| Ferry Building Marketplace | | | | everyone can kill a few hours while breathing ocean |
| For gourmets, the Ferry Building, open daily, is a must. | | | | air and scanning the glimmering Golden Gate. Some |
| Tenants include many of Northern California's finest | | | | 900 California sea lions have taken up residence on |
| gourmet food purveyor; Cowgirl Creamery's Artisan | | | | the floating docks near PIER 39, which seems these |
| Cheese Shop, Recchuiti Confections, Scharffen | | | | playful, noisy creatures are one of the best free |
| Berger Chocolate, myriad other restaurants, food | | | | attractions on the wharf. Weather permitting, the |
| shops, wine bars and many more. Check out the | | | | Marine Mammal Center (415/289-SEAL) offers an |
| Imperial Tea Court and learn the traditional Chinese | | | | educational talk at PERI 39, on weekends from 11am |
| way to steep and sip, buy cooking items at the Sur | | | | to 5pm, that teaches visitors about the range, |
| La Table shop, grab a bite and savor the bay-front | | | | habitat, and adaptability of the California sea lion. |
| views from outdoor tables. (The Embarcadero, at | | | | Lombard Street |
| Market St. 415/693-0996. Most stores open daily | | | | Known as the "Crookedest street in the world", the |
| 10am-6pm.) | | | | switchback block of Lombard between Hyde and |
| Fisherman's Wharf | | | | Leavenworth ends up in a lot of photo albums. So |
| This unabashed tourist trap is actually a pretty fun | | | | steep it bows like a river to make descent possible, |
| place. Authentic day-to-day SF it's not - and only | | | | this short stretch is one-way, downhill and fun to |
| fishing going on at Fisherman's Wharf, these days is | | | | drive. Take the curves slowly and in low gear, and |
| for tourist's dollar. But there are reasons why this | | | | expect daunting crowds and delays during the |
| bay front area is one of the world's most popular | | | | weekend. Save your film for the bottom; if you're |
| tourist attractions. First, it's a great place for families | | | | lucky, you'll find a parking space where you can |
| to explore. With gorgeous vistas, theme restaurants, | | | | photograph the spectacle. You can also take straight |
| and cheesy fun attractions around PIER 39, | | | | staircases up or down either side of the street. |