Things to do in San Francisco

[samurainoir]

what are your recommendations for fun things to do? I've been there a few times prior, generally have seen the usual tourist attractions... Fisherman's Warf, Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Alcatraz, the windy road, the trolley etc.

On my list to revisit is the Cartoon Art Museum

http://cartoonart.org

a return visit to the Super 7 store

http://www.super7store.com/store-locations

Pez Museum looks neat? Other vintage toys as well?

http://www.burlingamepezmuseum.com

Disney Family Museum is on my list of places I haven't been.

http://www.waltdisney.org

is it worth the hour and a half drive to see the Charles Schulz Museum? What else is there to do in that area... at first I thought I could do Napa Valley the same day, but it doesn't seem too accessible via Google Maps.

http://schulzmuseum.org

Playland Not-at-the-Beach worth checking out?

http://www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org

Where are the best place for vintage and collectible toys?
What are the best comic shops these days in the Bay Area?

[Hector]

Go across the Bay Bridge to Emeryville...and hit an awesome little Japanese toy store called Kimono My House...

http://www.kimonomyhousetoys.com/shop.cgi

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kimono-my-house-emeryville

They sell on eBay too...but it's much more fun to physically browse there.

It's really small, but it's kinda of a little institution here.

Kimono My House used to be located almost right next to Pixar Studios, but it moved to a slightly different location, still in Emeryville. Speaking of Pixar, there are occasional tours, but it would have to be planned in advance...or know someone...I personally have never been inside its premises...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/pixar-animation-studios-emeryville

Also, you can visit one of Oakland's very cool landmarks, Fentons Creamery in Piedmont Avenue. Pixar's Up showcases Fentons on its movie. It's the Bay Area's oldest ice cream shop, it's always packed and happening...and awesome ice cream and other goodies...

http://www.fentonscreamery.com/mobile.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fentons-creamery-oakland-2

Heroes Club/Art of Toys in San Francisco is another Japanese toy store...it has a small display only collection too...

http://www.artoftoy.com

http://www.yelp.com/biz/heroes-club-art-of-toys-san-francisco

[Hector]

And if you go to Fentons Creamery...on that same street, there's a cool comic book shop called Dr Comics and Games...

http://drcomicsmrgames.tumblr.com

http://www.yelp.com/biz/dr-comics-and-mr-games-oakland

Berkeley was the hub of comic book stores here in the Bay Area...but sadly...a ton of them have closed down over the years.

[Hector]

If you are a meat eater...you gotta go to the House of Prime Rib...a carnivore's delight, lol...

http://houseofprimerib.net

http://www.yelp.com/biz/house-of-prime-rib-san-francisco

Make reservations though.

If you dig Mexican food, especially tacos and burritos, La Taqueria and el Farolito on Mission St are excellent cheap taquerias...can't go wrong with either...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-taqueria-san-francisco-2

http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-farolito-san-francisco-4

[Hector]

Gary Larson's original Far Side work has been displayed in San Francisco's Legion of Honor museum countless times through the years...but I don't know what's the status of that nowadays.

[Hector]

The Oakland Hills offer the best planetarium in the Bay Area...if you or your kid/kids (if you have any) dig cool space related stuff...that's the place to go...

http://www.chabotspace.org/index.htm

http://www.yelp.com/biz/chabot-space-and-science-center-oakland

[Hector]

Monterey Aquarium is awesome, but it's a two hour drive south of San Francisco...

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org

http://www.yelp.com/biz/monterey-bay-aquarium-monterey

San Francisco has its own aquarium, the Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park...but nowhere near as awesome as the Monterey Aquarium...

http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/steinhart-aquarium//

http://www.yelp.com/biz/california-academy-of-sciences-san-francisco

Lots of whale watching tours here too...from January through April to see hundreds of gray whales migrating past Point Reyes in Marin County as they make their way from the arctic to Baja. Humpback whales also might be seen moving in pods of seven or 10 from November through March. The rest of the year -- summer and fall -- you can visit the Farallon Islands, where humpbacks, blue whales, sperm whales and orcas feed...

[Hector]

I'm not a big baseball fan, but if I have to root for a team around here, that would be the Oakland A's. But the Coliseum is not the park to go...that would be the San Francisco's Giants AT&T Park...it's beautiful...

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/ballpark/index.jsp

[Hector]

If you like animals and zoos...skip San Francisco's...the smaller but nicer Oakland Zoo is much better...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-zoo-san-francisco

http://www.yelp.com/biz/oakland-zoo-oakland

I just threw the zoo idea out there because I'm getting sleepy...you got a zoo of your own...I don't think visiting a zoo would be on your agenda...

[Hector]

Okay, I'm going to bed now...hope some of the things I listed interests you a bit.

I'll think of more stuff tomorrow...

[Hector]

That Pez Museum in Burlingame looks pretty awesome...I didn't even know it existed until you posted it, lol.

Burlingame is about 10-15 minute drive south of San Francisco.

[Hector]

Charles Shultz Museum...you asked what else is in Santa Rosa, well...the only thing that pops in my mind is a safari park...

http://www.safariwest.com

http://www.yelp.com/biz/safari-west-santa-rosa

Never been to either...but that safari park has better reviews than either the San Francisco and Oakland zoos...as it looks like this one is similar to San Diego's Wildlife Park...much more involved and interactive.

[Hector]

Ok, me really sleep now...

[megowgsh]

WOW Thanks for all the tips! I'll be there in late September and you just saved me a lot of time researching what to do.
Thanks!!!!

[Mikey]

I always thought the Oakland Bay Bridge is way more neat than the Golden Gate.

OBB has that neat pillar in between two suspension bridges - very unique and quite pretty