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 Napa Weekend Getaways
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 It's no wonder Tony Bennett left his heart here. San Francisco is a compact city of world-class culture, historical landmarks, award-winning dining, outdoor adventures and nightlife -- all wrapped up in a sparkling bay flanked by the famous Golden Gate Bridge, visible from hilly streets' whizzing cable cars. Even the unpredictable fog adds to the beauty.
Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala discovered the inlet in 1775, but it wasn't until 1847 that San Francisco got its name -- just before gold was discovered in "them thar" Sierra Nevada hills to the east. In 1850, California became the 31st state in the union and by 1854 more than 500 saloons and 20 theaters graced the booming Gold Rush town. But the real "gold" to be found was in its seas -- and the area known as Fisherman's Wharf, on the San Francisco Bay, is still the center of Northern California's commercial fishing industry.
Indeed, the City by the Bay reflects its roots. A morning stroll down Fish Alley -- Jefferson between Hyde and Jones -- offers a chance to view fishermen at work, and an old saloon established in 1861 still stands in the city's North Beach neighborhood with cracked barstools and a dusty wooden floor. (It is one of the three oldest taverns in San Francisco, which somehow survived demolition by man and earthquakes, including the major one in 1906 that resulted in fire and widespread destruction.)
But above all, today's San Francisco is playfully sophisticated with a mix of distinct contemporary neighborhoods like the tie-dye-wearing, peace-loving Haight; up-and-coming Deco Ghetto; swank Pacific Heights; and fabulously gay Castro, home to many of the city's GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) businesses and households. But with rainbow flags lining nearly every street, the culture has spread citywide: San Francisco is actually the self-proclaimed gay and lesbian capital of the world.
The treats of San Francisco are worth indulging for several days: mah-jongg parlors in Chinatown (with yummy samples from the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley), cable car rides over Nob Hill, the staircase down the very steep and crooked Lombard Street, the ferry ride to enchanting Sausalito across San Francisco Bay, and -- of course -- an escape to Alcatraz.
What to See
 You can't visit here and not spend time at Fisherman's Wharf; check out all the crab stands near Jefferson Street. Look out across the Bay and you'll see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge -- look down and you might see a few sea lions trying to get a tan. Younger kids will love the hand-painted two-tiered Venetian carousel topped in almost 2,000 twinkling lights at Pier 39.
Ghirardelli Square (900 North Point St.) started out as a factory in 1864, making Civil War uniforms -- but it's famous for being the chocolate and spice factory from 1893 until the mid-1960's. Look for the original 1860 cast-iron chocolate grinder from France on the lower level and make sure you stop at the old-fashioned soda fountain down there, too. These days, the factory is in another part of town and this place, though on the National Historic Register, is a multi-level mall filled to the brim with shops and restaurants.
Heralded as one of the world's most beautiful bridges, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge attracts approximately nine million visitors each year. Riding across the span of the bridge costs $6 per vehicle (southbound only). Pedestrians (including wheelchair users) and bicyclists may access the sidewalks during daylight hours. Or view it from afar on a ferry ride across the bay to...
Alcatraz (a.k.a. the Rock), now run by the National Park Service, is where some of the most notorious felons were sent from 1934 until 1963; alums include Al Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly and of course, Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz." The ferry departs from Pier 33 most days starting at 9 a.m., running every half hour or so. There are some evening (read: spookier) tours, but check the schedule before you head out. Notes: There is a bit of an elevated walk from the ferry to the cell house, so wear comfortable shoes. If you think it might be a difficult trek for you, consider taking SEAT -- an electric shuttle that runs about every hour between the dock and the cell house. Bring a heavy sweater or a windbreaker because it gets real chilly out there.
 All at once trendy, nostalgic, funky and touristy: That's the legendary intersection Haight-Ashbury. Made famous by the psychedelic 60's, it's a bit more gentrified these days with swank shops and hip restaurants. You'll still spot a few aging hippies here and there along Haight Street -- and a lot of strangely colored hair atop club kids' heads. If you want to see where the Grateful Dead lived in the mid-60's, head for 710 Ashbury Street.
Where prices are subject to discussion, Chinatown is beyond the great big red and green gate on Grant Avenue. Inside you'll find a 24-block maze of restaurants and shops, an ornate temple, and cheap dim sum joints galore. Try not to leave town without what some say is the best Cantonese around at the Lichee Garden on Powell Street.
Photo ops abound not far from North Beach at Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill (1 Telegraph Hill Blvd.). Built as a memorial to the city's volunteer firemen, it was finished in 1933. The Diego Rivera-inspired murals at its base are wonderful to see -- all done by 25 artists under the WPA during the New Deal. For panoramic views of the city and the bay, take the elevator to the top of the Coit Memorial Tower.
The cavernous Exploratorium's Tactile Dome (3601 Lyon St.) is a perfect stop for kids to navigate a series of environments and obstacles in total darkness, figuring out the course by touch. The museum also boasts more than 650 other permanent exhibits.
It may not be Manhattan's Central Park, but Golden Gate Park sure comes close -- at 75,398 acres, it is one of the largest inner-city national parks on the planet. Here you can rent bikes (there are a handful of rental shops on Stanvan St.), go horseback riding or simply gaze out on the Pacific. A must-see site in the park is the Japanese Tea Garden, a beautiful collection of waterfalls, bonsai trees and Japanese-style architecture.
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