Alcatraz, Muir Woods, Fisherman’s Wharf, Embarcadero, and Sausalito
Every year my kids get a week off of school in mid-February, so we decided to pack our bags and head to San Francisco, California. We chose to fly instead of driving the 730 miles for a few reasons. First, parking in San Francisco is ridiculous and expensive. Second, we take a lot of road trips so getting on an airplane was fun. Third, it was cheaper and faster to fly.
Frugal Momma
Before I lay out our itinerary, let me tell you how we roll on vacation. First, we are frugal (not cheap, frugal, there is a difference!). I take advantage of our airline miles, scour the internet for the best prices on airlines and hotels, and pack our own snacks (much to my children’s dismay). So it is wise to do your homework on packages and deals before you purchase.
For instance, some cities offer attraction packages or city passes, and San Francisco was no exception. Sometimes this can save you some money. I chose not to do any of the city packages because they did not include everything I wanted to do.
Making this trip a la carte ended up saving me more money than the city pass would have. The city pass did include bus transportation (not the trolley), but we just walked where we wanted to go or used Uber.
Educational Travel – Teaching while Vacationing
I love to take every opportunity I can to teach my kids about ANYTHING and everything. I research where we are going and the history behind it. We talk about what the current situation is like and what they can expect. And, because I want them to learn and participate, I turn it into a game.
We can encourage our children with positive reinforcement. The trick is just to figure out what motivates them. Some kids may love to get new video games, special privileges, or extra time with mom or dad.
When my kids were little, their currency was trips to the dollar store. The first question they would ask is, “how many things can I pick out?” This would depend on what they had earned. For instance, if they completed their chores, practiced piano every day, and completed homework for all week, I would allow them to pick out five things. You get the idea.
My kids love to visit the gift shops when we go on vacation, or anywhere for that matter. They love shopping for trinkets that will remind them of our adventures.
Early on, I came up with a game called “Dollar Questions.” This way, they could earn money for their gift shop splurges, and I got what I wanted… my kids actively participating and learning.
I use this game for road trips, museum visits, and anytime there is an opportunity to learn.
So, I plan our itinerary well before leaving with specifications on what we will see and do. I give details about the geographic location, surrounding bodies of water, and famous structures. We sit around the computer as I pull up pictures and maps of the area and places we will visit.
I go over all of this casually. I don’t want to make it a tedious school lesson; I want them to have fun. I will then randomly ask them questions about our trip. For each answer they get correct, they earn a dollar put toward their spending money.
For instance, while waiting for our flight in the airport, I would ask each kid a question. I do this according to age, so my 9-year-old got the question, “In what state is San Francisco located?” My 12-year-old got, “What is the name of the ocean that we will see from California?” And my 16-year-old got, “Name 3 historic buildings or landmarks that we will visit.”
Third, we get up early and pack as much as we can into our day. I don’t want to miss anything! I also hate waiting in line, and I avoid crowds at all costs. In my experience, getting places early will accomplish these goals.
Side note on how I prep for day outings
I also take a backpack with us everywhere we go. That way, I can carry our own water and snacks (frugal mom people). The backpack is also essential for keeping our souvenirs safe. You certainly don’t want your child to set their bag down and leave it on the ferry or bus bench. Ugh. Learn from my mistakes, friends.
As much as I appreciate the bottled water that the hotel leaves in the room, I don’t love the $7.00 price tag so much. So we took note of the closest convenience store to our hotel and grabbed a case of water to carry back. This way, I had it in my backpack before we set out and never went searching for water during crucial moments. For instance, when your child is FREAKING OUT because they ate a hot Cheeto.
You could also bring your non-disposable water bottles from home. And instead of individual water bottles, you could buy water jugs. Why not just fill them up from the sink you ask? Um…ewww.
What I keep in my backpack:
A Ziploc bag filled with granola bars, almonds, dried fruit, trail mix, and protein bars. (I brought these snacks from home. Great to have on the plane and day trips.) My kids have some major grumpiness issues when their blood sugar drops (so does the momma), so I always have something to tide them over as we are out and about.
I also have:
- Hand sanitizer
- Hand wipes
- Aquaphor
- Chapstick
- Travel sunscreen
- Bandaids
- Medications such as Tylenol and Claratin
Without further ado, here is my five-day itinerary for a fantastic San Francisco trip. Pack your best walking shoes and some 5-hour-energy, and let’s go!
DAY 1 – Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Square
My family took the first flight out and landed at San Francisco International airport around 8:30 am. After much research, I had concluded it was the cheapest and fastest for our party of five to take an Uber to our hotel.
We asked our driver to take us past Lombard Street on the way to the hotel. Lombard Street is a famously crooked street with hairpin turns and beautiful landscaping and flowerbeds.
I would recommend staying at the Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco. This hotel is located in a great spot, walking distance to pretty much everything. We were two blocks away from Fisherman’s Wharf and surrounded by fast-food restaurants, shopping, and grocery stores.
Because we arrived before standard check-in time, I asked if we could check in early. We had reserved two rooms (connecting), but the rooms were not ready yet. So, we were able to drop our bags at the hotel for safekeeping and then walk to Fisherman’s Wharf to explore.
There is lots of food for sale from vendors and fish markets as you walk along Pier 45. However, we were starving and chose to eat at Jack-in-the-Box before we got to the Wharf. I did not want to have hangry children or fight about food choices.
Musee Mecanique
We ended up at an arcade at the end of Taylor Street called Musee Mecanique. It was so cool and unexpected as it had not been included on my itinerary! They have an impressive collection of antique “arcade” games that date back to the 1900s. There was no fee to enter the building, but you can play the games for a small cost. Check out their website https://museemecanique.com/
Pier 45 National Liberty Ship Memorials
We then exited the arcade to the boardwalk to see two historic World War II vessels: The SS Jeremiah O’Brian and the USS Pampanito. The O’Brien is a Liberty ship that survived the D-Day armada off the coast of Normandy, France. There used to be over 2,700 Liberty ships, sadly only three remain.
The USS Pampanito is a United States Navy submarine. This sub made six patrols in the Pacific Ocean during WWII and sank six Japanese ships.
Tickets are available to purchase for the ships’ tours, but we opted to walk along the boardwalk and take in the free version.
Embarcadero
The Embarcadero is a pedestrian walkway along the easter shoreline of San Francisco. This is where you can gain access to the piers, restaurants, museums, and incredible views.
We walked back to the Embarcadero and towards Pier 39. There are a couple of smaller piers where you can walk down to the end and just sit and look at the bay. We discovered that groups of sea lions will converge here to just sit in the sun and talk to each other, LOUDLY. We were so enamored with their antics that we literally just sat and watched them for an hour. We came back several times during our stay to see our new friend, “Gerald,” as we named an especially goofy sea lion.
![sea-lions-sanfrancisco](http://worthwhileendeavors.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sea-lions-sanfrancisco-1024x768.jpeg)
Pier 39 has lots of shops, eateries, and a merry go round. We saw several performers as we walked. These street performers will expect a tip of some sort if you stay to watch, so be aware. Some are more aggressive than others. We saw a magician, street dancers, musicians, and singers. We also passed a lady offering a puppy to take pictures with.
It was now closer to 4:00, so we started walking back to the hotel. We stopped at a random restaurant and ate dinner. We then stopped at 7-11 to grab a case of water for the week.
We grabbed our bags, checked into our rooms, then headed back out. We walked west on North Point Street to Ghirardelli Square. This place was pretty crowded, and the line to jump on the trolley at this location was REALLY long. We wandered around and grabbed some hot fudge sundaes to enjoy on our walk home.
Trolley tip: I would highly recommend saving your time and taking a trolley ride from a different location (we jumped on closer to the hotel and went to Chinatown).
On the way back to the hotel, the side streets are filled with vendors that offer souvenirs, clothing, bags, hats, etc. The prices are much better than at the tourist locations. We did some shopping and then headed back to the hotel for some night swimming.
Day 2 – MUIR Woods, Sausalito, Ferry Building Marketplace, and Ripley’s Museum
Muir Woods
Muir Woods is north of San Francisco and is known for the towering redwood trees. There are many trails to walk along and explore. It really is a beautiful spot, so don’t forget your camera.
You need reservations for Muir Woods, and they only allow parking for a certain amount of cars. So the best way is to grab the shuttle and reserve your spot. Go to www.gomuirwoods.com to make reservations. Our pick-up location was in Sausalito, so we scheduled an Uber to pick us up at 8:00 am. We drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to the city of Sausalito. It was cool to see the bridge up close.
![muir-woods-san-francisco](http://worthwhileendeavors.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/muir-woods-san-francisco-768x1024.jpeg)
We wanted to get an early start but return to a different location, so I booked two different shuttle reservations. To get to Muir Woods, we took the shuttle from the Sausalito, Bay & Bridgeway location. The drive to Muir Woods is up a winding canyon with beautiful scenic views. It took about 45 minutes to get there and park.
I also reserved tickets for the Marin City Hub shuttle in Sausalito. This was for our return trip. The shuttle times are a little wonky and I wanted to be dropped off closer to the downtown Sausalito area. The Marin City Hub location is 0.4 miles away from the ferry back to San Francisco. I figured we could walk around and shop downtown before jumping on the ferry.
Mom Fail
Planning a trip can be daunting! I failed to factor in that the first shuttle from this location was not scheduled to depart until later in the day. So when we were done at Muir Woods, the only option was to go back to our original location. We ended up getting an Uber to pick us up and drop us off in downtown Sausalito.
In hindsight, we should have taken a longer hike in Muir Woods and then eaten lunch at the Muir Woods Cafe. You can check out their menu and prices at www.muirwoodstradingcompany.com. This plan would have passed enough time for the Marin City Hub Shuttle to arrive. Oh well, I will know for next time!
Sausalito
Sausalito is across the bay from San Francisco. It is a bit more upscale with art studios and galleries, boutique shops, and bistros. We grabbed lunch at a cafe by the water, walked along the boardwalk, fed the pigeons, and watched a few more street performers.
Ferry Building Marketplace
One of the highlights of San Francisco is walking the entire length of the Embarcadero. So we wanted a ferry from Sausalito that would drop us off at Pier 1 and then walk the distance back to Pier 45.
To get to Pier 1 from Sausalito, you need to take The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District Ferry that runs from Sausalito to the San Francisco Ferry Building. You can buy tickets at the Sausalito Ferry Landing kiosk.
The Ferry Building was built in 1898 and was the focal point for train travelers. Now it is an excellent marketplace with shops, food, and a farmers market.
As you walk along the Embarcadero, you will see street performers, lots of interesting characters, and food stands. We picked up some delicious pretzels and churros on our walk.
We then went to Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, which is located across from Pier 45 on Jefferson Street. We all really enjoyed this spot because there were so many weird things to look at!
Later we grabbed dinner at Pompei’s Grotto and then walked back to the hotel for night swimming.
DAY 3 – Chinatown, Trolley Ride, Boudin’s Bakery, and Aquarium
Another early morning for two reasons. We did not want to wait in a huge line to get on the trolley, and we wanted to get to Chinatown early. The cable cars begin their runs at 6:00 am, and most of the stores in Chinatown open at 10:00 am.
San Francisco Trolley
There are three cable car routes in San Francisco. Most tourists will ride the Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines because they are closer to Fisherman’s Wharf. The California/Van Ness line runs through the Financial District to the top of Nob Hill.
We wanted to be dropped off close to Chinatown, so we boarded the Powell/Mason line trolley at Taylor Street and Bay Street at around 9:00 am. This is where the Powell/Mason line turns around. You can then get off at California or Sacramento Street. Head towards the Dragon Gate, the south-facing gate for the entrance to Chinatown located at Bush Street and Grant Avenue. We entered Chinatown at the south end and worked our way north.
My kids absolutely love shopping for souvenirs when we are on vacation. They hit the payload here. Most of their “Dollar Question” money was spent here.
We ended up walking all the way back to our hotel. (It really is not that impressive as it is just about a mile.) I had not planned on walking, but we started wandering back towards our hotel and stumbled onto Washington Square in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. There are lots of sidewalk cafes and restaurants and places to sit and rest. We also admired the Saints Peter and Paul Church building. It is a Roman Catholic Church located directly across from Washington Square. We did not go in, but it really is beautiful to look at.
After we ate lunch at an Italian restaurant we stumbled across, we started back towards Embarcadero Street. We hit the Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39. It is small but really well done and worth a visit.
Boudin’s Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf
We went back to visit Gerald and the seal lions before grabbing dinner at Boudin’s Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf. (note: Boudin’s has other locations, but you want to check out this location on Fisherman’s Wharf. They have another site at Pier 39 as well.)
DO NOT miss this place! Not only is it delicious, but they have a cool museum and bakery tour upstairs. There is a 40-foot catwalk inside the museum that offers an aerial view of the working bakery.
Boudin’s Bakery has outstanding clam chowder in bread bowls, crab cakes, and other delicious non-fish food for your picky eaters.
DAY 4 – Alcatraz
Another early morning as we booked the first ferry out to Alcatraz island. We stopped and ate breakfast at IHOP before heading to Pier 33.
The only way to visit the island and take the tour (not just cruising by) is to purchase your tickets via the www.alcatrazcruises.com site. This is the ONLY official site that offers tours. I can’t tell you how many disappointed people have not realized this. The other tours just ferry around the island.
Alcatraz Island is owned and operated by the National Park Service. I strongly recommend that you purchase these tickets in advance and book one of the earlier morning tours. That way, you have some extra time to do other things later in the day. You can also visit this site for more information www.nps.gov/alca/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm
It was chilly as it was February and early. We all had layers on, and it was a bit frosty! Once we got there, we opted to do the self-guided tour with headphones. It was super informative and totally worth doing. Of course, we hit the gift shop and then walked around the prison’s grounds before boarding the ferry.
We stopped for lunch at Wipeout Bar and Grill at Pier 39. Excellent food and something for everyone.
Madame Trudeau Wax Museum
After lunch headed over to Madame Trudeau Wax Museum. I walked my two youngest through while my husband and older son hit the San Francisco Dungeon, which is right next door. They then caught up with us in the wax museum. They were both pretty cool and worth spending time walking through.
Day 5 – Coit Tower and Heading Home
We walked to the Coit Tower this morning as it was just under a mile (all uphill but still easy enough). The building opens at 10:00 am, so we planned on setting out at 9:30.
Before we left the hotel, we ate breakfast and packed our bags to check out before leaving for the day. The hotel’s staff was superb, and we stored our bags at the front desk.
It is totally worth visiting Coit Tower. It sits on top of Telegraph Hill and once inside, there are murals all around the base of the tower. The murals were completed in 1934 and were meant to depict California during the Great Depression. Some of the murals were controversial and later painted over.
An elevator will take you up to the top where you will see stunning, 360-degree views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay.
We walked back toward the pier to say goodbye to Gerald and his friends. We ate lunch and then grabbed an Uber from our hotel back to the airport.
There were a few more things on my list that I wish I could have seen, but getting there was a bit of a hassle. Renting a car would be a bit of a nightmare with the lack of parking and cost. So unless you are willing to pay lots of moola on Uber, the best option is to plan your trip around walking and public transportation.
This trip was awesome, and I would totally do it again tomorrow if I could!