by the building, you will probably | | | | Or, you can stay at the Grand Hyatt on Union |
| want to view the collection of Rodin sculptures, as | | | | Square and just walk from your room. |
| well as some other notable acquisitions, including | | | | Everywhere you walk in the Union Square area you'll |
| Claude Monet's "The Grand Canal, Venice," 1908 and | | | | find store after store after store, such as: Macy's, |
| El Greco's "St. John the Baptist," circa 1600. | | | | Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, |
| 2) Alcatraz | | | | Giorgiao Armani, H&M, Hermes, Baccarat and Gianni |
| Who knew touring a former prison could become so | | | | Versace. |
| popular? | | | | 6) Haight Ashbury ("The Haight") |
| Alcatraz is a an island a few miles off the coast of | | | | Well, it's not Union Square, but it might not be what |
| San Francisco which had been used as a military | | | | you'd expect either. While Haight Ashbury was the |
| prison in 1907, then as a Federal prison in the 1930s, | | | | center of "hippiedom" in the 1960s, the Haight today |
| housing the most hardened criminals. Some of its | | | | is home to exclusive boutiques, high-end |
| most famous prisoners include: George Kelly, bank | | | | vintage-clothing shops, hip clubs and cafés. No |
| robber and kidnapper, also known as "Machine Gun | | | | matter what you're into you'll find something you like |
| Kelly;" Floyd Hamilton, driver for Bonnie and Clyde; | | | | in the Haight, whether it's a hemp bracelet, collectible |
| and Al Capone, Chicago Mob Boss, known as | | | | kitchenware, punk t-shirts, skateboard gear, a Ben |
| "Scarface." | | | | and Jerry's ice cream or a vintage gown costing over |
| In 1973, Alcatraz was incorporated into the National | | | | $1,000. |
| Parks system and became a tourist attraction. Since | | | | While you're in the neighborhood you can walk by |
| then, over 14 million visitors have taken the 10-minute | | | | former houses of 1960s musicians, including the |
| boat ride from Pier 41 in San Francisco to see 'The | | | | former home of the members of the Grateful Dead |
| Rock'. Tickets generally sell out, sometimes weeks in | | | | at 710 Ashbury, the former home of Janis Joplin at |
| advance. | | | | 112 Lyon, and the former home of the Jefferson |
| 3) Chinatown | | | | Airplane at 2400 Fulton. |
| Chinatown is home to the largest Asian population | | | | 7) Neighborhoods on the Muni Metro and Bus Lines |
| outside China, and is located in an area near North | | | | Of course, San Francisco is more than just popular |
| Beach, bound roughly by Grant Avenue and Bush | | | | tourist spots. People actually do live there. Why not |
| Street, Broadway and Larkin Street. Here you'll find | | | | go to some not-so-touristy areas located along the |
| shopping and great food, including Mee Mee Bakery | | | | bus and Muni Metro line routes and check out some |
| at 1328 Stockton between Broadway and Vallejo. | | | | really fun and unique neighborhoods, most of which |
| Mee Mee's is reputed to be the originator of the | | | | have their own shopping areas? |
| fortune cookie. For great seafood, one of your best | | | | Neighborhoods you might want to visit and |
| bets would be Yuet Lee at 1300 Stockton Street, | | | | experience include: the Castro, which is the |
| near where North Beach and Chinatown merge. | | | | predominately gay neighborhood with many unique |
| 4) Golden Gate Park | | | | and fun shops along Castro Street; Noe Valley, a |
| You can easily spend an entire day at Golden Gate | | | | neighborhood of Victorians with a great shopping |
| Park - and you should. It's great to just go there and | | | | district along 24th Street; and the Inner Richmond, |
| walk, or sit and enjoy the day. But, if you're into | | | | which many consider the "New Chinatown," with a |
| exploring, there's certainly enough for you to explore, | | | | great abundance of good Asian restaurants. You'll also |
| such as: | | | | find an old-time Irish pub, Irelands 32 at 3920 Geary |
| The Strybing Arboretum - 70 acres of gardens with | | | | Blvd., where you can enjoy live music any day of the |
| trails, blooming trees and redwoods, herbs, flowers | | | | week and live telecasts of sporting events from |
| and duck ponds. | | | | Ireland. |
| Stow Lake - where you can rent paddleboats and | | | | |