San Francisco?

[Timmy35]

Afternoon all. Right to celebrate my retirement/long term withdrawal from Gordon Browns labour market, I'm flying to San Francisco next Sunday.

I've never been and know sod all about the place, is there much to do? Any good bars I can hang out in ( no not gay ones you feckers ).

I'm there for a while, well until they find out about my various misdemeanors and throw me out of the US, at which point I think I might head for Mexico.

Oh and I think I might hire a great big f**k off V12 to drive around the state a bit too. So any good roads?

Cheers.

Timmy.

[Gaffer]

Don't forget to wear flowers in your hair...

[MikeyT]

Get a huge motor - new camaro? And head south to Carmel and Monterey on Highway 1 - then take in Big Sur and Willaim Hearst's place on highway 1 - then breeze down into Santa Barabara - next stop LA ... a great few days - motels cheap as you like along the way - have a good time.

Maybe precede this by going north over the GG bridge to see SF from the other sie of the Bay - simply awesome when the sun is going down ...

I went on my own for a fortnight back in 1996 - had a great time - just travelling around doing what I liked ...

Have you just resigned then? Or got the big E (ie redundancy)?

Edited by MikeyT on Friday 17th October 14:20

[Skipppy]

MikeyT said:

Maybe precede this by going north over the GG bridge to see SF from the other sie of the Bay - simply awesome when the sun is going down ...

Edited by MikeyT on Friday 17th October 14:20

Also see Sausalito on the other side of the GG bridge.

[chris_w666]

I want to retire too.

[A1GOY]

MikeyT said:

Get a huge motor - new camaro? And head south to Carmel and Monterey on Highway 1 - then take in Big Sur and Willaim Hearst's place on highway 1 - then breeze down into Santa Barabara - next stop LA ... a great few days - motels cheap as you like along the way - have a good time.

Maybe precede this by going north over the GG bridge to see SF from the other sie of the Bay - simply awesome when the sun is going down ...

I went on my own for a fortnight back in 1996 - had a great time - just travelling around doing what I liked ...

Have you just resigned then? Or got the big E (ie redundancy)?

Edited by MikeyT on Friday 17th October 14:20

Just did Route 1 and there's one thing you have to do - 'the old coast road'. It's just after Big Sur (from LA) IIRC and it's AMAZING. It's a challenging road, that's for sure and it's all dirt - but the guide books say AWD isn't a must. If you hire a massive truck thing (Ford F-650, google it...), you may have a bit of trouble getting through some of the gaps...
Worth it if you can hack it though.

[ewenm]

My favourite US city (of the ones I've been to). Lots to see and do. Have lunch in the Cheesecake Factory on top on Macy's in Union(?) Square. Golden Gate Bridge and Park, Alcatraz, head south towards Monterey along the coast road (although make sure your car is powerful enough for snap overtakes as everyone trundles), try dining at the Stinking Rose restaurant (garlic themed but good), cablecar trip, etc, etc.

[V8mate]

Timmy35 said:

Oh and I think I might hire a great big f**k off V12 to drive around the state a bit too. So any good roads?

Cheers.

Timmy.

V8! V12s are for nancy Italians.

[Cheeky Jim]

Loads to see and do in SF.

Am going again in Dec with work, can't wait.

Just pitch up and ask the locals - but you will safely be able to waste a number of weeks there....

Just don't waste your money in the titty bars on Broadway....like some I could mention....

[MikeyT]

Of course if you want to get a Highland Green 390 Mustanmg and go in search of this little lot then be my guest ...

Bullitt locations

[MrVelox]

Hertz will hire you a Corvette.. yellow one with black viper stripes and chrome wheels to boot.

[jag guru]

Skipppy said:

MikeyT said:

Maybe precede this by going north over the GG bridge to see SF from the other sie of the Bay - simply awesome when the sun is going down ...

Edited by MikeyT on Friday 17th October 14:20

Also see Sausalito on the other side of the GG bridge.

Yes, this
is a must. I was there ( well San Jose ) 2004..........14 years after
I had been the first time.
I actually had forgotten just how good SF is. Get down to PIER 39
everyone does eventually. If you want to see Alcatraz, book early it's
usually busy all day.
As MIkeyT says drive across the Gate to the viewpoint, stunning views
back across the city. And carry on down in Sausalito........some nice
restaurants etc.

edit for addition: Only drive across the Golden Gate........not
Oakland Bay Bridge............don't go to Oakland.

Edited by jag guru on Friday 17th October 14:48

Edited by jag guru on Thursday 23 October 01:56

[Timmy35]

MikeyT said:

Get a huge motor - new camaro? And head south to Carmel and Monterey on Highway 1 - then take in Big Sur and Willaim Hearst's place on highway 1 - then breeze down into Santa Barabara - next stop LA ... a great few days - motels cheap as you like along the way - have a good time.

Maybe precede this by going north over the GG bridge to see SF from the other sie of the Bay - simply awesome when the sun is going down ...

I went on my own for a fortnight back in 1996 - had a great time - just travelling around doing what I liked ...

Have you just resigned then? Or got the big E (ie redundancy)?

Edited by MikeyT on Friday 17th October 14:20

Thanks mate that's my itinery sorted!

Nah I resigned chap.

[mr_spock]

Go to Alice's restaurant, major bike hangout. Also over to Half Moon Bay. The Cliff House is a cool restaurant in the city too. Monterey Bay is fab, esp the Aquarium and the restaurant at the end of the wooden walkway next to it.

[jag guru]

mr_spock said:

Go to Alice's restaurant, major bike hangout. Also over to Half Moon Bay. The Cliff House is a cool restaurant in the city too. Monterey Bay is fab, esp the Aquarium and the restaurant at the end of the wooden walkway next to it.

I never got as far down as this. We
made it as far as Santa Cruz.........Think of the set of Lost Boy's.
Funfair..........boardwalk, etc. I ended up cutting inland, road rises
really high up into the mountains coming off Highway 1. I can't remember
the No' offhand, but it's a nice drive.

[schmokin1]

there is a great proper boozer in Big Sur 'town' - i say town cos there is not a lot there! you can't miss it as it's the only pub there but the local ale is great and the food, proper extremely delicious pub food. If you are not sniffy about eating out of a plastic basket, then try it! We stayed in the log cabins (couple of places right off the road) and they were good too.

Don't know if you will be too late but Yosemite is fantastic. Might be closed for snow by Nov, best check but if you can get up there, it's great. That goes for Bodie ghost town the other side. Both a few hours from SF but worth it.

By the way, check out a great shop Woodies of Carmel www.woodiesofcarmel.com it's a must to see the automobilia. I've now decided my life isn't complete without a 1937 ford woodie....!

enjoy
schmo

[Dirty Boy]

Go to Nick's Lighthouse Cafe and have some of their clam chowder in a sour dough bowl.

The restaurant itself is grotty, crammed and noisy, but the chowder is ace. (recommended by a local)

For breakfast, go to Ihops, you get loads

Get yourself on a tram and do California Drive (Steve McQueen) health and safety gets ignored to a degree, so you can hang off the side, brilliant.

Alcatraz is certainly worth a trip.

Edited by Dirty Boy on Friday 17th October 15:26

[MikeyT]

Timmy35 said:

Nah I resigned chap.

Fair play mate - enjoy the trip ... you'll have a great time - the west coast is just fantastic!

Remember to keep us all up to date on here ...

[Timmy35]

MikeyT said:

Timmy35 said:

Nah I resigned chap.

Fair play mate - enjoy the trip ... you'll have a great time - the west coast is just fantastic!

Remember to keep us all up to date on here ...

Will do, from what car I manage to get my grubbies on, what route I take and how much success or otherwise I have in getting a nice californian blonde to adorn the passenger seat.

I'm going to have a google for specialist 'fun' car hire firms out there I think. I'd like something noisy, quick, open top, and requiring an oil tanker at all times to fuel it.

[fido]

Good on you. Enjoy the trip. Went there many years ago, but hire cars are (were) quite cheap - so i'm sure you can get a Mustang, Viper etc. for little cash.

Edited by fido on Friday 17th October 15:56