A Local’s Tour of San Francisco

Thankfully Martin had been to San Francisco 12 years prior and therefore had already “ticked the box” on most of the touristy locations. And because of this, we were able to dedicate our time to a more local’s tour of the city; at least that was the plan.

We arrived at our hotel in Union Square (yes, slightly touristy, but at least centrally located) late on Sunday night, excited to be in “my” city and were welcomed by the rudest concierge possible (unfortunately that was not the end of bad service at the Westin, but no need to gripe about it, the rudeness was thankfully limited to hotel staff only, everyone else we met was completely friendly). But still, we were off to a rocky start…with it being so late and no idea what was still open, I opted for the closest restaurant, the Cheesecake Factory, and introduced Martin to “American sized portions”…our two salads could have feed a small village in Serbia.


Monday was spent walking around the city and checking out the various neighborhoods of San Francisco. We spent the morning wandering through the streets of Chinatown searching for the best dim sum restaurant we could find (which can be identified via finding the shadiest looking restaurant). We went for one on Broadway which was full of local patrons and the standard push cart fare. Dim sum is not always for everyone (the chicken feet can be a bit overwhelming) however Martin surprisingly tried (and enjoyed) most things I selected…although a double espresso shot in North Beach was required to get us out of the MSG OD coma. And if the coffee didn’t do the trick, the brisk walk up to Coit Tower revitalized us with the great views. We paused long enough to take a few photos and a hot lap inside the building.

Not willing to wait in the long line for the elevator to the top, we left the monument and made our way down the Greenwich street stairs, talking to the parrots along the way, then took the Embarcadero all the way to the Ferry Building for a look at the local organic produce. To end the full day of sight-seeing, I took Martin to his first Major League Baseball game, the Giants vs. the Dodgers. And while we lost, and half of the game was spent watching the various fights in the bleachers, I think Martin was able to grasp the concept of not only the game but also the rivalry of Nor Cal vs. So Cal…the rest of our time in SF, he would occasionally blurt out “Duck the Fodgers”

After the ultimate in all things touristy, our second day was spent wandering around my old neighborhood, Cow Hollow/Marina. We began with breakfast on Union Street at a new café, chosen since it was the only one open… apparently Tuesday mornings aren’t as popular for brunch as Sundays. Brunch was followed by a stop at the Palace of Fine Arts (newly restored and reopened), a stroll along the marina through Fort Mason (my favorite place on a sunny afternoon) and a break at Aquatic Park to watch the swimmers and sea lions enjoying the warm day.

Like clockwork, we stopped for coffee that afternoon… however I may or may not have chosen the Buena Vista so at least the coffee could be spiked. After two Irish Coffees and a great conversation with a true SF native, we completed our walk back to the hotel through Russian Hill, just in time to get changed, and take a cab back to the marina for two dollar drinks at City Tavern (the place where, on any given Tuesday, you could find me).

So, while I was attempting to show Martin a relaxed, non-touristy version of San Francisco, looking back at what we did, I failed miserably! We did everything touristy!!! The only thing I may have missed from the traveler’s guides would be Bush Man between Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 (and the only reason why we didn’t go was because Martin had already been). Unfortunately, with all of the sightseeing, I missed the main goal; a locals take on the city: the Bus Stop, great restaurants, Beach Blanket Babylon, and more. Good thing there will plenty of time to show him around local style on his next trip out…but for now, we were heading to San Luis Obispo, home of my Alma matter.