7 Must-visit Places in San Francisco

No visit to San Francisco is complete without visitingbicycles.
some of the most popular San Francisco touristSpreckels Lake - where you can watch the miniature
destinations. Here is a sampling of seven must-seeradio-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 Honorthe Bison Paddock is an exhibit of the San Francisco
Located at 34th Avenue & Clement Street, TheZoo where you can see, what else, bison!
California Palace of the Legion of Honor is an art5) Union Square
experience you won't want to miss. First off, there'sUnion Square is the place to go for serious shopping.
the building itself. Built in 1924, the Legion of Honor isBound by Stockton, Powell, Post and Geary, several
a three-quarter scale replica of the Palais de Labuses run to the area and it's a short walk from
Légion d'Honneur in Paris, built to honor themany of the most commonly used hotels. There's
3,600 Californians who lost their lives on thealso a BART and Muni (subway) exit at Market
battlefields of France during World War I.Street.
After being wowed by the building, you will probablyOr, you can stay at the Grand Hyatt on Union
want to view the collection of Rodin sculptures, asSquare and just walk from your room.
well as some other notable acquisitions, includingEverywhere you walk in the Union Square area you'll
Claude Monet's "The Grand Canal, Venice," 1908 andfind 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) AlcatrazGiorgiao Armani, H&M, Hermes, Baccarat and Gianni
Who knew touring a former prison could become soVersace.
popular?6) Haight Ashbury ("The Haight")
Alcatraz is a an island a few miles off the coast ofWell, it's not Union Square, but it might not be what
San Francisco which had been used as a militaryyou'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 itsis home to exclusive boutiques, high-end
most famous prisoners include: George Kelly, bankvintage-clothing shops, hip clubs and cafés. No
robber and kidnapper, also known as "Machine Gunmatter 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 askitchenware, 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. SinceWhile you're in the neighborhood you can walk by
then, over 14 million visitors have taken the 10-minuteformer houses of 1960s musicians, including the
boat ride from Pier 41 in San Francisco to see 'Theformer home of the members of the Grateful Dead
Rock'. Tickets generally sell out, sometimes weeks inat 710 Ashbury, the former home of Janis Joplin at
advance.112 Lyon, and the former home of the Jefferson
3) ChinatownAirplane at 2400 Fulton.
Chinatown is home to the largest Asian population7) Neighborhoods on the Muni Metro and Bus Lines
outside China, and is located in an area near NorthOf course, San Francisco is more than just popular
Beach, bound roughly by Grant Avenue and Bushtourist spots. People actually do live there. Why not
Street, Broadway and Larkin Street. Here you'll findgo to some not-so-touristy areas located along the
shopping and great food, including Mee Mee Bakerybus 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 thehave their own shopping areas?
fortune cookie. For great seafood, one of your bestNeighborhoods 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 Parkand fun shops along Castro Street; Noe Valley, a
You can easily spend an entire day at Golden Gateneighborhood of Victorians with a great shopping
Park - and you should. It's great to just go there anddistrict along 24th Street; and the Inner Richmond,
walk, or sit and enjoy the day. But, if you're intowhich 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 withBlvd., where you can enjoy live music any day of the
trails, blooming trees and redwoods, herbs, flowersweek and live telecasts of sporting events from
and duck ponds.Ireland.
Stow Lake - where you can rent paddleboats and