I wrote this back in 2014.  Let’s see how much our favorite city has changed.2014:  Borrowed from the Concierge at the Handlery Hotel: 

Where to find local wildlife:  sea lions at Pier 39, elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park. harbor porpoises under the Golden Gate Bridge near Fort Point.

What about the much maligned fortune cookie?    Though they came originally from Japan, they were introduced to America at the Japanese Tea Garden out at Golden Gate Park in the late 1800s (about when my grandfather came to America).  And if you go to 56 Ross Alley in Chinatown, you made watch them being made at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.

So, who really care’s about Ben and Jerry’s in the City.  Not people who prefer the local varieties, like Mitchell’s, Bi-rite, or Swenson’s.  I say go local, go boutique, stay away from Stone Cold, 31, Foggen Dayz.

What about some free activities?  You can walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for free.  You can head out to Crissy Field, a real bird watcher’s paradise.  Then stop by the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.  For a real treat, head to the historic Cliff House, for the views, and perhaps a glimpse of seals and whales out in the ocean.

I always recommend a “trip” out to Haight Ashbury.  Anyone who lived and grew up through the Sixties will always be appreciated seeing ground zero of the flower child movement.  Or head over the U.C. Berkeley, home of the Free Speech Movement.  Another great freebie is a visit to the Rotunda at City Hall down on Civic Center.

Though we have decent museums in the City, I am not a big museum guy.  But I do enjoy tours like a visit to Alcatraz Island, home of the former Federal prison.  It is full of history and great views of both the City and the Golden Gate Bridge.  I also recommend trying to get a “high” as possible, for the view of course.  This could be Coit Tower, Twin Peaks, the Transamerica Pyramid, or the top of the Fairmont Hotel (or any high rise hotel lounge). 

On Sundays this summer, head out to Stern Grove, for any number of free music, dance, and theater.  This is the 77th season.  How many times have you even been there?  You can hear these greats for free, including Smokey Robinson, Sergio Mendes, the San Francisco Symphony, the Zombies, Rufus Wainwright, Darlene Love, and Todd Sickafoose.

What about buying some souvenirs for the fine folks back home?  I always recommend a Giants cap, or better yet, a 49ers cap for my Seattle friends.  How about an Alcatraz T-shirt, or an Irish coffee glass from world famous Buena Vista Café.  Some people prefer replicas, things like the Golden Gate Bridge, or the Transamerica Pyramid.

Other gifts might be a bottle of Napa wine, a local microbrew, sourdough bread, Ghirardelli chocolates, or California olive oil.

Attending sporting events is always high on my agenda, and we have plenty, depending on the season.  The Forty Niners, Warriors, Giants, Athletics, Sharks, as well as major college sports at Cal.

Music is my other passion, so check out places like Davies Symphony Hall, Yoshi’s for jazz (SF closed), the Fillmore for rock, and just about any bar or venue that publishes its program online on SFGate.

Lots to do, not so expensive, leaving plenty of $$ for food.  That is the subject for another time.  Have fun, bring plenty of disinfectant (for the homeless), and always smile when you get on the cable car.  The line was over a block long yesterday!!

 Fast forward to 2023:  These are the best “free” things to do in SF now.

1. Golden Gate Bridge
2. Fisherman’s Wharf
3. Pier 39
4. Drive down Lombard Street (crookedest street in the world)
5. The Beach
6. Take an SF City Guide
7. The free market at Dolores Park
8. Maritime National Historic Park
9. Ghirardelli Square
10. Union Square
11. City Hall
12. Cal Sailing Club
13. The Randall Museum
14. SF Centre for the Book
15. SF Botanical Garden
16. Asian Art Museum

That ought to keep you busy.

The city has changed so much due to the pandemic.  Many of my favorite retail stores have closed, like Uniqlo.  Many favorite restaurants are closed or open only for reduced hours.  But the neighborhoods are thriving.  Why?  That is where people live!

I still enjoy riding the cable car, going to the top of Nob Hill at night, attending a Giants or Warriors game, and dining at a new place for lunch or dinner.  But just realize things are different here, as in many large cities across our country.

From 2011, the Spring after the Giants won their first World Championship in San Francisco.

Having been to Arizona style Spring Training many times, I can tell you that having the World Champion San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale is a big deal.  I distinctly remember the year after the A’s won the World Series in 1989.  The following Spring was filled with fans, baseball writers, and young players trying to crack a solid roster.  The Giants are in much the same situation.  The only rookie with a decent chance to make the team is First Baseman, Brandon Belt.  The Giants hope he is the Buster Posey of 2011.  And Belt is a perfect name for a ballplayer, much like Buster.

Baseball and Spring go together like ham and eggs.  Like Maris and Mantle.  Like Mays and McCovey, Ruth and Gehrig, Beavis and Butthead.  For Northern Californians, we got out of the cold and rain of the last parts of winter.  For snowbirds from Chicago, New York, and Detroit, the Valley of the Sun was like heaven on earth.  They often rented a condo or apartment for the entire winter.  We were lucky to have a week or ten days down there.

The first requirement of Spring Training is to stay in a hotel in Scottsdale.  Forget about Phoenix, Tempe, or the other cities surrounding Phoenix.  Scottsdale is the place to be, both for watching games, as well as playing golf, and dining at places where the players and celebrities hang out. In many cases, we stayed at the same hotel as some of the teams and players.  And even though going to Scottsdale was for my kids, I must admit that I enjoyed it as much or more than they did.

During the early years when my son was under ten, we did not golf in the morning.  But once he started playing, we would golf every morning before heading to the ballpark.  This put a serious dent into his pre game ball hawking.  We used a fishing net to gather baseballs sliding along the fence down the left and right field bleachers.  In addition, since we always sat in the front row, all stray baseballs hit into the stands came rolling down to the bottom or first row.  My son just jumped down below the bleachers and gathered up the balls.  It was almost embarrassing that he would collect up to twenty balls a game!  I finally convinced him to give them to the younger children.

The big stars back then for the Giants were Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell.  And for the Athletics, it was the Bash Brothers, Canseco and McGwire, along with Dave Stewart.  Some of the other big names we enjoyed seeing and talking to were:  Ken Griffey, Jr., Willie Mays, Harry Caray, Bob Feller, Bill Rigney, Reggie Jackson, Ernie Banks, Nolan Ryan, and Orlando Cepeda.  And it was not uncommon to see some of these guys at dinner at places like Don and Charlie’s, The Pink Pony, and sFuzzi. In fact, the Pink Pony co-owner, Gwen Briley, gave my son a miniature baseball bat with a Pink Pony emblem.  Of course, he missed Willie McCovey and Willie Mays having big steaks in the corner booth. 

Rumor has it that it reopened in February

The highlight one spring for my son was the baseball bat belonging to Mark McGwire, before steroids of course.  After Big Mack took batting practice, he came walking down the first base line, and handed out his two batting gloves to some kids.  Then he came up to my son, who was about 9 or 10 at the time, and handed him his baseball bat!  It was just the neatest thing, and my son was floating on clouds for the rest of the trip.  It was sad when we found out about Big Mac’s steroid use.

Our golf outings were equally memorable.  We played some of the best courses in Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Tempe.  One particular favorite was the Karsten ASU Golf Course in Tempe, part of the University.  I had to pay $80 for my round, and he only had to pay $1.00!!!  After that, we just kept going back every time we visited Arizona.  In fact, we met Mr. Karsten Solheim, the benefactor of the golf course, and owner of PING at the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach in 1992.  He invited us to go on a factory tour, which we did the following year.  The man was a genius, originally an engineer with General Electric in San Mateo, CA. 

We got paired up with two pretty good golfers one day at Troon North.  The guys were quite impressed, as my son seemed to be a step or two ahead of them all round.  When we got to 18, he ended up in a fairway bunker.  Imagine their surprise when he used his driver to swing out of the trap, and onto the green over 220 yards away!  He was about 10 years old at the time.  That was still one of the best shots I have ever seen in golf.  The funniest time was having a javelina chase my son from the cactus and scrub onto the golf cart.  It is best to play local rules and not try to hunt down your golf ball in the scrub and cactus.

They run very fast, and are about as ugly as 2pm.

Of course, autographs are a big part of Spring Training.  Most of the players will sign autographs before the game.  The uninitiated rookies will sign autographs anytime of day or night.  Of course, many times we had no idea who they were, since they sported high numbers like 77 or 88.  But I am sure it was as big a thrill for the kids as getting Will Clark’s autograph.  Then, if we saw them at dinner, sitting next to us, my son would get the wave, smile, or nod from the ball players.  Another thrill to remember. 

I think for the players as well, Spring Training is more relaxed, once they have made the team, and they are injury free.  For rookies, and veterans coming off of injury, it is pressure to perform.  I remember when Ken Griffey, Jr. was a rookie.  He ran faster than all of his teammates.  He had a huge smile on his face as he went through his workouts.  He actually held my daughter in his arms and gave her a hug and smile.  After the players get to be grizzled veterans, they somehow lose this innocent exuberance.  Could it be the millions of dollars they get paid for playing a boy’s game?  Are they tired of being hounded by the press about every thing they do on and off the field?

Fast forward to March 11, I am here at cute little Scottsdale Stadium, home of the Giants.  As of 2023, fifteen major league teams hold their Spring Training in the greater Phoenix area.  Back when we started, we had only the Giants, Cubs, Mariners, Indians (in Tucson), Angels (in Palm Springs), A’s, and maybe one other.

A few other events are going on this weekend:  Carrie Underwood, NASCAR, the World Baseball Classic, to name a few.

So, I have been under the weather lately, so not much news or email updates.  Here are some pearls of whatever you want.

“We should try to be the parents of our future rather than the offspring of our past.”

— Miguel de Unamuno

Pinot Noir is the most commonly mispronounced wine name. Apparently, an average of 2,380 people search for how to correctly say the world-famous French wine each month. (It’s PEE-noh nwar, in case you were wondering). 

Expedia shows the ideal day to book a flight is Sunday. For domestic flights, you can get the best airfare by booking at the end of the weekend. Doing so can save you around 5%. For international flights, the savings are nearly 10%.

Barium nitrate is insoluble in 6M Nitric Acid.  (I remember that from freshman Chemistry at Berkeley)

Venis is the hottest (462 C) planet in our solar system.

Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt, Peru or Mexico.

The Rio Carnival, the world’s biggest Carnival held annually in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, returns to the streets on Friday after a two-year pandemic hiatus. About 80,000 tourists are expected to join in the festivities.  I would love to attend sometime!

That was about the worst Super Bowl anthem I have heard in decades!

The hashtag symbol (#) is technically called an octothorpe.

About 700 grapes (about 2.6 pounds) go into one bottle of wine.

A $1 dollar bill lasts for about 6.6 years according to the Federal Reserve.

Go people watching or simply cross the street on the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. As the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, you’ll see about 3,000 people bobbing and weaving at the same time.   Also, home to Hachi!

You actually lose a large percentage of your taste buds while on an airplane. This might explain a lot about those less-than-stellar in-flight meals, or why you find yourself craving the saltiest foods while in the sky.

The bookworms will appreciate this fun fact: Isaac Asimov is the only author to write a book in every Dewey-decimal category.

Russia has a whopping 11 time zones within the country, which gives you an idea of just how large it is.  I crossed them all on my trip on the Trans Siberian Railway in 2014.

Did you know that when you plan a trip somewhere, it’s scientifically proven to make you happier? Don’t ask me where I read the study — you’ll just have to plan and test it out for yourself! 😉