raptor_dad Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 We are going out to SF in a week or so with DS6 and DS8. We are staying on the beach in Stinson Beach. DW is running a race a block or so from the house. The boys will love playing in the sand and swimming in the ocean. We are from MN, so standing on the shore in a sweatshirt drinking tea while the kids swim in Lake Superior is familiar... DS8 spent ages 2-4 swimming in the Pacific in the PNW... cold foggy seashores can occupy day or so. Going out the back door and hiking on the DipSea trail and going to Muir Woods can occupy another day... What other hikes on Mt. Tam or the Marin headlands are unmissable? We plan to spend a day on the waterfront and at the Exploratorium. We have friends in Inner Sunset, so we will visit them and something in GG park... either just the park or maybe the DeYoung. We are GFCF so the trad China Town dim sum trip is more difficult... What else is unmissable in SF... or Berkely... I don't feal like driving to South Bay or beyond... The Corp's Bay Model in Sausalito is already on our list... what other hidden gems should we consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Watching-we'll be there in a couple of weeks, too :) DD has a long list of parks to visit-she's hoping to find a California garter snake or red-legged frog (and would be THRILLED if she got to see a sea turtle). I'm hoping we can do at least some things that don't involve hiking boots and bug spray... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 We live between SF and Sacramento. Here is my biggest tip for visiting the San Francisco area: DO NOT TAKE THE KIDS TO SEE SAN ANDREAS BEFORE YOUR VISIT!!! It was actually a pretty good movie. He's the Rock and all. But no. Now after your trip, worth seeing. Plus then they can look for landmarks they saw as they crumble apart on the big screen... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 Watching-we'll be there in a couple of weeks, too :) DD has a long list of parks to visit-she's hoping to find a California garter snake or red-legged frog (and would be THRILLED if she got to see a sea turtle). I'm hoping we can do at least some things that don't involve hiking boots and bug spray... I dunno... but for Sea Turtle and such.... maybe you should head down to the Monterrey Aquarium? It looks super cool just slightly out of range for us... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 If you are interested in subs or ships, check if the old USS Pampanito (submarine) is still at Wharf 45, right next to it was (maybe still is) the Jeremiah O'Brien which was WWII Liberty Ship. http://www.maritime.org/tour/index.php 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel-in-CA Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Stinson Beach is, I believe, very near great white shark breeding grounds. Don't go too far in. The Bay Model is in Sausalito -- scale model of SF bay where the tide comes in/goes out. It's in an old shipyard. Lots of displays. Good way to get an idea of the geography of the area. -- Oh, duh, you already mentioned this. There's a museum near the Bay Bridge and you might try a harbor tour (dress for it). We love the Science Museum....but we live in north bay where the food is great and the traffic is minimal....we tend to avoid the city. Great restaurants here, though, and something called Farm Trails where you can visit working farms and eat their produce. Lots of farmer's markets, too. Are you going to see Chinatown? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 We are going out to SF in a week or so with DS6 and DS8. We are staying on the beach in Stinson Beach. DW is running a race a block or so from the house. The boys will love playing in the sand and swimming in the ocean. We are from MN, so standing on the shore in a sweatshirt drinking tea while the kids swim in Lake Superior is familiar... DS8 spent ages 2-4 swimming in the Pacific in the PNW... cold foggy seashores can occupy day or so. Going out the back door and hiking on the DipSea trail and going to Muir Woods can occupy another day... What other hikes on Mt. Tam or the Marin headlands are unmissable? We plan to spend a day on the waterfront and at the Exploratorium. We have friends in Inner Sunset, so we will visit them and something in GG park... either just the park or maybe the DeYoung. We are GFCF so the trad China Town dim sum trip is more difficult... What else is unmissable in SF... or Berkely... I don't feal like driving to South Bay or beyond... The Corp's Bay Model in Sausalito is already on our list... what other hidden gems should we consider. Get to Muir Woods early, preferably on a weekday. Weekend parking this time of year can be a nightmare. Take the ferry from Sausalito to the waterfront. It's a nice ride and if you're up for the Dipsea trail, you're definitely up for the walk from Pier 39 to the Exploratorium. You can work out a hike through the Marin Headlands that puts you at the north side of the GG Bridge, which is open to pedestrians on the east side. On the SF side, hiking at Land's End is very nice. The Presidio is a really nice place but it's taken over by obnoxious crowds most warm weekends. The best place for GFCF Chinese food in the Bay Area is Great China in Berkeley. Menu (pdf) As far as islands, I think both Angel Island and Alcatraz are worth a visit. Angel Island is a bit more off the beaten path, but if it's not foggy you can have great views. Alcatraz, touristy as it is, is very fun for kids and has a rich history. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Watching-we'll be there in a couple of weeks, too :) DD has a long list of parks to visit-she's hoping to find a California garter snake or red-legged frog (and would be THRILLED if she got to see a sea turtle). I'm hoping we can do at least some things that don't involve hiking boots and bug spray... Not sure where you're going to be exactly. The birdwatching in GG Park is really good. I've done quite a bit of hiking and the place I've seen the most land-based wildlife in one place is Tilden Park in Berkeley. It's a large park. There are quite a few rattlesnakes; I've seen 2 myself, both on the north side of the park. They are also seen quite a bit in Strawberry Canyon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Watching-we'll be there in a couple of weeks, too :) DD has a long list of parks to visit-she's hoping to find a California garter snake or red-legged frog (and would be THRILLED if she got to see a sea turtle). I'm hoping we can do at least some things that don't involve hiking boots and bug spray... How about a banana slug? Those are always exciting to stumble across while hiking through the redwoods. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 If you are interested in subs or ships, check if the old USS Pampanito (submarine) is still at Wharf 45, right next to it was (maybe still is) the Jeremiah O'Brien which was WWII Liberty Ship. http://www.maritime.org/tour/index.php It looks like they've changed some of the vessels since I was last there, but yes the Maritime museum is definitely worth seeing and a fairly short walk down the Embarcadero from the Exploratorium. The Alcatraz tour is a little pricy but fun (buy tickets in advance). Depending on when you'll be there, maybe a Giants game (says the girl still smiling over Heston's no-hitter last night :D) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 How about a banana slug? Those are always exciting to stumble across while hiking through the redwoods. I haven't been seeing nearly as many since the drought began. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 raptor_dad, I also recommend Pt Reyes National Seashore but you'd have to devote an entire day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I haven't been seeing nearly as many since the drought began. :( Yeah, that makes sense. I just remember camping out at my grandparents' cabin near Boulder Creek and waking up to find a banana slug had joined us overnight. Ewwww..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Yeah, that makes sense. I just remember camping out at my grandparents' cabin near Boulder Creek and waking up to find a banana slug had joined us overnight. Ewwww..... Boulder Creek is Banana Slug HQ. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Watching-we'll be there in a couple of weeks, too :) DD has a long list of parks to visit-she's hoping to find a California garter snake or red-legged frog (and would be THRILLED if she got to see a sea turtle). I'm hoping we can do at least some things that don't involve hiking boots and bug spray... I just came across this strangely coincidental article in the news this morning: http://www.ktvu.com/story/29292536/legal-battle-over-2-endangered-species-at-pacifica-golf-course I've never heard of Sharp Park, but it looks like it's adjacent to a wilder area called Mori Point. That might be a good place to look for your species. It's not difficult to get from the west side of SF to Pacifica. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 One more thing for all: The GG Bridge removed toll takers and went all electronic 2 years ago. Tolls are only paid in the southbound direction (going into SF from Marin). There are numerous ways to pay your tolls. If you're from out of town, the easiest option is to just go through and the GG will send the car rental company a bill for your toll, based on a scan of the license plate. It costs more, not from the GG folks, but because car rental companies are adding fees for this convenience. Here is an article to read about this. If you want to avoid the fees, follow one of the other payment methods. Whatever you do, don't slow down or stop at the toll booths. They are non-functional and the locals don't slow down so you risk an accident if you stop. Resist the impulse to feel like you're about to break the law if you don't stop at the booth. The SF/Oakland Bay Bridge also has tolls going into the city, but the "cash" lanes have humans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 You can spend a whole day if you take the Angel Island ferry and hike on the island - bring your camera, the views are out of this world. Alcatraz is fun if your kids are interested in it's history - I personally find it depressing - but my 7 year old finds it exciting. I recommend Stinson beach and Point Reyes. DS enjoys Ghirardelli square (not sure if chocolate is part of GFCF diet), the ride down crooked street, the SF Trams every time we head out to The City. We go to the SF Academy of Sciences which is a great way to spend the day. (dmmetler, there are a ton of exotic snakes,frogs and reptiles over there! http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits You can drive down to visit the USS Hornet in Alameda : http://www.uss-hornet.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimtaxi234 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Get to Muir Woods early, preferably on a weekday. Weekend parking this time of year can be a nightmare. If you get to Muir Woods early enough, you can enter the park for free - while avoiding the crowded parking lot and/or the crowd in general. My daughter and I had the 1 mile trail to ourselves until we reached the beginning of the loop when it was hard to walk because the trails were so packed. The parking lot and overflow parking lots were packed when we left. When we left Muir Woods, we took a right and drove over the range to spend time on Muir Beach. Your boys would probably love to explore the area with a private beach feel, tidal pool area, and a wetlands area. I think there was also a hiking trail nearby. http://www.nps.gov/safr/planyourvisit/the-visitor-center.htm - this visitor's center has a nice little museum, plus clean restrooms! We took a free walking tour with a ranger that was one of the highlights of our trip since we got to go under the bleachers on the waterfront (not many people get to ever see that area). There were only 5 adults on the tour, so the ranger shared a wealth of information on the history of the fort and maritime area, but I don't think younger children would appreciate the 90 minute walking tour. If you think you will take a cable car ride, you can buy your tickets anytime to avoid standing in a long line just to buy the ticket and then another long line for a ride. You can go early to avoid the long line (if you are starting at the park across from the visitor center in the above link. Since our hotel was just off the Fisherman's Wharf, we took a cheap trolley car ride back after the cable car ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I haven't been seeing nearly as many since the drought began. :( Yeah, one year we were vacationing in the Santa Cruz area and saw tons of huge ones. The past several years we haven't seen any of them. Which is disappointing since they are quite fascinating! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I just came across this strangely coincidental article in the news this morning: http://www.ktvu.com/story/29292536/legal-battle-over-2-endangered-species-at-pacifica-golf-course I've never heard of Sharp Park, but it looks like it's adjacent to a wilder area called Mori Point. That might be a good place to look for your species. It's not difficult to get from the west side of SF to Pacifica. I think DD's signed some petitions on that one! I know Save the Frogs! is one of the groups fighting it. It would probably make her trip if she could participate in an active protest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 After trip report... WRT Muir Woods: We got there before 10:00 on a Tuesday and had to park 1/3mile down the road... it was shockingly crowded. We did a 4-5mile loop of the main trail and canopy view/lost trail/fern creek which was delightful... off the main trail it was not very crowded and over 1/2 the hikers were Europeans. DS6 and DS8 were somewhat disappointed to be unable to scramble on/climb inside the trees. The trees in the valley are so stunning you can't miss them. However, if you want additional redwoods in a more natural setting, I would highly recommend hiking outside of Muir Woods. We did a ~4mile loop nearby on the Dipsea and Steep Ravine trail[1] that DS6 and DS8 loved. It went through alternating stands of Douglas Fir and Redwoods and along a creek. The trees weren't as big as the valley trees in Muir Woods, but still plenty impressive. The boys could climb and scramble to their hearts content. Scramble on logs over the creek; Climb on deadfalls across the trail; Go inside every hollow and fire scarred tree;Climb the 10 foot ladder;Skip the 10 foot ladder and climb up the steep rocks and find a downed Redwood to cross the creek... whatever. It was great. We saw less than 15 people on the trail and saw some truly impressive banana slugs. [1] http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Muir/SteepRavine.html 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 After trip report... WRT Muir Woods: We got there before 10:00 on a Tuesday and had to park 1/3mile down the road... it was shockingly crowded. We did a 4-5mile loop of the main trail and canopy view/lost trail/fern creek which was delightful... off the main trail it was not very crowded and over 1/2 the hikers were Europeans. DS6 and DS8 were somewhat disappointed to be unable to scramble on/climb inside the trees. The trees in the valley are so stunning you can't miss them. However, if you want additional redwoods in a more natural setting, I would highly recommend hiking outside of Muir Woods. We did a ~4mile loop nearby on the Dipsea and Steep Ravine trail[1] that DS6 and DS8 loved. It went through alternating stands of Douglas Fir and Redwoods and along a creek. The trees weren't as big as the valley trees in Muir Woods, but still plenty impressive. The boys could climb and scramble to their hearts content. Scramble on logs over the creek; Climb on deadfalls across the trail; Go inside every hollow and fire scarred tree;Climb the 10 foot ladder;Skip the 10 foot ladder and climb up the steep rocks and find a downed Redwood to cross the creek... whatever. It was great. We saw less than 15 people on the trail and saw some truly impressive banana slugs. [1] http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Muir/SteepRavine.html We tried to do Muir Woods last Thursday. We had been in Feb and got to park in the parking lot. We knew it would be busier than Feb, but wow! First off it took almost an extra hour to get there, so we didn't get there till 11. At that point we would have had to park two miles down the road from the entrance. That is a literal two miles, we clocked it. We ended up bagging it and going to Saulsalito for lunch and ice cream and over to the Fort Baker to show our friend the bridge and the future site of Star Fleet Academy. They are talking about making MW a reservation only site in the next few years. I can totally understand why. We figured the two parking lots only hold about 300 cars max. Once that is done, you park along one side of the road and it just keeps moving back unless someone is actually leaving. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 After trip report... WRT Muir Woods: We got there before 10:00 on a Tuesday and had to park 1/3mile down the road... it was shockingly crowded. We did a 4-5mile loop of the main trail and canopy view/lost trail/fern creek which was delightful... off the main trail it was not very crowded and over 1/2 the hikers were Europeans. DS6 and DS8 were somewhat disappointed to be unable to scramble on/climb inside the trees. The trees in the valley are so stunning you can't miss them. However, if you want additional redwoods in a more natural setting, I would highly recommend hiking outside of Muir Woods. We did a ~4mile loop nearby on the Dipsea and Steep Ravine trail[1] that DS6 and DS8 loved. It went through alternating stands of Douglas Fir and Redwoods and along a creek. The trees weren't as big as the valley trees in Muir Woods, but still plenty impressive. The boys could climb and scramble to their hearts content. Scramble on logs over the creek; Climb on deadfalls across the trail; Go inside every hollow and fire scarred tree;Climb the 10 foot ladder;Skip the 10 foot ladder and climb up the steep rocks and find a downed Redwood to cross the creek... whatever. It was great. We saw less than 15 people on the trail and saw some truly impressive banana slugs. [1] http://www.redwoodhikes.com/Muir/SteepRavine.html Thanks for the update on your trip. I'm glad you enjoyed Muir Woods, but yeah, it's a bummer about the climbing. I agree the Dipsea Trail or further south in the Santa Cruz mountains are the best places locally to be more free in the redwoods. Farther away, there's nothing like the coastal border with Oregon. I'm glad you saw banana slugs! They've been more scarce since the drought began. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 We tried to do Muir Woods last Thursday. We had been in Feb and got to park in the parking lot. We knew it would be busier than Feb, but wow! First off it took almost an extra hour to get there, so we didn't get there till 11. At that point we would have had to park two miles down the road from the entrance. That is a literal two miles, we clocked it. We ended up bagging it and going to Saulsalito for lunch and ice cream and over to the Fort Baker to show our friend the bridge and the future site of Star Fleet Academy. They are talking about making MW a reservation only site in the next few years. I can totally understand why. We figured the two parking lots only hold about 300 cars max. Once that is done, you park along one side of the road and it just keeps moving back unless someone is actually leaving. Yeah, people like MW because it's close to the city. A little bit farther out, for those who have the time and inclination, is Big Basin. I've spent a lot of time there and I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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