SanFran/SoCal Help

[lcbj68c]

So I think I want my baseball trip to be SF this year. Can anybody give any travel advice to the SoCal area? It will be for the Brewers series in Sept of course. I will be bringing my family 4, including 7yo and 2yo. I need family day trip ideas besides baseball. Is SF technically SoCal anyways? (Nevermind, it looks like a 6 hr drive from SF to Anaheim). And can I rent a kayak to sit out in the bay during the game? I've always wanted to do that. Thanks in advance.

[DHonks]

your edit is correct...San Fran is in Northern California. My only advice is to bring lots of layers of clothing! If you have a kayak, make sure you have a wet suit....frigid water. I went to college about 30 minutes from the water, but that's the reason nobody went to the beach. Supposed to be a lot of sharks, too.

 

I would think the more fun trips are the Southern California ones, where you can tie the trip in with Disney, the San Diego Zoo, or Seaworld.

 

I was sort of amazed in college how different the two areas were. There really should be three states in present day California. You have Northern California, the Central Valley (who says happy cows come from California????), and Southern California. Beyond that, they play separate state tournaments in high school sports--north and south. The best ballparks are in San Fran and San Diego, although Oakland's was always a pleasant place to watch a game. The minority populations are different (hispanic in south, asian in north). Weather is also very different. I think I remember shocking people that San Jose's latitude was similar to Cincinnati's. Most people in the midwest just assume all the weather is like San Diego. Remember how Packers fans in the 90s resented the Cowboys? That's how 49ers fans view the Packers. And don't go around saying you're from Wisconsin, since few in California could find it on a map. They pretty much ignore the existence of most of the US between Las Vegas and the eastern seaboard. I went to college in CA for 4 years and now live in a feuding border state--Arizona. Don't talk politics there. In the midwest, people have all sorts of beliefs but tend to share common values (they just have different perceptions). In California, they're very open, warm and loving, tolerant, and peaceful......unless they find out someone doesn't share their exact views. (mods, feel free to delete that part. Just wanted to warn the author since most midwesterners have views that can get dirty looks in CA).

[mothershipconnection]

I have no advice for you once you're there, but will tell you that S.F. is a fantastic baseball destination. I've been to PacBell a couple of times and it's probably my favorite stadium.

[LouisEly]

As far as day trips, I'd recommend driving down the coast to Pacifica, Big Sur, and Monterey. There is a Best Western in Monterey that is literally on the sand - a cool place to stay for a night. I think there is an aquarium in Monterey too but it isn't that big. I think there is also a Six Flags or some other type of amusement park that is northeast of SF - go across the bay to Oakland and follow I-80 East and it will take you past it (Vallejo?) - not entirely sure where, but I've driven past it several times. I think SF has a decent zoo. And of course if the kids get out of line there's always Alcatraz. Teatro Zin Zany is a fun show - tickets can be a little pricey. And Doug is correct in that SF will be colder than you think - windy 55 degree temperatures with damp air gets chilly.

 

In general though, SF and the Bay area is not a real kid-friendly place and does not have a lot of "family" entertainment. Lots of YUPpies, DINKs, and Hippies.

 

(I would not call the Hispanic population a "minority" in Southern CA. Technically they represent the same % of the population in LA county as Caucasians. Hell, when the 2010 Census comes out I wouldn't be surprised if technically Hispanics are the majority.)

[lcbj68c]

I would think the more fun trips are the Southern California ones, where you can tie the trip in with Disney, the San Diego Zoo, or Seaworld.

 

I was personally looking at LegoLand, Knotts Soak City, and like a Hollywood day? That's all Anaheimish though, no?

 

mods, feel free to delete that part. Just wanted to warn the author since most midwesterners have views that can get dirty looks in CA).

 

Not a midwesternern, rather Floridian http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

 

I have no advice for you once you're there, but will tell you that S.F. is a fantastic baseball destination. I've been to PacBell a couple of times and it's probably my favorite stadium.

 

Any stadium advice, most enjoyable seats?, best value? Best way in? Best way out? Any quirks?

 

In general though, SF and the Bay area is not a real kid-friendly place and does not have a lot of "family" entertainment.

 

Would it just be smarter to stay in the Anaheim area and just commute North for baseball and litterally do nothing else in the SF area? If so, what area? I can read a map and google commute times, but that doesn't really tell me if those areas are the middle of nowhere or good neighborhoods or what.

[DHonks]

lcbj68c,

I can't remember, but I think the drive from LA/Anaheim to San Fran/Oakland was roughly 5 hours in great traffic. Not really worth commuting. If you wanna check out parks and kid-friendly attractions, stay in the LA (and Anaheim) or San Diego area. You've got 3 baseball stadiums to check out plus all the attractions within a 2 hour drive. The weather will be warmer in these areas, so you can pack far less clothing.

[1992casey]

It's hard to recommend anything in any city that'll keep a two year old entertained.

 

In San Francisco, the seven year old might get a kick out of Alcatraz. I'd assume that his parents would. Definitely plan on the weather being cool. Being used to Florida, you'll probably like that. Check this out:

 

San Francisco Weather: Temperatures by Month

 

Also, don't plan on driving in San Francisco unless you're doing it to enter or leave town. There's lots of public transportation, and cabs are readily available.

[rwa12]

Echo DHonks thoughts, I lived in NoCal for a year, California is like another country, and the difference in North and South is dramatic. Pier 39 is a fun family day, or afternoon, if you choose to stay in SF. It is similar to other boardwalks. I also second the no-driving suggestion, it is a nightmare. I prefer the Southern area. LA can keep you busy for a week just doing tourist stuff.

[I Heart Brewers]

I have lived in the Bay area for nearly 10 years now and these are a few activities for a 2 and 7 year old to do while in SF. While I have never been to the SF Zoo it is supposed to be nice and my 3 year old enjoyed it. The California Academy of Sciences is really a great museum for kids and adults. They redesigned it about a year or 2 ago and you could spend a day there. Also, as stated above Pier 39 if you are on the Embarcadero, there is shopping and I believe an aquarium but I've never been to it. If you are near the financial district you could take a cable car from Powell straight down to the wharf (Pier 39). It's a fun way to see the heart of the city and get down there. Also, you go to Lombard St (crooked street on a steep hill) and take pictures after you get to the top or bottom. Those two activities may not be so great with a 2 year old though. If you rent a car I would recommend Muir Woods. It's about 10 minutes over the Golden Gate Bridge and you can walk around and check out the giant redwoods. It's a good family park/forest to visit (you can bring a stroller, there are paved portions of the park). Finally, if you want to check out a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and hang out by some grass/sand I would highly recommend Crissy Field. You could spend tons of time there flying a kite or playing in the sand and just checking out the sites.

 

There are tons of other activities on the other side of the Bay Bridge but it doesn't sound like you have tons of time. If you do though PM me and I can give you the skinny on some.

 

You do not have to have a car in SF. It's a relatively tiny city. Muni is the bus system in SF and it's very good. It's very reliable and cheap. Muni, cab are the best forms of transportation. As far as the stadium I would recommend Muni to it. It's around $2 or so and gets you pretty close. If you want to do the kayak thing you won't catch any of the game and you will freeze.

 

I also don't recommend driving from Anaheim to SF. You will spend at least a day doing that (7-8 hours). There are cheap flights from Socal to SF on Southwest all the time, which IMO is a much better alternative.

 

Finally, as stated by 1992casey, dress warm. This weekend was a poor example but summer and winter are the worst seasons in SF. Spring and fall are the warmest. You would fit right in if you wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt everywhere.

 

Have fun!

 

 

Edit - content/grammatical error

[1992casey]

You do have to have a car in SF....

 

Based on the rest of the paragraph, I assume that you meant that you don't need a car in San Francisco. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[I Heart Brewers]

Oops. You are correct.

[SeriesFinale]

In California, they're very open, warm and loving, tolerant, and peaceful......unless they find out someone doesn't share their exact views. (mods, feel free to delete that part. Just wanted to warn the author since most midwesterners have views that can get dirty looks in CA).

Wow, way to paint 37 million people with a broad brush. Heck, way to paint "most Midwesterners" with that same brush.

 

 

 

Anyway, despite being from SF I will agree with others here that SoCal will probably be a better place to spend with kids in terms of theme parks and the like, although if the cost of putting the fam on a LAX-SFO flight gets unwieldy, there is plenty for families to do here in the area as well if you decide to spend the entire time up here. Besides the stuff mentioned earlier, a pretty cool CGI Peter Pan show just opened up along the Embarcadero.

 

Feel free to drop me a line closer to your trip--I'll be at all three games. It's a great park.