Vacations Blog

This weekend, my husband and I managed to have a San Francisco weekend that combined fun, cheap, and dog-friendly. How did we do this? We woke up to sunny skies (when the forecast called for rain) and headed to Golden Gate park for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival.

The festival has four different stages, each with back to back line-ups, bands like Iron and Wine, Elvis Costello, and Robert Earl King Jr. The whole thing is very well-organized. I actually saw trash cans labeled “compost” alongside the usual, “glass recycle” “plastic bottles” “landfill”, etc. The people are relaxed. It is the kind of festival where you bring a blanket, a picnic lunch, maybe even a frisbee. When you need a break from the music, you just wonder through a Eucalyptus grove into an adjacent clearing and find a pond or a garden to explore.

They don’t sell alcohol at the festival, so people bring their own wine and beer. I think this might be why everyone is so friendly and relaxed…they aren’t feeling swindled because they just spent $5 on a single beer!

The best part was how dog-friendly the festival was. We took our little mutt and he had a blast! There were lots of other dogs for him to meet and lots of friendly strangers to pet him. He laid on our blanket, chewing a bone, while we listened to the music. At one point, we even took at break and walked him over to the off-leash dog zone in the park. It was only a 10 minute walk from the festival area. It is rare that we can enjoy a day in the city without leaving our dog at home, so this was a treat.

The most amazing thing about this festival…it is absolutely FREE!!!

Thanks to Jordan Klein for the festival photo.

If you are visiting San Francisco for a few days, you may want to take a break from the city center and take a hike on the west side of the city.  I always take my out of town guests on this hike, no matter their age, thye just have to be able to manage a nicely paced walk. This hike combines breathtaking views of San Francisco, the architecturally awe inspiring Sea Cliff neighborhood and vistas of the Pacific Ocean. Combine it with a tour of Golden Gate Park, lunch at  the Cliff House and a short tour of the Legion of Honor.  It is a a full day showing the best sites San Francisco has to offer and minus that ‘tourist’ feeling.

How to get there

I usually drive to the trail head because parking is easy and free. Otherwise take a bus to the Legion of Honor and walk down Lincoln Boulevard to the trail head.  You should see the bay on your left. Tip:  you may want to look up and to your right for the memorial to the holocaust. Few people see it because it is not part of the museum indoor complex.

Land’s End trail

The coastal trail is an easy to moderate hike (my six year old can do it with ease) and is approximately three miles each way.  The single track trail meanders along the golf course, turns into the forest and then follows a single track bordering the cliffs along the blue Pacific. The trail meanders a bit due to the heavy use it receives, but if you keep the ocean on your right you will be fine.  After about 30 minutes you will arrive at the  Sutro Baths, Sutro Bath Park and the Cliff House restaurant.  You can stop at the renovated Cliff House for lunch or continue to  Ocean Beach.  If you wish you can continue up through Golden Gate Park or  you can double back on the trail to the Legion of Honor, by following Camino Del Mar.

Hopefully, the weather will be sunny and warm for the outing.  I always bring a sweatshirt for the hike since the fog likes to linger out this neighborhood.

Photo by Ingrid Taylar

When the weather is nice and we don’t have other plans, we like to pack up a picnic and outdoor toys (and the dog!) and head up to San Francisco for a relaxing family day. Our favorite destination is the massive Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which offers many options for our family.

On Sundays in Golden Gate Park, the roads are closed to cars, and visitors bring out scooters, skates, and roller blades and enjoy a leisurely cruise through the park. Overlooking Stow Lake, we often find nice places to picnic and feed the ducks. Or, we sometimes like to plant ourselves (pun intended) on a nice grassy spot in the middle of the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. And when the kids are in the mood for traditional park activities, we head over to the Koret Children’s Quarter, thought to be the first playground in the nation. This map has helped us plan our visits.

Golden Gate Park is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes locations north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge, and into San Mateo County. Fort Mason is part of this conservancy – a wonderful place to spend a couple hours, poking around in galleries and cafes, all right on the San Francisco Bay. Another park right on the ocean, Fort Funston, allows dogs to run off leash on the beach. Our dog Molly loves this park, she comes back completely exhausted and wiped out! When we are in scientist-mode, we head over to Crissy Field and explore the beach and tidal marsh, or head out on one of the many hiking trails in the Presidio.

Any one of these options makes for a great (and cheap!) day in the Park. What is your favorite spot in Golden Gate Park? And little gems to share?

Picture courtesy of Aslak Raanes.

As the summer wears on, and the economy continues to lag, I strive to find some family friendly activities in San Francisco that leave my wallet unscathed. In order to maximize our entertainment dollars, I make sure we leave home well fed and rested, and bring along a couple snacks in my bag for the kids. Here are some ways that we would spend $20 on a family activity in San Francisco:

Two well-known San Francisco attractions offer free admission on certain days of the month. On the first Tuesday of the month, you can visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and on the first Wednesday of the month, the San Francisco Zoo is free to all attendees. That means I can spend my $20 on treats at Beard Papa (right down the street from SFMOMA) or on the Dentzel Carousel ($2 a ride) or Little Puffer Steam Train ($3 a ride) at the Zoo.

For a little San Francisco culture, I like to take my family to Chinatown, and explore the area on foot. Several websites offer self-guided walking tour directions – the area around Chinatown and North Beach is rich in California history. We all bring our cameras and take pictures of the many old and interesting buildings along the way. Our final stop? A stop at Golden Gate Bakery for egg custard tarts. At $1.10 a piece, we can afford enough for a great snack.

If anyone in your family is interested in the history of shipping and boats in San Francisco, head over to the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, located just west of Pier 39. The museum has several kid friendly options, including a great little activity book available at the Visitor’s Center. Tickets are $5 per person, with no charge for kids under 16. That would leave you $10 for treats at Ghiradelli Square across the street, or perhaps you might like a souvenir from one of the many vendors along the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood.

And Golden Gate Park is always free, and if you bring a picnic lunch, some outdoor games and toys, you and your family can have a great afternoon in one of the nicest open spaces in Northern California.

What is your favorite (free and cheap) destination in San Francisco?