Exploring San Francisco

 



I am currently reading Season of the Witch by David Talbot and I have to say that my mind was blown away!  I am so lucky to live in a place like San Francisco with so much history, so for this reason I decided to do the Castro tour that the San Francisco City Guides offers. I really wanted to see the places that Talblot describes in his book regarding Harvey Milk. 

Castro Tour

The Castro tour was amazing. I walked over a mile or two in this neighborhood, but I have to say that it went by fast. We met under the movie marquee of the Castro Theatre at 11:00 am. The tour guy covered a several topics from the Gold Rush to current issues in the Castro neighborhood.

Highlights

• I get to visit Harvey Milk's camera shop which is now a Human Rights Campaign located on  575 Castro Street.

• The Pink Triangle Memorial Park, a memorial to the 15,000 killed in the Holocaust, was dedicated in a noontime ceremony in the Castro.

• Bring your camera to take some pictures of colorful murals of the Castro

• See the Rainbow Honor Walk Project

• Learn more about Castro's architecture

Prices

Even though the walking tours are free, I highly recommend giving some donations!

What to wear?

• Please wear comfortable shoes
• Bring some water and snacks
• Wear some layers
• Bring both a piece of paper and a pen to write down notes during the tour

Upcoming  Castro tours

November 13th, 17th, 18th, and 20th at 11:00 am

Remember!
Meet under the movie marquee of the Castro Theatre. Also, you can take Muni K, L, M and get off at Castro Station where you can easily see the Castro Theater.

If you would like more information about San Francisco walking tours, please click here



Feeling Lucky?

LUCKY STRIKE 

Looking for a night out in the town, but not exactly the club scene. Go to Lucky Strikes!! Lucky Strikes is not your normal bowling alley. Lucky Strikes is located right next to AT&T Park and attracts a lot of baseball fans. Lucky Strikes comes equipped with awesome food and a fully loaded bar! 

Menu includes:

chicken wings 

nachos 

calamari 

short ribs 

Drinks: 

Soft Drinks 

Beer

Spirits 

Margaritas 

Wine

Atmosphere

chill 

relaxing but at times can be crowded and loud 

roomy 

200 King St.

San Francisco Ca 94107

(415) 400-8260

Click here for a direct link to the website!!!

Green Festival Free Tickets!

Are you interested in building sustainable businesses and finding more about social justice? If so, this is a great opportunity for you to go to San Francisco Green Festival this Nov 10th to the 11th.

What is Green Festival?

Green Festival is a project of Green America and Global Exchange that is aim at finding solutions socially, economically and environmentally. In additon, community leaders and business discuss critical issues that can impact our lives at home and abroad. One of the goals of this evevent is to empower individuals to make possitive changes in the world.

Do you want free tickes?

Fair Trade, a market-based approach to alleviating poverty and proctect the environment, is offering free tickets for the Green Festival. Please email them at socialmedia@fairtradeusa.org if you would like a free ticket or two.

•  Don't forget to visit Fair Trade USA at booth #853 to try some delicious Fair Trade Certified products.

Fair Trade Presentation Sunday Nov. 11th

Time

11:30 am

Presenter

Kayleigh DeMello (Equal Exchange)

Toipc

Tastes of Fair Trade: Learn how to host a tasting in your home

Time
1:30 pm

Presenter

Growing with Care: How a local business expanded while staying on mission

Topic

Fair Trade 101

Green Festival Experience

• Bring your own water bottle
• Take public trasportation or ride your bike
• Try to carpool if you are thinking about driving
• spread the messge
• Thank volunteers!

Location

 635 8th St., San Francsico, CA 94103.

Public Transportation
Arriving from Bart: The Concourse is located at 8th & Brannan, just 5 blocks south of the Civic Center Bart station on Market Street. To reach the Concourse from the Civic Center Bart station, walk 5 blocks South on 8th Street, or catch the 19 Muni bus. Muni bus fare is less than $5. The 19 runs down 8th Street and returns back to Market Street on 7th. So you will have to walk over to 7th Street in order to catch the bus back to the Civic Center Bart Station. Bart can take you directly from SFO International Airport or the East Bay Caltrain www.caltrain.org.

Weather
Tomorrow is going to be mostly sunny (59F), so be prepare to bring some layer since there is going to be lots of walking!

Red Bull Gives You Wings!

credits to http://www.zepeda.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Redbull-Logo.jpg

Red Bull is having their 10th anniversary Red Bull Flugtag in the United States and this year it is held in San Francisco where flugtag first began in the United States back in 2002. However, the Red Bull Flugtag actually started in 1992, in Vienna Austria, but San Francisco is the first location that the event took place in, within the U.S.

What is Flugtag?

Flugtag means "flying day" in German, but all the human crafted flying machines will end up falling off the 30-foot high deck and splash into the water.

What is this event?

• This year, 36 teams are competing in the Red Bull Flugtag by building their very own flying machines that is going to be pushed off a tall deck in hope of actually flying along the waters of McCovey Cove.
• Each team designs their own design for the flying machine, for example, some were ducks, pigs, hamburger, multicolored, and etc.
• One person is in the flying machine trying to fly it while the other teammates pushes the machine off the deck.
• Whichever 3 machine the judges think is best flight distance, creativity, and showmanship wins either 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize.

Still having trouble imagining how it's going to be like? Check out the Video below!

Price
If you guessed that it's FREE to attend and watch the teams fly off the deck then splash into the water, you're absolutely correct!

What Day and Time?
It's going to be on Saturday, November 10 and hangers open at 11 AM, but the first flight is at 1 PM.

Transportation

• At events where there's going to be a lot of people, I always recommended taking the bus because parking will be really hard to find, unless you want to pay to park in a parking garage.
• To get to McCovey Cove you can take the underground MUNI of either the N line or the K which turns into the T after the underground tunnel.

You can Click Here to get directions from wherever you are by bus, car or etc.

Weather
It is going to be partly cloudy with 10% chance of rain. The highest temperature is 58 degrees and low 44 degrees.
For more weather update check out the link Here.

Do I Need to Bring anything?
Nope, just make sure you wear comfortable shoes because you may be standing a lot. 

Where is it at?
It will be at McCovey Cove near AT&T park.

The address is:
 3rd St. and Terry A. Francois Blvd. 
San Francisco, CA

credit to http://cdn.funcheap.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Red-Bull-Flugtag-San-Francisco1.jpg

If you have time this Saturday, go enjoy this FREE event! You can also join their Facebook event to see what teams are going to be in the competition and who might be at the event. Just click right Here. Join and invite your friends to come too, it would make it way more fun to watch a silly or sophisticated looking flying machine splash into the water.

Want a quick overview of the event? Just Click Here!

If you want more information check out their website below.
Red Bull Flugtag

 

"Light Up the Night" Campaign

What is the "Light Up the Night" Campaign?
It is a partnership between San Francisco Municipal Trasportation Agency, also known as SFMTA, and San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC). What they are basically doing is giving away FREE white front lights and red back light for people who doesn't have any. Not only are they giving people with no bicycle lights, they will also help install them for you.

Price
This event is absolutely FREE! I think the only thing you might have to do is fill out some forms.

When
This event starts on November 8, 2012 from 5 PM to 7 PM.

They will also have this event on these following days:
November 15
November 27
December 13


What do you have bring?
You don't really need anything, except for you bike of course! If you don't have a bicycle with you, then you won't be able to receive any of the lights.

Weather
There is a 50% chance of rain, especially in the PM time, so bike safely especially if you don't have lights!
To check for updates click on the link Here.


Location
The location for November 8 is located in the Downtown area. 

Sadly they only give this general description of where they are going to be located at because they want to provide bicycle lights to the people who truly needs them. However, they are supposedly be stationed near busy bike routes so they can be spotted and last year, their tent color was orange.

Location for this event on the other days (Nov. 15, Nov. 27, and Dec. 13) are actually held in another area. Check the location by Clicking Here.

P.S. I read it might be at Howard and 2nd Street.

This is the flyer for the free event.

Definitely check out this FREE event if you have a bike and you don't want to spend money buying front and back lights, which are required to have if you want to bike at night.

For more information Click Here.

Get Your Crepes On

What was previously available only at five-star hotels and restaurants for its delicate and tedious operation, this thin French pancake made its way in the heart of Richmond district in SF! Genki Crepes & Mini Mart  managed to maintain the age-old tradition of crepe making in 30 different flavors. 

What's the stitch?
Whether you're in for a sweet treat of ice cream crepes or dessert crepes with fruit fillings of strawberry, nutella, banana, peanut butter, red bean paste or fancy having savory crepes for lunch or dinner, Genki has it all to your liking.

Check out their menu for the mouth-watering crepes they offer! They can make tuna salad, beef sukiyaki, chicken, smoked salmon and ham&cheese crepes. What's great about it too is they close late at 11:30pm for those late midnight snack cravings.

Price
For the price of $5, you'll be able to get your hands on the dessert crepes. Add a dollar or two to upgrade it to the savory or ice cream crepes.

It happens to be inside a mini-mart too so while waiting for your crepe to be prepared, you will be amazed at what you can find in their store. Asian goodies you can't find anywhere else!

Location
Crepe up @
Genki Crepes
330 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 379-6414

Friday Food Trip

Calling all foodies out there! If you're not the party goer type or tired of the club scene, mark one of your Fridays for Off the Grid!

Typical Friday @ Fort Mason Center 

swarming with food lovers

The Makings of OtG What began with the simple idea of creating an "asian night market," Off the Grid (OtG) has been successful at bringing street food vendors and small local businesses together to foster a shared food experience in urban communities. To date, Off the Grid has 15 weekly markets in operation around the greater Bay Area, wherein over 100 vendors participate weekly in their respective food trucks and tents. Off the Grid has been a household name with the popularity it gained among teens and adults alike.

Locations
People would usually flock to the weekly markets for their local gourmet favorites at Vallejo & Front, Hayward, Civic Center, UN Plaza, 5M at Fifth and Minna, Upper Haight, North Berkeley,  Southside Berkeley on Telegraph, Alameda and Larkspur at certain hours. Usually 11am-3pm or 5-9pm. But perhaps the biggest food bazaar they hold would have to be the one at Fort Mason Center, which is open to all every Fridays from 5pm-10pm. Perfect for dinner or food cravings you have in general.

 Food trucks, tents and long lines

Price

You don't need to bring a wad of cash but normally your $20 is enough to stuff you to your heart's or in this case, tummy's desire. There's lots and lots of food to last you for the night or probably until the next day! It has just about everything you're looking for. Take your pick from Vietnamese, Peruvian, Indian, Yucatecan, Filipino, Mexican,  Thai, Korean, Japanese or Asian fusion offerings. 

 Try Mochimisu and the Kamikazee fries @ Koja Kitchen; elotes seasoned with Sriracha, cheese and sour cream @ Alicia's; and the Si Por Favor from the 

Creme Brulee Cart

It would feel like you've gone to a buffet, only street food style, because you're basically in food haven. Empanadas, musubis, sliders, rice balls, sisig, tacos, tamales, banh mis, cupcakes, burgers, noodles, cream puffs, dumplings, kettle corn, bao buns, etc. No doubt you'll be having food coma after visiting OtG on a Friday night!

Might as well try the spam musubi @ Gohan's Rice Creations too; empanada from 

El Porteno, fish tacos from Taco Guys and the kimchi rice @ Bombzies

I'd say screw your diet for a day and spend your Friday night with friends, co-workers or family

@ Off the Grid: Fort Mason Center

Fort Mason Center (Parking Lot)

San Francisco, CA 94123

Dont' forget to subscribe to their newsletter to get the latest scoop and complete dish on the weekly markets, trucks and menus! 

CHA CHA CHA!

If you have never been to Cha Cha Cha in Haight or in the Mission District then you are truly missing out. Not only is Cha Cha Cha a full bar but it is also a restaurant. Cha Cha Cha is a great place to go and have dinner before a night out in the town. With the tasty tapas (spanish apetizers) and the popular sangria this place is sure to make you wanting more.

Atmosphere:
The Ambiance of Cha Cha Cha adds to why this restaurant/bar is among one of the most visited destinations for food and drinks in San Francisco. Cha Cha Cha gets really crowded therefore making it  very loud and vibrant. Be prepared for a 20-30 minute wait on a Friday or Saturday night. The wait is definitely worth it!

My personal favorites/suggestions:
Of course the SANGRIA!
The FRIED POTATOES! These are not just your average fried potatoes there is something that makes these little things delicious and addicting.

Range of Prices:
The food at Cha Cha Cha is reasonably priced.

• Fried New Potatoes $6.75 (Lunch price = $5.25!)
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken $8.25 (Lunch price = $6.50!)
• Bread Pudding Cubano $6.50

$21.50! A great dinner for under $25

*Going between the times of 11:30am to 4:00pm can save you a couple of bucks! 

Locations:
1801 Haight St
(between Shrader St & Stanyan St) 
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury

2327 Mission St
(between 19th St & 20th St) 
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission

CHA CHA CHA

Time to Get Crackin'

Craving for cajun shrimp, creoles or seafood in general? San Francisco may not have a Boiling Crab but fret not because the city has its very own cajun hotspot.

If you haven't had your fill of Boiling Crab in San Jose or perhaps, you're just too lazy to drive down South Bay, the closest you can go to to satisfy your cravings is Craw Station.

                                           

Quick Tips

They pretty much have the same menu offerings as that of other creole places. Take your pick from the main entrees of crawfish, dungeness crab, shrimp or clams. Then decide the seasoning to go with it. You know the drill. Lemon Pepper, Garlic Butter or House Cajun. Their spice levels range from mild, medium and dynamite. If you still want to enjoy your food without that feeling of numbness in your tastebuds, then go with mild. But if you're feeling a bit more adventurous, take it up a notch with medium or dynamite.

Add some sides to your meal, from the choices of house noodles, gumbo with or without rice, sausages,  corn, cajun or sweet potato fries or simply pair it with steam rice and you're basically down for a good meal.

If you're not much of a fingerfood person, they also have starters of all things fried like fried catfish, shrimp, oysters and calamari. Plus the cajun spicy wings!

Price

While it may not come close to SJ's Boiling Crab or Fremont's Ray's Crabshack, this is nonetheless a good sit-down place for dinner. Honestly, I've had Craw Station first before I got to try BC and it's pretty much the same. The difference I guess boils down to the sauces and your combination of sides, choice and spice levels and what not. But I love seafood and anything spicy so I would give this place a thumbs up! With your $20 or less, it's just as filling as any creole shack can get. 

Location

Get your bibs on now @

Craw Station

1336 9th Ave. (between Irving & Judah St.)

San Francisco, CA 94122

Free Admission to the Most Amazing Museum

To be honest, I used to think museums were boring, but after attending some free museum days, I learned that it's pretty fun and best of all, it's FREE. Most free admission day for museums are within the first week of the month. That includes the Legion of Honor, which has there free admission day every first Tuesday of the month. If you go on a regular, non-free day to the Legion of Honor it would cost adults $10, seniors $7, youth (between the ages 13 to 17) and college students with ID $6. I highly recommend everyone to at least go to the Legion of Honor once in their life time and Tuesday November 6, 2012 is the day to go!

Price

100% free for general admission, but if you want to go to the special exhibits, it would cost you some money.

What Time you Say?

They are open from 9:30 AM to 5:15 PM. You can definitely come visit the Legion of Honor in the morning for like 3 hours and still have time to vote later on in the day!

Transportation/Parking

• They have their own parking lot and it's free of charge.
• The best way to get to the Legion of Honor by bus is to take the 18 bus, which stops directly in front of the museum. You can also take the 1 bus line to 33rd Avenue and Clement Street or the 38 bus line to 33rd Avenue and Geary Street and transfer to the 18 bus. You can also walk there after getting off the 1 bus line or 38 bus line but it is approximately half a mile walk.

One cool thing about taking the bus to Legion of Honor is, if you go on a non-free day, you can get $2 off adult admission ticket by showing your bus transfer. 

Weather

It's going to be another nice and sunny day with temperature in the high 80's to low 50's. This place is definitely worth seeing on a sunny day!

Click Here for the weather report and to check the hourly weather update.

Where is it Located at?

There address is:

100 34th Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94121

They are actually located inside Lincoln Park so you would actually drive through the park to reach there. Don't be intimated that you think you're going the wrong way. If you enter from 34th Avenue, on either Geary or Clement, it should be okay.

I'm telling you guys/girls, this is by far the most amazing, eye-popping museum ever!When you enter into Lincoln Park, you have to go through a bunch of wooded area and when you reach the Legion of Honor, it would look like you just entered into your mansion. One side of the museum, you have the view of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. There's even benches there overlooking this area and a trial that leads you down to near the ocean. It's absolutely gorgeous and the way you enter the museum is like walking into a Greek palace. There is also a big fountain, and a partial view of the city. You have to go for yourself and see with your own eyes!

P.S. Having the general admission ticket from Legion of Honor also admits you into the de Young museum for free too!! Definitely check it out. Browse around the Legion of Honor and de Young website to find more information!

Legion of Honor
de Young

MINI UMBRELLAS IN WINTER WEATHER

TRAD'R SAM

With the winter approaching and fall at our backs it is not surprising to see the many different types of hot refreshments in many local coffee shops around the city. For someone like me, who is always looking for something tropical like a smoothie, I like to hit up Trad'r Sam's Bar in the Richmond District. Tad'r Sam is not your average bar that you will find in San Francisco. This bar has a unique "islandy" feel to it. With their infamous drinks and their wooden furniture this bar has an atmosphere as if you were in a Caribbean island or even Hawaii.

The drinks that they serve at Trad'r Sam is unique to its name. This bar serves alcoholic smoothies that are not in glasses, but in Bowls! Yes, these drinks are huge. Do not plan on drinking one whole bowl by yourself unless you want to experience the worst headache in your life the next morning. In my last visit I shared one bowl with my friends of four. That one bowl was more than enough. Included in the drinks are miniature umbrellas that add to the tiki atmosphere.

This is the infamous drink called the Scorpion that my friends and I shared. The Scorpion speaks for itself. It may look harmless but this drink is a creeper. The Scorpion tastes sooo good but the alcohol will definitely catch up to you. The Scorpion bowls go for $14. With sharing with 4 people,  individually we each just paid $3.50!

I found to love the the tiki/islandy atmosphere of Trad'r Sam. The bartenders are more than friendly and accommodating. With a juke box in the bar, it allows for customers to choose their own music. Although the bar does not come equipped with a dance floor do not let it stop you from hitting those dance moves! Trad'r Sam is a great bar to go to, to get away from the monotonous bars with no style! It is the perfect place to grab a few of your friends and have a great time with tasty drinks.

Don't believe me check out this link where SF weekly names Trad'r Sam the best Tiki Dive Bar in 2011!
click here!

6150 Geary Boulevard  San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 221-0773

The Holidays are around the corner, do you have your outfit yet?

I can’t believe October is gone! My family and I have already started planning what to cook for Thanksgiving. Since all my family is going to get together on that day, I realized that I do not have anything to wear on Thanksgiving Day! I know you might say that girls say that all the time, but let me tell you that it’s been a while since I went shopping :(

Shopping Experience

It is not easy to find the perfect outfit for the holiday season because everything seems to be so expensive, for this reason  I decided to go to Ambiance, which is located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, because they always have good deals.

·         Customer service: Ambiance has the best customer service ever! I mean I knew that I wanted to buy a pencil skirt, but I didn’t know what kind of shoes I needed to wear to match the outfit. Luckily, one of the Ambiance's employees took the time to show me several pair of shoes that could go with the event I am planning to go.

Outfit Under $50

I ended up spending $50 since my pencil skirt was only $20 and I couldn’t resist buying a pair Jessica Simpson high heels for $30!

Be prepare!

• You do not have to spend a lot of money to find the perfect outfit. Ambiace always have clothes on sale. Yes! you heard right. Also, if you are part of the insider's club, you can get an additional 10% off.

Looking for presents?

• Ambiance offers different types of clothes from casual alternative to formal. I think this can be a good opportunity for you to start buying some Christmas presents for your mom and sisters. Don't wait until the last minute to go to Ambiance because remember that the early bird gets the worm.

Locations

1) 1458 Haight Street
San Francisco
(415) 552-5095

2) 3985 24th Street
San Francisco
(415) 647-7144

3) 1864 Union Street
San Francisco(415) 923-9797

Mama's: Best Breakfast in Town

Running low in energy after a day of perhaps frolicking and showing tourist friends or relatives of yours in the city? If you took them to Lombard, Fisherman's Wharf or say Coit Tower, and everyone is famished, take them out to Mama's for a hearty breakfast or brunch!

Store Hours

Located at the formerly Bohemian part of the city, this quaint breakfast spot at North Beach offers just about your traditional American breakfast favorites. This family restaurant is open everyday from 8-3pm except Mondays. Expect long lines and wait time of 30 mins to an hour since this place is rather small, but is an equally popular go-to place for tourists alike. It was even featured at the top of TIME magazine's list of 10 Things to Do in San Francisco - to get breakfast at Mama's. However, if you do go an hour before they close, there's absolutely no wait time at all. 

Customers' Picks

Mama's on Washington Square boasts of its Monte Cristo and their Sampler French Toast.  The M'omlettes and egg benedicts are popular as well. On weekends, they have specials like the Dungeness Crab Benedict and Dungeness Crab Omelette.  

But if it's your first time, you can't go wrong with customers' favorite, Mama's Monte Cristo. 

Roasted turkey breast, honey baked ham, cheddar and gruyere cheese battered in egg, grilled and served with homemade jam.

I don't even have words to express how good it is. It's to die for. Maybe not, but you get the picture. It's the bomb. Especially if you graciously dip or spread their homemade raspberry-ish jam (which they actually call the Ollalieberry jam) on the grilled turkey honey baked cheese sandwich!! It'll leave you speechless like I am! 

They also sell some of their baked goodies and their homemade jam in their Bake Shop. Call ahead if you want to pre-order something for gifts or cakes on special occasions.

Price

So plan your trip to Mama's now if your craving for a good breakfast or brunch. Just don't go on Mondays! They don't accept credit cards. The entrees are range from $8-15 plus tips for the server so don't forget to bring some cash or your debit card, just in case. You wouldn't want to leave without trying the food at Mama's! It really is worth the wait.

Head over for a good old brunch @

Mama's on Washington Square

1701 Stockton St (at Filbert)

San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 362-6421

Mcteague's Saloon in San Francisco

Mcteague's Saloon is one of the best bars in San Francisco to watch all your favorite sports teams. From NFL all the way to NHL it is guaranteed that Mcteague's Saloon will be playing it on their television. With NFL season and NBA season starting, this is the perfect place to watch the games at. The atmosphere is great with friendly staff and a great location. With a wide variety of beer and spirits at a reasonable price I do not see what's not to love about it.

Best Nights to go:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday or any days where your favorite local teams are playing. Go Giants and Niners! During nights of games the bar gets pretty packed so plan ahead and come a little early.

Price Range:
It is a divey casual pub so admission is FREE.

Atmosphere:
The atmosphere is casual and can get very noisy at times, especially when there is a game going on. The crowd depends on the night. I have been to Mcteague's several times and have encountered younger as well as an older crowd, and during all those times I had a blast.

All in all I prefer going to this bar anytime one of my favorite teams are playing. With no admission and   fairly priced drinks I find myself coming back to Mcteague's often. If you love sports and a casual night out in the city then Mcteague's is definitely the place to go!

1237 Polk St
(between Bush St & Fern St) 
San Francisco, CA 94109
http://www.mcteagues.com/index.php

Having a picnic in the fall

 

Last Saturday San Francisco weather was great! I realized that I wanted to be in a place where I could eat without having to deal with crowding places, so what did I do? I decided to have a picnic with my husband at Lands End.  We had the most romantic evening that day.

1) Price

Going to lands End is FREE!   it only took us 5 minutes to find the most amazing place where you can see Ocean Beach. We brought some sourdough bread from Boudin Bakery, a nice selection of cheeses from Rainbow Grocery store, and organic vegetables and fruit from Civic Center Farmers Market. 

2) Contemplating Nature Can Be Fascinating


After having some snacks, we decided that it was time to go for a short hike.  I have to say that it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I got to see the Golden Gate Bridge and some California poppy flowers. Also, I was amazed at how peaceful this place can be. I wish I had brought my yoga mat to contemplate the landscape.

3)  Full San Francisco Experience

If you ever want to take your friends, have a romantic evening, or have a workout, Lands End is your best option!  Plus you get to experience San Francisco from a local perspective. I did not see a lot of tourists in this area. I am so lucky to live in a place like San Francisco because you do not have to drive for hours to be around nature.

4) Interest in finding more about Lands End?

For more information, please check Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy at http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/lands-end.html

I Scream for Ice Cream

As part of the Bay Area, San Francisco is hardly ever graced with warm sunshine. If not foggy, the weather is partly or mostly cloudy with occasional light rain showers. So on those days when the sun is out, I suggest you take a walk and explore the awesomeness of the city. And with indian summer just around the corner, one can bask in the grandeur of San Francisco simply by strolling in the streets or even chilling in the park.

If you get the chance to drop by Castro and Mission district, a trip down to Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop will definitely tickle your fancy, especially on those special warm sunny days.

If you're a foodie like I am, Bi-Rite Creamery should be on your bucket list of "must-tries" and go-to spots in SF. Hands down, they serve the best homemade ice cream in SF!

While it is true that there is always a line before you 

get your ice cream treat, I guarantee you, Bi-Rite is WORTH THE WAIT. 

The Secret of Bi-Rite

Everything here is made from scratch and small batches in the adjacent bakery and store of the same name across the street. Plus, all the ingredients in making their homemade ice cream are all organic, locally grown, and baked fresh from the Bi-Rite Market, including the toppings that make it so delectable.

Every ice cream flavor they make is nothing compared to all the other flavors you'd find in other ice cream parlors elsewhere. Anne and Kris, the two pastry chefs who made Bi-Rite ice cream a reality, thought of bringing out the best flavors in ice cream as much as possible by making it taste what's it really supposed to be.

There's a lot of unique and delicious flavors to choose from, but I highly recommend you get the Salted Caramel, one of the most sought after flavors people often rave about.

Salted Caramel combined with Malted Vanilla 

w/ Peanut Brittle is the bomb. The best. Ever.

Ice Cream Favorites

Take your pick from ice cream lovers' favorites including: Malted Vanilla with Peanut  Brittle and Milk Chocolate Pieces; Honey Lavender, Roasted Banana, Ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodle) plus their seasonal flavors of Early Grey, Eggnog, Peppermint Stick come winter or the famed Balsamic Strawberry every spring and summer.

Be sure to check out their signature sundaes like the Banana Split, and some of their staff favorite combos namely the Trifecta of salted caramel, brown sugar, and malted vanilla scoopfuls; and the Seasonal Trio of pumpkin, caramel apple and ricanelas.

Price Range

You can get a scoop for as low as $2.95 and two scoops for a good deal of $5! You can also get your fill of their mouthwatering signature sundaes for $6.50-$7.

Here, they also make ice cream sandwiches, cakes and pies to your liking. There are those ready-for pickup while some are made-to-order for that special occasion you have in mind. Seasonal flavored popsicles are also available and the two-flavor twist soft serve to surprise your tastebuds.

In case you can't seem to get enough of those sweet tooth cravings, they sell ice cream in pints and quarts in the Bi-Rite Market and in the Creamery as well.

Locations

Get your scoop on
@ Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop - between Dolores St. & Oakwood St.
3692 18th St.
San Francisco, CA  94110

Another one is set to open at:
550 Divisadero St. - coming soon!

Together We're Giant

The San Francisco Giants has won the World Series! You know what that means? World Series Champion Parade! If you are a San Francisco Giants fan, you should definitely head over to Market street this Wednesday, on Halloween day and celebrate with the thousands of fans. Sure there will be a lot of people, but you're all there to for the same reason and that's to celebrate the Giants victory! Not to mention that it's FREE to attend this once in a life time event!

• The parade starts at 11 AM on Montgomery and Washington streets.
• It heads southbound onto Montgomery and Market streets, towards Civic Center Plaza and end on the steps of City Hall.
• Dress in your Giants gear and rep that black and orange!

I recommend heading out a hour or two earlier if you want a good spot to stand. And be sure to throw on shoes because the last thing you want is your feet hurting from someone stepping on you or standing too long. But nonetheless, go and celebrate at the parade! Go Giants!

“Back in the day when I was young I’m not a kid anymore, but sometimes I sit and wish I was a kid again”

Double Dutch

Looking for a bar that plays old school hip-hop? Then hit up Double Dutch bar on 16^th and Mission in San Francisco. This bar is located in the heart of the mission district. With the ease of public transportation nobody has to worry about being DD (designated driver)!

Not only is there no cover fee but there is no dress code as well. Wear your jeans or even bring back those hammer pants, the bartenders and security guards will be more than happy to let you in with your throwback clothes on. With no cover fee, it leaves you more money to buy more drinks or even catch some late night munchies at one of the restaurants that stay open late around the bar.

Double Dutch contains an old school laid-back atmosphere with an edgy flair. This bar/ lounge is filled with boom boxes decorating the walls with graffiti bringing back the days when Biggie and Easy E were playing in your CD players! 

Being a broke college student having no cover fee and no dress code makes this bar one of the best places to go on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night. Bring your buds and an old school attitude! 

Double Dutch

3192 16th Street  San Francisco, CA 94103

http://www.thedoubledutch.com
(415) 373-1042

Not Your Average Cup of Joe

Are you tired of the same latte, cappuccino, espresso or regular coffee you get everyday? If you are looking for a new coffee experience apart from your daily Peet's or Starbucks coffee fix, then San Francisco is just the right place!

Background
Hailed as one of the best coffee shops in the US, and most of its branches nestled in SF, Philz Coffee offers its customers an amazing coffee experience, as their slogan goes, "one cup at a time". It took 25 years before Phil Jaber, the founder of Philz, perfected 30 different coffee concoctions made of great tasting blends. His philosophy was that coffee is something "personal and social" so each cup is handcrafted to your liking. You may find yourself baffled with the array of coffee to choose from, and yet although it may take a minute or two to make, you can be assured that you'll get to have one of the best cups of coffee in your life. It's really customized with how you want it. Extra creamy. Extra sugar. Cocoa powder at the bottom. 3 packets of Stevia. Your call. 

One of their most popular coffee blends would have to be the Mint Mojito Iced Coffee, perfect for those sunny days in the city.

But say, you want a hot drink but you can't decide which to get, just hop on to the bar and ask the barista what they'd recommend, especially if it's your first time. And they'll guarantee they'll make your coffee exactly the way you like it. Be it light, medium or dark roast.

I highly recommend getting the Tesora, one of their dark roast blends which can be made into a Mocha Tesora. 

All of their coffee concoctions are reasonably priced at $4 or less, depending on the 

size but rest assured that each visit will keep you wanting back for more.

Pair it up with some pastries or a bagel with hummus and you're all set to go. Ditch your regular coffee and head on over to any of the five branches in San Francisco to get your cup of Philz!

Locations

Mission District - where it all started

3101 24th St. at Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (415) 875-9370 

Mission Bay / AT&T Park / SoMa
201 Berry St.
San Francisco, CA 94158
Cafe: (415) 875-9943

Castro
4023 18th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
Cafe: (415) 875-9656 

Noe Valley
4298 24th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
Cafe: (415) 817-1510 

Civic Center
748 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94102
Cafe: (415) 292-7660 

Click on the link for the store hours. If you happen to be anywhere in the Bay Area, they have locations over at San Jose, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Berkeley and Sausalito as well.