I am going to San Francisco in August and am not sure where to stay (can you walk everywhere from a hotel?) I understand it is cold in the evening and warm during the day. I also would like to know the best way to get around including from the airport. We will be there only 4 days and want to get the most out of the trip. Any advice? What is a must while we are there.?

San Fransisco is a very fun place but expensive. Downtown is not near the airport. You can get any shuttle or even a limo is not expensive. Staying near Fisherman's Wharf is the best for the first time. There are also hotels in the financial district. Very nice but very expensive. Easy, easy to use mass transit there. Everyone uses the buses because parking is usually more costly than the lunch you just paid for. I think it is coldish during the day too. It can be 100 all around San Fran. but is will be in the 60's or 70's in the city. See Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park. Take the trolly car and go have an Irish coffee. You will find plenty to do.

Hi Elvishome,
I live here in SF and can tell you that it will be cold during the day (60 to 70 degrees with a brisk wind) and colder at night. It can be colder if there is lots of fog which there may be. The quickest way to stand out as a tourist is to wear shorts and then be freezing all day. with that siad it can be warm enough on the rare occasion to wear shorts so you might want to bring just one pair. I have not had shorts on in SF since I moved here from Florida.
In fact I do not own a pair.

I would suggest that you take Super Shuttle or any shuttle service ( If you can get M&M they will only cost you about $10) to your hotel from the airport it will be $18 each way and take about 30 mins. The limo can run upwards to $50, a cab will be about $30. I would also stay near or around Union Sqare and not Fishermans Warf. The warf is strickly for the tourist trade and you will get a better hotel and have better access to everything,including FW. I usually book, for work, a hotel called The Jullianna on Bush Street at the foot of China town, very nice and they have been recently redecorated. This is within walking distance to Union Square. If this is not available then I would suggest the Triton Hotel, also near Union Square. A nice boutique hotel that is very near union square. Unless you really need a car I wouldn't get one, parking is really difficult and very expensive. If you want to go winetasting rent one for the day. Both Alamo and Budget are very near to Union square, but book one before you come, they will be very busy. If you have any other questions just ask. I have lived in Noe Valley in the shadow of Diamond Heights for almost 10 years and really love it.

Cheers,
Edgar

I noticed your sign on name-weird since Memphis is the barbeque capital of the world. I am a Memphis in May judge ( The world championship in barbeque cooking) and we just hosted Al Roker from the Today show who was down here to compete in the cook off. Thanks so much for your input and I will check out those hotels. What can I expect rate wise or do you know? It is very nice to hear from someone who actually lives in the city and we will stay at Union Station. Thanks!

Supposedly Mark Twain once said that he never spent a winter as cold as a summer day in San Francisco. You won't want a car in San Francisco as it is more of a hastle than a help. You can walk and use public transportation more easily. Go to Alcatraz on a tour. Visit Chinatown via the cable cars. Consider a subway (BART) or train ride to UC Berkeley or Stanford University.

HI ELVISHOME;

I'M BACK WITH A FEW FINAL TIPS. IF YOU DINE AT THE GRAND CAFE, OR THE TONGO CLUB, CALL AHEAD WITH RESERVATIONS.FOR 'GRAND CAFE 'CALL 292-0101, AND FOR 'THE TONGO ROOM 'CALL 772-5278. KEEP SOME ONE DOLLAR BILLS FOR THE CABLE CARS. IT COST TWO DOLLARS AND THEY PREFER CORRECT CHANGE. THE BEST BUYS ARE GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATE, AND THE BEST SHOP FOR THIS IS ON PIER 39, BUT GET READY FOR STICKER SHOCK. SOURDOUGH BREAD AT MACY'S DEPT. STORE IN THE FOOD COURT WHICH IS IN THE BASEMENT. BUY THE LOAVES AND ASK THEM TO SLICE THEM, AND WRAP THEM TO GO, AND OF COURSE THE ZIP-UP JACKETS. WITH THE SF LOGO. TH� 'SUPER SHUTTLE 'IS THE BEST WAY TO GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO YOUR HOTEL. I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU AND YOUR MOM HAVE A GREAT TIME. I'M SURE YOU WILL. WHAT A CITY.

ELVISHOME: I was interested to see that you were a judge this year in the barbeque contest. I thought it came off really well in spite of the flood on Friday night. You didnt happen to find my flipflops, did you?

HI ELVISHOME;

I SEE WHERE YOUR OTHER 'SAN FRANCISCO 'POST IS GONE. THAT'S TOO BAD THERE WAS SOME REALLY GOOD INFORMATION THERE. I HOPE YOU REMEMBER SOME OF IT. MY WIFE AND I ARE GOING TO BE IN KNOXVILLE THIS WEEKEND FOR A REUNION OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRIVIA PLAYERS. I AM GOING TO GET TO TRY REAL SOUTHERN BARBEQUE. BRING ON THE NAPKINS. OF COURSE IT'S NOT MEMPHIS, WHICH IS THE BEST. GOOD LUCK...DICK

HI ELVISHOME;

DO ME A FAVOR IF YOU WILL, PLEASE WRITE AND TELL ME HOW EVERYTHING TURNED OUT FOR YOU AND YOUR MOM. LIKE WHERE YOU STAYED AND WHAT ALL YOU DID. MY E-MAIL IS EXCALIBURU@AOL.COM THANKS, DICK

We have a home at the top of the Bluff and can look down on all the activities of the park (where all the booths and such are set up for the barbeque) and we had actually just walked up Riverside Drive to the top of the hill and gone home when the sirens went off for the bad weather. I was down there most of the weekend and we always have a ball. The entire month of May we celebrate a new country and have a Musicfest where is is like a mini Woodstock (goes on for several days with many different stages). We had Sheryl Crowe (sp?) and Willie Nelson this year. We love tourists here and love to tell them where to go around town. I am not sure where the other post went, it was an accident anyway. I will email when we get back and thanks.-Amelia

Believe it or not I found $20 and one broken flip flop-I am sure the $20 is yours and not the broken flip flop, right.

Hi Elvishome,
My family is originally from eastern NC and I really, really like the chop BBQ from there. In fact I have friends that mail it to me every other month or so, just yummy!!!!!

The rates you might pay will depend on what specials are on, but I would think that you could probably get something for around $150-$175. You are coming here during a heavy tourist time and there could be a convention in town....

That is VERY good advice about the dollar bills. public transport will give NO change either bus, cable or underground. If you will be doing lots of public transport get a roll of tokens at the Powell street station. You can use them on all public transportation in the city.

I would suggest taking a Bay cruise on either the Blue and Gold or the Red and White lines. It is lots of fun and you get a really good perspective of the city from the bay. Going to Alcatraz seems to be very popular, I have never had the inclination to go, it just holds no interest for me. But the lines are long and often tickets are hard to get.

I would suggest going to the new Asian Art musuem located at Civic Center. It is a new and spactacular space.

You can get Ghiradelli chocolate all over town including Walgreens Drugstore. Better Chocolate than G. can be found at Joseph Schmidt Chocolates located at 16th Street and Sanchez. The BEST truffles ever!!!! Very easy to get to, via the trolly down Market street get off at Sanchez and walk a couple of blocks and there it is. Sourdough, if you want to get some can be gotten when you leave at the airport. It can get stale kinda fast if you were to buy it downtown sliced.

If you would like any info on restaurants or anything just ask, you are going to have a great time!!

Edgar

HI ELVISHOME;

EDGAR WAS RIGHT ABOUT FINDING THE CHOCOLATE ALL OVER TOWN. THE REASON I MENTIONED THE SHOP ON PIER 39 IS THAT IT'S EXCLUSIVELY A CANDY STORE, AND THE SELECTION IS MIND-BOGGLING. IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION A LOT, BY ALL MEANS BUY THE TOKENS. AS FOR THE SOURDOUGH BREAD, I STILL THINK MACY'S IS EASIER THAN BUYING IT IN THE AIRPORT. THEY WRAP IT VERY WELL AND WHEN YOU RETURN HOME YOU CAN ALWAYS PUT IT IN YOUR FRIDGE. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING ALL ABOUT YOUR TRIP.
YOUR W.V. FRIEND...DICK

ELVISHOME: I guess maybe you live at South Bluff from the description. I live a few miles farther out east from you. Hope you have a good trip to San Francisco.
Fabby: You are right that the barbeque in Knoxville is not like ours in Memphis, but they did have a Corky's Barbeque in Knoxville (at the Cedar Bluff exit) a few years ago that is a branch of one of our most popular barbeque places in Memphis. Try that if it is still there.

HI EDGAR;

I WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT JOSEPH SCHMIDT CHOCOLSTES WHEN I WAS THERE. I HAVE A SWEET TOOTH. I RECOMENDED THE 'GRAND CAFE 'RESTAURANT, AND 'THE TONGO ROOM' IN THE FAIRMONT HOTEL. THE FIRST RESTAURANT HAD GREAT FOOD AND PERSONALITY. THE TONGO ROOM IS UNIQUE IN THAT YOU WITNESS A SIMULATED RAINSTORM WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR YOU MEAL TO ARRIVE. CHECKING OUT THE HOTELS ON NOB HILL IS FUN ANYWAY. I LOVE YOUR CITY AND WE HOPE TO MAKE IT BACK SOMEDAY. DICK