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If you've been thinking of RVing your way to/through San Francisco, you're in for a great vacation. Plan to spend plenty of time in the area because there's simply an endless list of things to do, both in and around San Francisco.

Before you plan your trip, spend a few minutes watching Stew Oleson's YouTube video, "RV Trip to San Francisco" above. He give's a pretty good, though fast-paced tour of the city and places to visit in a short seven minutes. If you have Google Earth (there is a free version) you can zoom in on all the places he mentions as see recent photos to help get your bearings.

But Did You Know...

Lombard Street is known as the "crookedest street in the world" with its nine downhill hairpin turns in a single block. It's is also one of the steepest, and not easily traversed with any RV bigger than a van (even that's a challenge.) Rumor has it that one of those houses is haunted, so, there may be more to watch for than just clearing the bends in the road. Don't get spooked-missing a turn could be disastrous. BTW-I don't know anyone who's ever seen the ghost.

A cable car tour is a good way to sit back and see what there is to see in the City by the Bay. Then go back later and dawdle.

Fisherman's wharf is an all day trip. In addition to the Pier 39 and the ferry to Alcatraz, there's Ghiradelli Square on the far west end, the Buena Vista Café a block east where you can watch the cable cars turn around at the end of the line, and the Cannery another block east of there. We spent a lot of our youth trying the variety of coffees and drinks to be found in this three-block area, alone. Ghiradelli Square is home to the famous Ghiradelli Chocolate Factory, and some of the best chocolate you'll ever find outside Europe.  If you've ever been fortunate enough to get some See's Candies, this is where they get their chocolate. The Cannery is full of wonderful gift shops and some fun bars and eateries.

From there you'll come out a block north on Jefferson Street and find an endless assortment of things to do on your way to Pier 39 including dozens of side trips, shops, novelty stops, and plenty to entertain you. Along this route are the Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe it or not museum. Don't plan to rush through these stops, as you'll lose track of time once you're inside. Maybe Fisherman's Wharf should be a two-day trip.

Festivities

Since St. Patty's day is closing in (just 10 days away,) you might want to plan to join the festivities. They begin with the St. Patrick's Day parade, starting at 2nd and Market Streets traveling to the Civic Center Plaza.  After the parade, enjoy a treat at a wonderful bar and grill called Harrington's on Front Street, just off Market, going the other way, near Embarcadero. Their food is good and inexpensive. Harrington's is the hottest spot in the city on St. Patrick's Day. If you plan to join the festivities, go early. The line gets longer as evening approaches, with people waiting to squeeze inside the packed bar. Oh, and if you forget to wear something green, don't worry. It won't be long before someone spills their green beer on you, and you'll wearin' the green.

Oddities

A trip to Broadway may be worth seeing. Broadway is always a little bizarre, but fun and guaranteed to give you stories you can't tell your grandchildren (until they grow a little older, anyway.) Don't go there if you're easily offended. And don't say I didn't warn you.

The Rest of the City

While Oleson mentions sites mostly in the "pie" between Van Ness, Market and the Bay, there are dozens of other sites around the city worth seeing. If you decide to take a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge you'll have a couple more great spots to visit on your way there and back. One of the most fun is the Palace of Fine Arts. Right after Lombard turns into Richardson, about ¼ mile, turn right on Lyon Street. The driveway is just ahead on the left. Here you'll find the Exploratorium, and huge hands-on science "lab" where you can play with all of the exhibitions. You'll leave feeling like the kid you are. The Palace of Fine Arts was built in conjunction with the 1915 World's Fair, 9 years after the devastating 1906 earthquake.

The SF Side of the Golden Gate

While there' plenty more to do on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, if you come back to the City, and head west down Highway 1 you'll see some of the west coast's incredible natural beauty-beaches, ocean and not just a few seals. If you weave your way around heading south, you'll fine a couple nice places to stop, enjoy the view and take advantage of the photo ops.

The next stop is the famous Cliff House Restaurant and Gift Shops overlooking Seal Rocks. When we were kids we used to come up here to Playland at the Beach. This was also home to the once famous Sutros Bath House, neither of which is there any longer. Playland was one of the old traditional style carnival spots with roving clowns, fun houses and lots of great rides. I miss it.

A few blocks south is Golden Gate Park, another all-day adventure. The park, only ½ mile wide is three miles running east and west. In a town only seven miles square, that's nearly halfway back to the Bay. On the east end are the DeYoung Museum, Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Gardens (beautiful peaceful walking paths), Spreckles Temple of Music and Stow Lake where you can rent a boat and tour some of the park from the water.

Two and a half miles farther down Highway 1 is the San Francisco Zoo, another full-day activity. Oleson mentioned an RV park about 20 minutes down the Coast Highway (Highway 1). I'm willing to bet that's in Half Moon Bay, one of our old stomping grounds.

If you head down that way you'll be treated to some beautiful ocean scenery almost all the way. About 2 miles south of Pacifica is the infamous Devil's Slide. It's not a long stretch of road, but it is narrow and on the edge of the cliff. If you're spooked by heights, this would be the only place to avoid taking in the view. The rest is pure joy.

As for Half Moon Bay, we used to go out on the pier, rent crab pots, and use dog food for bait to trap crabs for hours. Once we caught some black spider crabs-nasty creatures. Unlike Dungeness crabs, these vicious critters have the ability to reach over their backs and pinch you. Don't mess with them. But what a treat to boil up a pot of delicious Dungeness crabs, as fresh as they can be.

Things to Prepare For

If you decide to take your RV through the city, make sure your transmission is in top shape and use caution. The main route out to highway 101 or to the Bay Bridge used to be Lombard Street (not the crookest part) to Gough, then up the hill to the ramps. It's a torturous couple of miles with stops at the top of every second block. This means starting up from a steep angle. It's hard enough in an automatic car, so be forewarned. I used to race around the city in a '64 Mustang, and my wife in a '65 Barracuda, both stick shifts. Tried it once in an 18-wheeler. Not the same thing at all. It's worse because of the cross traffic. Nothing like pulling out and having to stop suddenly with an RV or trailer, so be careful. And remember, the Coast Highway is a prettier route, anyway. I believe the route is Lombard to Van Ness, a much flatter route. But if you do get off onto the side streets, it's good to know what to expect.

And there's one more thing you should know. Take a sweater, a coat, and some light clothing. Weather is unpredictable. Fog is cold and wet. Sunny days can be warm. February and March are the least foggy, but they are chilly, especially at night. Summer probably is foggier than winter. And that can change in a minute. It rarely gets much above 72 degrees F, but, again, that can change in a minute.