Destination San Francisco, California

San Francisco is one of the world’s top travel destinations, with its famous tourist attractions and eclectic neighborhoods. Travel across continents in one city alone, visiting busy Chinatown or wondering to North Beach to taste Italian flavor. Although in sunny California, expect the weather to be in high-50s and low-60s. Be sure to take advantage of your time in San Francisco, and have some fun while you are in town!

Here is a list of special events taking place in San Francisco around the Summer Conference dates:

Shopping! The Musical
http://www.bobrowproductions.com
This is San Francisco’s longest-running original show, now in its second smash-hit year at the Shelton Theater. This hilarious, fast-paced revue of original songs and sketches are about shopping, sales people and about the very different shopping habits and styles of men and women.

Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos and Dinner
http://love.zinzanni.org/index.htm
Set along the historic waterfront, Teatro ZinZanni offers a bewitching evening with European Cabaret and Cirque, Divas and Madmen, spectacle and sensuality all paired with live music and a gourmet five-course dinner.

City-Sightseeing San Francisco
http://www.city-sightseeing.us/
Hop on one of the red double-decker buses and choose which tour you would prefer: San Francisco Downtown, Golden Gate & Sausalito, Night Tour, and the Golden Gate Park Loop.

MicX Dueling Piano Lounge
http://www.johnnyfoleys.com
On every night at 9:00 PM or 9:30 PM, don’t miss your chance to see Mark Andert and Jeff Martin duel on the piano. The show incorporates high-spirited music of all styles, improv comedy, adult humor and lively adult interaction!

Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding
http://www.tonyandtinasanfrancisco.com
Right by the Fisherman’s Wharf, this dinner and show stages the traditional Italian-American wedding and reception with the stereotypes pushed to the limits. To improvise even more, the audience is considered guests at the wedding, welcoming more to interact with the show. Don’t forget to try the cake!

Taste of San Francisco
http://www.city-sightseeing.us/tasteofsanfrancisco.html
Tour some of the featured neighborhoods and assist in the selection of food items while learning about the area’s history and unique elements. Learn where the best place to have Dim Sum is in Chinatown, or the best seafood spot in Fisherman’s Wharf!

Local Attractions:

Fisherman’s Wharf
http://www.fishermanswharf.org/
With a number of Piers to visit, Fisherman’s Wharf is a great place to spend some time. Visit Hyde Street Park and see a fleet of historic ship berths, or Ghirardelli Square and sample some great chocolate. Other great marketplaces to stop by are PIER 39 and the Cannery.

Golden Gate Bridge
http://www.goldengatebridge.org/visitors/
Linking San Francisco to Marin County with large sheets of red metal, the Golden Gate Bridge is undoubtedly the most famous U.S. bridge. Constructed during the Great Depression, for years, the bridge held the title for the longest suspension bridge in the world. Stop at the South Vista point to grasp the bridge at its best view!

Lombard Street (Crooked Street)
http://www.sftravel.com/lomabardcrookedstreet.html
Although it is neither the steepest nor the “crookedest” street in all of San Francisco, it is definitely known for it. Take a stroll down this street and see why it is so well known!

Alcatraz
http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/
Don’t miss San Francisco’s most popular tour of Alcatraz! Go back to the 1930s, and walk through America’s premier maximum-security prison, which was often times the final stop for the nation’s most incurable mates. Stop by cell B-181, and see where famous Al Capone spent some of his last couple of years!

Boudin’s Sourdough Bakery
http://www.boudinbakery.com/index.cfm
Visit the flagship location, right on the wharf and learn how the authentic taste of San Francisco is made. Stroll through the museum, or enjoy a coffee and loaf at the café as you watch the bread “fly” by!

Union Square
http://www.unionsquareshop.com/
Recently renovating, displaying new granite plazas, a terraced stage and light sculptures designed by R.M. Fischer, this park still holds true to the unique flavor and beauty of San Francisco. Each of the four plaza corners are designed ornately, paying tribute to the city’s distinctive history.

The San Francisco Cable Cars
http://www.sfcablecar.com/index.html
Over 125 years old, this cable driven rail system was one of the firs to be powered by steam engines. Travel alongside others going up and down through the hills of San Francisco.

Coit Tower
http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/casfmenu/a/coittower.htm
This tall tower offers panoramic views of the bay and city from the top of Telegraph Hill to a site of what San Francisco really looked like in the 1930s. Overlooking the San Francisco waterfront, try to make it during sunset for a great sight!

Haight – Ashbury Neighborhood
http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/sf/haight/
Throughout this Victorian sector you will find vintage boutiques, architectural highlights and homes to legendary musicians. Take a break to see the city view from Buena Vista Park, or visit 710 Ashbury St., once home to the Grateful Dead or 112 Lyon St., where Janis Joplin had once lived.

Chinatown
http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/
Walk through the “Dragon’s Gate” and engulf yourself in 24 blocks of China. Best explored on foot, you can visit renowned restaurants, exotic shops, temples, food markets and small museums. Try your chance at chopsticks and enjoy some authentic Dim Sum.

Union Street
http://www.unionstreetshop.com/
Now covered with popular boutiques, art galleries and restaurants, this street marks the first neighborhood to convert its beautiful Victorian row houses over for the stylish and trendy.

Cliff House
http://www.cliffhouse.com/
Located on the Ocean Beach cliffs, this house overlooks Seal Rock. Get a chance to watch the sunset through the Camera Obscura using lenses and a mirror to produce 360 degree images of the area. North of the Cliff House you can stop at the romantic Sutro Baths ruins, built in 1896.

South of Market (SoMa)/ Yerba Buena Gardens
http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/sf/soma/
This neighborhood is packed with great restaurants, experimental theaters, discount shopping outlets, art galleries and some of the city’s hottest nightclubs. The neighborhood is also home of the San Francisco Giants.

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum
http://www.ripleysf.com
A landmark on Fisherman’s Wharf for over 40 years, this collection of odd/unusual exhibits and interactive and video displays is entertaining for all ages. Some of the strange galleries include Weird and Wacky Art, the Orient and Tribal Artifacts Collected from Around the Globe.

North Beach/ Little Italy
http://www.sftravel.com/beach.html
Rich in Italian heritage, this neighborhood is bursting with art galleries, cabarets, family style restaurants and gelato parlors. Delis and bakeries serve fresh provolone, prosciutto and cannolis, making t a great place to stop by for a quick snack and espresso.

San Francisco’s Good Eats:

Dottie’s True Blue Café
This family-owned diner welcomes everyone with a hearty hello and a steaming mug of coffee. The far-above-average American morning fare arrives with daily freshly baked goods and a giant stack of pancakes. This is one breakfast meant to save room for!

Chapeau!
http://www.chapeausf.com/
This charming bistro is located in the friendly Richmond District. Enjoy classic French country fare in the busy yet romantic upscale dining room.

Gary Danko Restaurant
http://www.garydanko.com/
Sleek and contemporary, yet warm and inviting, this restaurant showcases a great amount of culinary knowledge with a flair of creativity and an appreciation for local ingredients. Chef Gary Dank, a true Californian chef, uses his technique to meticulously balance flavors until the dish tastes complete.

Fleur de Lys
http://www.fleurdelyssf.com/
Considered one of the most romantic dining rooms in San Francisco, enjoy fantastic French cuisine in the ornately decorated dining room at Fleur de Lys. Aside from the fabric draped ceiling enjoy the Atlantic Salmon baked in a Corn Pancake, or the Seared Dayboat Scallops and Peppered Filet Mignon.

Mama’s on Washington Square
http://www.mamas-sf.com/
Enjoy the family tradition of fluffy omelets, homemade jam and fresh baked breads and pastries. But act fast, with the restaurant’s popularity, be ready to wait.

Just Outside the City:

Sausalito
http://www.sausalito.org/
Take a ferry over to Sausalito and browse through the art galleries while catching a bite to eat at Spinnaker. Or visit Sausalito’s floating houses, where Otis Redding wrote his hit song, The Dock of the Bay.

Napa Valley Wine Train
http://www.napavalley.com
Visit North America’s most popular wine country just for a few hours, or a few days. Whether you would like to know how wine is made and flavored differently, or if you would like to enjoy a good dinner and a complementing glass of wine while overlooking the vineyards, this is the place to be.

Yosemite National Park
http://www.nps.gov/Yose/index.htm
A crown jewel in America’s National Park Service, this park is home to the long free-fall of Yosemite Falls, the rock face of El Capitan and the polished Western elegance of Ahwahnee Hotel from the 1920s. Four hundred miles long and flanked by mountain ranges, this irrigated and cultivated basin has been called the greatest garden in the world!

Monterey and Carmel
http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/camontereycarmel/Monterey_Carmel.htm
Carmel is known for its miles of public beach, and the picturesque 17-Mile Drive. If you like golfing, you will recognize the well known Pebble Beach Golf Course where many popular golfers have been seen. Monterey, just south of the Bay Area, is known for its taste-of-the-sea restaurants and state of the art Monterey Bay Aquarium.

River Rock Casino
http://www.riverrockcasino.com
Just an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge, this twenty-four hour gaming entertainment is not to be missed. With its Slot Machine, or Black Jack, you can play for a few hours and then step outside and be in the heart of Wine Country.

Golf Courses:

Harding Park Golf Course
http://www.harding-park.com
This eighteen-hole championship golf course offers a nine-hole executive course, practice areas and a full-service clubhouse. With towering Monterey Cypress trees and the nearby Lake Merced, architect Willie Watson designed this course to take advantage of the property’s existing topography, contours and vegetation.

Presidio Golf Course
http://www.presidiogolf.com
Opening to the public in 1995, it quickly gained a reputation as one of that nation’s top public courses. This 18-hole course plays 6,500 yards of challenging golf winding through Monterey Pine trees and Eucalyptus, all within the City’s hills.

Plumas Pines
http://www.plumaspinesgolf.com/
Located near the canyon, about four hours away from the bay area, this would be a great stop. The signature hole, hole 13, holds the ultimate photographic view of the snow-capped mountain with a tricky small hazard waiting to catch your ball!

Golden Gate Park Golf Course/ Ironwood BBQ
http://www.goldengateparkgolf.com/home.php
Built on sand dunes in 1951, this course is located in Golden Gate Park, close to downtown San Francisco. This serves as a great two hour getaway, allowing you to let loose and play the nine-hole course.

Half Moon Bay Golf Links
http://www.halfmoonbaygolf.com/
Set against the dramatic cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this course features 36 holes of championship golf. Golfers return year after year for the exquisite setting, and to play either The Ocean course of The Old.