Just becauseit's in the sunshine state, San Francisco isn'talways ablaze with warmth all year round. Itscoastal location and hilly terrain means during the summer months a spectacular blanket of fog can descend from the Pacific Ocean to enshroud the Golden Gate Bridge and clasp the city in damp and drizzle. In spite of this, tourists still descend in droves between May and September. Savvy travellers can avoid the crowds and the chill by planning their visit in the fall. Street festivals, clear skies and the cosy climate mean it's an ideal time to explore the diverse and stratified cityscape. As an added bonus, hotel tariffs are generally lower, and cheap flights to San Francisco are also far more likely to be snaffled in these months if booked online.
A cable car ride is the best way to start your San Francisco adventure; there are three principal routes which take in the major sights. The Powell-Mason and Powel-Hyde lines bisect the city from North to South and terminate at Fisherman's Wharf (where it's fun to spot the lazy sea lions from Pier 39). The California Street Linecuts across from East to West, taking in Chinatown, Nob Hill and ending in Van Ness Avenue. Get your bearings by heading to Coit Tower, a solitary white monolith which offers astounding views of the bay from its summit. For more wildlife, take the staircase which tumbles down Telegraph Hill,to trace the cackle of its famous rainbow parrots through Victorian houses and astonishing tropical foliage.
The imposing fortress of Alcatraz can be glimpsed across the San Francisco Bay on a clear day, tempting visitors to its atmospheric chambers. Alcatraz Tours offer early bird excursions. These usually depart around 9am, are the least crowded, and for $26.00 include an audio tour guide and return ferry trip. Night tourswith the same company cost $33.00 and run from Thursday to Monday. These include a guided boat tour around the island, an educational walk around the main prison building and special activities. They even throw in a free San Francisco Sunset!
The extraordinary diversity of this city means there's a range of dining, shopping, and sightseeing opportunities whichdiffers vastly between neighbourhoods. Japantown showcases some aspects of Japanese culture, with an array of teahouses, baths and massage spas. Castro Street is the hub for the city's gay and lesbian community, with a street fair in Octoberwhich was founded by Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office. With the largest Chinese population in the world outside China, the San Francisco Chinatown district comes ablaze with the autumn leaves and the night market every Saturday evening, with everything from lion dancing to traditional Chinese opera.
A for festivals, many enticing music, culture and commercial festivals descend on the city in the autumn months. The San Francisco Fringe Festival, Oktoberfest by the Bay, and the San Francisco Jazz Festival are just a few enticing events to be sampled.
