Plants Galore!

San Francisco Botanical Garden

If horticulture is an interest to you, be sure to go to San Francisco’s 70 acre Botanical Gardens. This “urban oasis of extraordinary beauty”  is located at 9th Avenue on Lincoln Way and has been entertaining plant and bug lovers since 1940.

In addition to giving tours and teaching people about different plants, the SF Botanical Garden sells rare plants to San Francisco residents. Sales only happen a few times a year but when they do there is always a huge crowd that comes to purchase the exotic plants.

The SF Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit organization that encourages and warmly accepts volunteers and donations to help keep the gardens alive. For more information on donating to the cause check out this link: SF Botanical Garden Support.

The gardens are open 365 days of the year and welcome guests to visit the park for free.

For more reviews on the San Francisco Botanical Gardens check out these sites:

Yelp

Trip Advisor

Top Restaurants in San Francisco

SFTravel.com has made it their duty to declare the best restaurants in San Francisco since 1998. Here is the list of all the winners from 1998 until 2007.

1998- Park Chow

1999- Universal Cafe

2000- Restaurant Gary Danko

2001- Fleur De Lys

2002- The Blue Plate

2003- Luna Park

2004- The Last Supper Club

2005- Restaurant Lulu

2006- Limon Restaurant

2007- Levende Lounge

Walnut Creek’s Famous “Crogans” Bar

MTV’s the Real World in Denver had a girl named Jenn from Martinez, California on the show. When reminiscing about home she told the rest of the cast that her “favorite place to go out at night is Crogans In Walnut Creek. Bay Area residents everywhere perked up at the mention of this popular Irish bar.

Located on Locust Street in downtown Walnut Creek, Crogans bar is close enough to BART that it is easy to get to from most cities in the Bay Area. It tends to draw a younger crowd consisting of college students and then a quite a few groups of older men.

The people who love this bar appreciate the fun atmosphere and tons of people who venture in on the weekends. The drinks are about $5.00 on average and they have been known to be pretty tasty. In addition to the bar there is a dance floor with plenty of room to get your groove on which people always do.

Inside Crogans Sports Bar and Grill

The drawbacks of this place include long lines to get in, rude staff members, and an high school reunion for all those who grew up in the area. The long wait to get in can not be helped because of the mass quantity of people who frequent Crogans but the rude staff members are a problem that should be fixed. In addition, there is a dress code that is strictly enforced so make sure to call ahead to find out if the clothes you are wearing are appropriate for this bar.

For more reviews on Crogans bar check out these sites:

Yelp

City Search

Boorah

Step Away From the Dive Bar

Terry's Lodge

If a dive bar is what you want then Terry’s Lodge will fulfill this desire. Located on 15th and Irvine in San Francisco is where this dive bar sits.

The outside has one little window that is blocked off from the inside and a door in front to get in. The inside of this bar is always dark it has a grungy unorganized look. Many people complain about the decor but fans of this place do not come here for the looks.

Inside Terry's Lodge

Terry’s Lodge is famous for it’s extremely cheap drinks that are always pretty stiff. People can not help coming back here and one anonymous source went as far as to say, “the only problem about Terry’s Lodge, is that you can’t stop going to Terry’s Lodge”.

Other great dive bars similar to Terry’s Lodge include:

1. Expansion Bar

2. Red’s Place

3. Saloon

4. Jonell’s (watch out, this one is in the Tenderloin!)

5. Frank’s 21 Club
For More Reviews on Terry’s Lodge check out these sites:

Yelp

Center’d

BART: Not the Simpson’s Charater

People Getting on BART

BART, officially known as Bay Area Rapid Transit, is the most frequently used mode of transportation in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

For a little over 35 years BART has provided fast transportation to downtown businesses, shopping centers, tourist attractions, entertainment venues, universities and other destinations for Bay Area residents and visitors.

Although BART may not be thought of as the ideal place to visit in Northern California it is appreciated because of its ability to provide transportation from 4:00am to midnight seven days a week. The times are extended until 2:00am on holidays when drinking is involved, such as New Year’s Eve. Ticket prices vary depending on the length of the journey but average to about $6 one way.

When taking BART the ride may be very boring, many people even fall asleep, or it can be quite interesting depending on who is riding the train with you. Many special characters ride BART everyday and some make their presence very well known. People talk to themselves, others yell out obscenities and I have even seen some people hang from the handrails at the top of the train imitating monkeys. Crime is not really prevalent on the BART trains though so no worries about the “crazies” hurting you.

So if taking BART to visit any of the wonderful places talked about in my blog just make sure to keep an open mind about those around you, and enjoy the ride!

For more reviews on BART check out these sites:

Yelp

Insider Pages

City Search

Bridges Restaurant: Mrs. Doubtfire Anyone?

In Front of Bridges Restaurant

Remember the old 90′s movie “Mrs. Doubtfire”? If you do then think back to the scene where the whole family goes out to the nice restaurant in San Francisco and Robin Williams’ female character finally gets revealed as a man. This restaurant does indeed exist, but not in San Francisco.

Mrs. Doubtfire

This upscale dinning facility, Bridges, resides in a little town called Danville. After the filming and release of the motion picture, “Mrs. Doubtfire”, Bridges received nationwide acclaim for its incredible architecture, imaginative food and world class wine list along with professional and knowledgeable service.

For the most part people have said that the food here tastes divine and that the presentation of it is always interesting, yet beautiful. Taste buds will be happy but your wallet may not. Be prepared to dish out some money (about $27.00 a dinner) but if the occasion is right it is definitely worth it. The restaurant is very creative with special occasions such as Mother’s Day when they give roses to all the mothers.

For more reviews on this restaurant check out these sites:

Open List

Yelp

Insider Pages

Hit or Miss with Pacifica Beach

Pacifica State Beach

Pacifica State Beach in San Francisco is located off Highway 1 in downtown Pacifica. This beach is where I first learned how to surf when I was in junior high. The water is consistently freezing and wetsuits are a must to even get in the water.

Pacifica is one of the cleaner beaches in Northern California and does not have a lot of seaweed in the water. On an average day, a person 6 ft. tall could almost touch the bottom of the ocean where the waves break. There are very few rocks on the ocean floor making this what would seem like a desireable place to surf or participate in other water activities.

However, the weather is very unpredictable and usually cold and foggy. Also, the waves typically are “blown out” from the wind that gets trapped in the bay. The afternoon is typically when the weather clears up, if it is going to at all, but the morning is the best time to surf at this location during most of the year. If the fog clears up during the day it usually comes back in the late afternoon.

Whether gloomy or sunny, Pacifica Beach is beautiful and has a lot of little shops and other things to do all around to maintain the fun. The City of Pacifica even made a list of 50 Great Things in Pacifica to give visitors a better idea of what this beach has in store.

Surfers at Pacifica Beach

Pro’s

• Clean water and beach
• nice surfers
• dog-friendly beach

Con’s

• Cold weather
• Unpredictable water

For more information on Pacifica Beach check out these sites:

Yelp

Dogster

Away