(Northern) California Dreamin' | San Franciscotikichris

The Painted Ladies of Alamo Square, photo Geoffrey Davies

Continuing with her series exploring Northern California, Judith Schrut struts, savours and e-cycles the streets of San Francisco.

San Francisco. It’s the City by the Bay, SF, the Golden City; creator of denim jeans, fortune cookies, mimosas, waterbeds, Rice-a-Roni and the Summer of Love; home to more than 50 hills, 14,000 Victorian houses, 200 landmark buildings and the only moving national monument in the USA (the cable car), and year after year voted America’s coolest city.

But beyond all this – and I speak as one who’s both lived and touristed here – the most amazing thing about San Francisco is how every visit is different. That’s because it’s a city of endless variety, character, history and openness, inspiring you to see it anew each time.

San Francisco Panorama, photo Geoffrey Davies

Whether this is your first trip or your hundredth, it’s absolutely worth trying one of many fun, fascinating or quirky tours on offer. There are Segway tours, foodie tours, Cruisin’ the Castro tours, San Francisco Love tours by hippie van and several free walking tours.

This visit, my partner and I put our butts on bikes for Dylan’s City Loop Electric Bicycle Tour. Founder Dylan David, keen to share his native perspective with Bay Area visitors, first began giving tours out of his old ‘soccer-mom van’. With the help of his brother and a bunch of great guides, Dylan’s has grown into a much loved, highly rated tour company, offering small group bike and van tours around SF, Sausalito, Muir Woods and Alcatraz. Their motto is simple: We want you to have an amazing time.

If this is your first encounter with an an e-bike, you’re likely to feel both excited and nervous. Reassuringly, guide Sean eased us in with plenty of trial street shots. Then away we zipped, following Sean’s flowing red mane, for an exhilarating 24 mile za-za-zoom up and down the sweet streets and harrowing hills of SF, a journey almost impossible by pedal bike, tour bus or Uber.

Our hotwheel highway gave us all: Fisherman’s Wharf and the Marina, Fort Point and Golden Gate Bridge, a spinetingling descent from Seacliff to Ocean Beach, the full length of Golden Gate Park and on through iconic neighbourhoods like Haight Ashbury, North Beach and Chinatown, all accompanied by fun local history.

Back to base after six hours, sore-bottomed but triumphant, we agreed this was clearly the best way to see SF, using pedal power when you want and switching on when the going gets tough. Then hobble a few blocks to Baked Bear for bespoke ice cream sandwiches or coffee at the historic Caffé Trieste.

E-bike, it was love at first sight and I miss you already!

Dylan’s Tours start from 782 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133. Find out more at dylanstours.com.

photo Geoffrey Davies

Stay

Take my advice, don’t bring a car to San Francisco if you can avoid it – remember, you’re in one of the rare US cities blessed with fantastic public transport, and every local will tell you that parking is insane. It’s no coincidence that Uber got its start here. Instead, choose bus, BART, cable car, street car, skateboard or e-bike (see above).

But if you must bring that car, don’t let the craziness and cost of SF parking torpedo your budget; instead, stay at one of the good value motor inns in the Marina District which offer free parking, and just leave your car there. I’ve tried and can recommend Cow Hollow Inn or Coventry Inn, although if you are noise-averse, earplugs are a must or be prepared to beg for an off-street room. If money’s no object, Hotel Drisco in trendy Pacific Heights is splendid. Or for half the price and a more central location check out the Omni or Club Quarters.

Details at coventrymotorinn.com and hoteldrisco.com.

Cruffin of the day at Mr Holmes Bakehouse, photo copyright margot mckelvie

Fresh baked Cruffin at Mr Holmes Bakehouse, photo copyright Margot McKelvie

Eat

It’s no cliché to say San Francisco is foodie heaven. Fabulous food and drink are everywhere, but budget generously– SF eating does not come cheap.

You’ll find all sorts of deliciousness on offer: must-tries include Mexican food at La Taqueria, San Francisco sourdough at the Mill, Noe Valley Bakery or Boudin Bakery, Bay-bred seafood at Crab House and Sotto Mare, coffee at Blue Bottle and those ice cream sandwiches at Baked Bear. World Pizza Cup champion Tony Gemignani makes the world’s best pizza in one of seven ovens at Tony’s. Liguria Bakery is famed for focaccia, Greens a must for gourmet vegetarians and, for something completely different, sink your teeth into a sensational, original and addictive Cruffin (croissant-muffin) from Mr Holmes Bakehouse. And, if you don’t know what you want– or you want everything– head for the Ferry Building for a feast of restaurants, cafes, shops and farmers market.

Get the lowdown on Cruffins at mrholmesbakehouse.com, Tony’s at tonyspizzanapoletana.com, and the wonderful world of ice cream sandwiches at thebakedbear.com. More on SF’s best nosh at sfgate.com/food.

Exterior with GG Bridge and Main Post Lawn

Photo courtesy Walt Disney Family Museum

Play

As you’ll discover, SF is a great city for walking and outdoor adventure. But there are some chilly winter days when you might prefer something indoors-y. A perfect time to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum. This is absolutely not another theme park, but a fascinating audio-visual voyage through the incredible life and times of Walter Elias Disney.

WDFM’s ten fabulous galleries helped me understand how important Walt Disney was to modern American life and culture and how his story was also a story of 20^th century America: the strict Midwestern farm family upbringing, his youthful scribblings and ambitions, the launch, aged just 20, of his first animation studio, early failures and deals gone bad, the move to Hollywood where he turned his dreams into reality. But Disney was more than just a cartoonist and successful businessman, he was a hugely influential technical innovator and movie-making genius. He brought us storyboards, the first feature length animated films (think Snow White), the multiplane camera and ‘audio animatronics’. He pioneered live action movies (think 20,000 Leagues under the Sea), family TV shows (think Zorro and the Mickey Mouse Club), groundbreaking nature documentaries and, of course, created Disneyland.

After the museum you may still be spellbound by that Disney magic. There is only one thing to do: head for the Art Deco landmark Castro Theatre for one of its famed Movie Singalongs, complete with on-screen lyrics, audience costume contest and goody bags for all. Upcoming showings include Frozen, Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid.