NoCal Mags: Portland to SanFran Advice

[bossass]

Going on a road trip to San Fran from Portland in a few weeks with Ms. Bossass. She's never been and, other than passing through, I haven't been for quite some time. We're probably going to drive down along the coast to SF, staying one night in Crescent City. Probably make the long haul back to PDX on I5 on the way home. Looking for tips on:
1. Great places to stop along the coast.
2. Cheap places to stay in SF (cheap hotels in okay areas, nice hostels)
3. Must-dos in/around SF, probably have 2-3 days of time, preferably not too expensive. (And any ways to get discounted rates on stuff like Alcatraz)
4. Great Restaurants (Ethnic and somewhat vegetarian friendly preferred)
5. Museums

That's about it, unless you can think of anything else. Thanks a bunch for any suggestions. I know, I know..."google it", but honestly I'd rather hear what you guys have to say. Thanks, BA

[bossass]

Bueller?

[powderhound]

highway one is some long ass shit

[Camilo]

House of Nanking is damn good Chinese food.

[cj001f]

highway one is some long ass shit

Yeah. How long you spending on the way down - because it's 10hrs on I5.

Museums - deYoung just re-opened with the a $200million furren designed showcase. There's the SFMoma for modern art, Asian art for surprise - Asian Art! and the Palace of the Legion of Honor for old masters.

More cheap ethnic restaraunts than you can swing a crickbat at in SF. Couple good Indian buffets by the Indian consulate.

[natty dread]

When are you going? I think I'll be there halloween weekend and I know of a few parties...

[SquawMan]

(1) a drive over the Golden Gate and then up to the Marin Headlands will land you this backdrop..... (take the first exit to Sausalito after you cross the Golden Gate, turn left at the bottom of the hill and go back under the highway you came off of and follow the road up to the highlands....park and walk toward the brodge.....spectacular views and the best photo op in SF:



(2) in addition to the museums mentioned, do a city tour to get your bearings (buy a map and drive it)

(3) take a walk along Chrissy Field in the Presidio (and stop off at Sportsbasement to get huge discounts (40-60% off) on brand name, closeout ski gear and sporting goods....and rumor has it that even Skier666 shops there, so go figure)

(4) Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market - great place for the wife and you on Saturday morning - tons of shops and food -

(5) wine country daytrip - too much to even write, assuming you're into wine or wine country settings (tons of east-coast like foliage to see this time of year believe it or not) - if interested PM me and I can give you some great suggestions in either Napa or Sonoma

(6) daytrip drive down the coast to Carmel/SantaCruz/BigSur - spectacular scenery, especially Big Sur

(7) lunch in Tiburon at Sam's on the weekend out on the deck with the locals from Marin


(8) vegetarian w/ killer GG bridge and bay views (located in Fort Mason) - Greens restaurant - not cheap at night, but cheap for lunch - click the link to see the menu

PM me if you want more ideas

edit: I've got two free passes for a week to 24 Hour Fitness if you want to work out while you're here (I can mail them to you)

[freshies]

do a search, as someone from the right coast asked for SF things to do this summer, and myself and others replied w/many cool ideas/places to go/things to do. post again if you can't find and i will throw some stuff up later when i have time.

[Buster Highmen]

Oregon Coast: Florence Dunes, Gold Beach.
I-5: Ashland restaurants: http://www.amuserestaurant.com/

If you have the time (4+ hours or more), at Roseburg, head E. up along the Umpqua on SR 138 to Steamboat. Another mile up, there's Tokeetee Falls and hot springs. Have a dip. If you have the time and scheckels, eat or stay at the Steamboat Inn.

[gravitylover]

My recollection of driving down the Cali coast is a bit fuzzy due to the great breweries and wineries along the way. Or maybe it was the fog

Redwoods National Park was cool and Bodega Bay sticks out in my mind as a really scenic place. I would stop at the ranger's office in Lakeside and get a beach pass to drive down the beach to Coos Bay if I was driving a 4WD rig.

[Buster Highmen]

If you head down 26 from Stumptown, Cannon Beach is always a nice stop. Also the Rogue brewery in Newport isn't to be missed, right next to the Aquarium there.

[basom]

the SF moma shouldent be missed. they have a sweet collection.

[Spats]

Great cheap eats in Bodega Bay at the Boat House. Look for the sign on the ocean side of Hwy 1 that says "Fast Food". Killer fresh calamari for $8 with fries or $5 a la carte -- plus anything else you can pull out of the ocean and deep fry.

In SF, some great inexpensive restaurants are Gatip Thai on Lombard (get the Drunken Duck), Star India on lower Fillmore in Japantown (killer $8 buffet), Tu Lan at 6th and Market (get the Vietnamese iced coffee, and come there from Market, not 6th, unless you like drunk men urinating in the street).

For dinner, you can just wander around Valencia between 16th and 24th Street and find enough excellent restaurants to keep you busy for three weeks. Go one block over to Mission for taqueria heaven.

Most restaurants in Chinatown kind of suck, except for the aforementioned House of Nanking. For the real Asian experience (plus some oddball cuisines like The Russian Bear), try Clement Street, south of the Presidio. Don't miss the dessert crepes at the convenience store. Make sure to check out "Exploring Music" -- they've got a great collection of traditional Chinese musical instruments for sale.

If your spouse is fit, consider renting a bicycle from one of the spots on the Embarcadero (waterfront) on a good weather day. You can ride into the Presidio, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and if you're feeling really frisky/healthy, up the route Squawman mentioned, down the backside of Conzelman, through the tunnel, and back over the bridge.

Any bike rental place should have maps for you -- but the best city map is the "San Francisco Bike Map and Walking Guide", even if you never get out of your car. I know you can get it at the GG Bridge visitor center, but I'm not sure where else.

[The AD]

2. Cheap places to stay in SF (cheap hotels in okay areas, nice hostels)

San Remo Hotel http://www.sanremohotel.com/

Pretty basic, but cheap and clean and in a good location.

[bossass]

Many thanks all. Squawman, no time for working out, but thanks. We'll probably bypass the OR coast (seen it) and head towards the ocean near the border. We're leaving PDX on a thurs eve in mid-november and hopefully making it to Crescent City. That should give us a good place to start to take a full day along the coast to SF. I did it that way a couple years ago and made it to San Jose by nightfall, with a few hours of dicking around.

[FollowMe]

My $.02:

To or from SF:

Edit --> If you're heading down the coast from the border I recommend a trip through the Anderson Valley, home of the Boonville beers. It's super mellow wine country w/ amazing topography. You'll need to take highway 128 east at about 45 minutes or so past Ft. Bragg. If you're deadset on driving the coast all the way, this won't work. But, if you're willing to divert a bit it would be well worth your time (for the change/diversity of scenery alone).

In SF:

I hear the Alcatraz at night tour is killer. Have lunch or dinner at Angelino's in Sausalito. (Sometimes a bit touristy, but surprisingly "local" for a place like Sausalito.) A pitcher of beer in the afternoon/early evening (happy hour is 5 to 6) on the sidewalk at the SF Brewco (Columbus at Kearny) is always a good time. Before that, you could do a self guided walking tour of China town (it's a trip) and North Beach. Time North Beach around lunch and grab a sandwich at Molinari's (http://molinarideli.com). Take it down the street to Washington Square park and grub there if the weather is nice. Should you find yourself in Cow Hollow, there's a great little place called the Baker Street Bistro that I highly recommend. Enjoy.