Feedback on itinerary

[BlackTea]

Hi all,

Flying to SF this Friday for three nights and then two nights in Carmel with husband and 3 yr old son.

I've been doing research on things to do and places to eat and I came up with the plan below. Please note that the son is fairly well--behaved and is used to sitting in restaurants eating and watching sesame street or something else on the iphone.

Friday July 30th
3 PM Check-in at Hyatt Regency Embarcadero
4 PM Take the son to Fisherman's wharf to see the sea lions
7 PM back to hotel to change for dinner
8 PM Dinner reservation at 1550 Hyde

Saturday July 31st
8 AM Ferry Market
10 AM Coit Tower
12 noon cable car to chinatown
1 PM if hungry light lunch at … any suggestions?
2 PM Back to the hotel for son's nap time
4 PM walk fillmore street/chestnut neihborhood and Hayes St between Franklin & Fillmore, and Gough
7 PM Dinner reservations at Zuni Café

Sunday August 1st

8 AM breakfast at hotel
9 AM Exploratorium
1 PM Back at the hotel for nap time
3 PM Tour Haight-Ashbury or golden gate park or both?
7 PM back at the hotel to get ready for dinner
7:45 Dinner reservation at Slanted Door

Monday August 2nd

8 AM breakfast at hotel
10 AM Head down to Carmel
12 PM check in at Highlands Inn and nap time for toddler
3 PM go to Carmel Valley village for wine tasting (Parsonage, Bernardus,Talbott)
7 PM take some wine and cheese or sushi (any recommendations here?) and head to Carmel beach to watch the sunset


Tuesday August 3rd
8 AM Breakfast at hotel
9 AM Drive to Monterrey for the 17 mile drive
1 PM back to carmel for nap time
3 PM Possibly pack light lunch from (suggestions here?)
3:30 PM Go to Point Lobos Park and spend the afternoon there
8:00 PM dinner at pacific's edge

Please provide any input and suggestions. What would you change in terms of places and restaurants.

Thanks a lot

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

1550 Hyde
1550 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109

[BlackTea]

trip report is posted here
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/725850

[BlackTea]

Another question:
What do you guys think of Slanted Door, good choice? Other suggestions to replace it if not a good choice?

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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

[supergoldie]

Slanted door is a great choice. Really delicious, and something different if you have only tried cheaper, less fusiony Vietnamese food. I strongly suggest the Shaking Beef.

[jdinsf]

It's a great place, plus the view is awesome and the experience of the hustle and bustle of the famed restaurant is well worth it. Agreed with Shaking Beef recommendation.

[Sebby]

Do you like Dim Sum? I like City View just off Kearney. It's in a small alley near Pine street.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/city-view-res...

Definitely go to Point Lobos when down in Carmel. There is a safeway and other stores in the Crossroads shopping center where you can pick up a picnic lunch.

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City View Restaurant
662 Commercial St, San Francisco, CA 94111

[BlackTea]

Dim Sum is not popular with everybody in this family so we'll have to skip that:)

[ML8000]

FYI, you might post your plans for Carmel on the California board, which covers Carmel. You'll get better feedback.

[myst]

Sat. Lunch: Most visitors eat at RG Lounge in Chinatown. Its clean and easy to find. Or you could walk out of Chinatown into Northbeach for italian food, or if you head the other way you can eat in the Union Square area.

Haight Ashbury is probably not too fun for three year old. Basically shopping district with "character" and lots of second hand clothing shops. Golden Gate park is large and has lots of fun options, museums, Japanese tea garden, boating, playgrounds, museums, acquarium etc.....

Warming hut is also on the bay across from Exploratorium for snacks.

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R & G Lounge
631 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108

Warming Hut
983 Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA

[BlackTea]

Thank you for the input, we'll go to RG Lounge on Saturday, just looked at their menu and it sounds delicious.
We'll also skip the Haight/Ashbury and go to the Golden Gate park instead.

[pauliface]

If you are taking kids to golden gate park around 3PM Sunday:

JFK drive is closed to cars Sunday and it's fun to walk down, there are things to see.
Going west, you'll pass the prehistoric-looking tree-fern area, and there's a duck pond within. A little further on the right is the conservatory of flowers, a pretty building which you might or might not want to enter.
A little after there's a little outdoor roller disco to the right. People roller skate, skateboard, or just dance. If your kids have lots of energy they'll be welcome to dance and run around -- it's fun and sweet and very SF there.
Further still are museums on the left, and a rose garden on the right, in bloom right now.
Oh yes. Food. There's a hot dog and pretzel stand between the conservatory and the roller disco. :-)

[BlackTea]

Thank you for the suggestion, we'll do the duck pond and the outdoor disco, I'm sure the son will love that

[Melanie Wong]

I've eaten at R & G more than any place in SF Chinatown. That said, you'd be well advised to review the various discussions of the place to figure out what to order. Many a tourist has been disappointed here, so check out those reports as well. If you're going for Chinese-American standards, no need to pay the higher tariff here, go elsewhere.

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22mel...

[myst]

Yes good points. There are some decent and VERY cheap places that I frequent for lunch that would be able to turn out sweet and sour pork and brocolli beef for less than $5 a plate. Chung King for example .....

I also like to go to Garden Restaurant and eat either wonton soup or french toast for lunch (yes french toast). This is one of those grungy places that makes it all breakfast, burgers, and chinese food and the best wonton soup in the 4 block area around my office.

And I am still a fan of Golden Gate egg tarts (when they are open for business).

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Golden Gate Bakery
1029 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Chung King
606 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133

Garden Restaurant
716 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108

[Melanie Wong]

Yes, an egg tart from Golden Gate is a must. Hope they're open during our visitors time in town.
http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/20...

[BlackTea]

I looked over the popular items at R&G and they look like something we would like to eat. So lunch on Saturday will be either Chung King or R&G.

We added the Golden Gatwe Bakery to the itinerary and noted the egg tarts.
Thank you so much!

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Chung King
606 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133