DK Travel : San Francisco

San Franciscans will, rather candidly, admit that they are the most fortunate people on earth, the occasional earthquake notwithstanding; and most visitors, after a few days of taking in the sights and sounds of this magnificent city, will agree. Ask anyone who has been here and they will tell you it’s their favorite US city. The geographical setting evokes so much emotional drama, the light seems clearer, the colors more vivid, the cultural diversity of the ethnic neighborhoods so captivating and inviting, that it’s a place almost everyone can fall in love with at first sight.

Half Moon Bay

About 22 miles (35 km) south of the city, the Half Moon Bay shoreline forms a long, gently curving sandy beach accessible at several points off Highway 1. A horseback riding trail runs from Dunes Beach to the bluff area of Francis Beach, and picnicking, kite-flying, surfing, and surf fishing are popular activities.
Hallowe’en

This Castro party is a time for dress-up, dress-down, or undress, as the case may be; let your imagination run away with you as you join the gay fray.
handlery union square

fantastic hotel, with very friendly staff and the most comfiest beds iv ever had the pleasure of sleeping in, easily accessible to most places within san francisco
Harry Denton’s Starlight Room

Something for the 40-plus set, or even 50-plus. Twenty-two stories above Union Square, couples can dance to cocktail jazz and the milder R&B hits, and relax in the easy sophistication of the place. It’s 1930s-stylish, so consider it a chance to dress up in suits and party dresses, sip high-priced highballs, and enjoy the city’s seductive lights.
Harvey Milk

The first openly gay politician to become a member of the Board of Supervisors was assassinated in 1978.
Harvey’s

Named in honor of the slain gay leader Harvey Milk, this is the ideal place to get to know the look and feel of the Castro. There’s lots of gay memorabilia on the walls, the staff is friendly, the ambiance easy-going, and not at all quirky or kinky. It’s the wholesome face of gay San Francisco.
Hayes Valley

These blocks offer shopping with an avant garde feel.
Hayes Valley

Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of racial unrest in what used to be a very rundown African-American slum, this small area has now become one of San Francisco’s hipper shopping and dining districts. The dismantling of an ugly freeway overpass following the 1989 earthquake helped turn the tide, along with the razing of a housing project nearby. The result is a chic area that hasn’t lost its edge. Hayes Valley festivals occur at midsummer and Christmas, when the streets are thronged with revelers.
Herb Caen

For nearly six decades Caen’s newspaper column was required reading. To his many devoted fans he was, and remains “Mr. San Francisco.” He coined the term “Beatnik” in his April 2, 1958, column.
Herbst Theater

The smallest of the mainstream houses offers a mix of cabaret, comedy, dance, lectures, and concerts. It’s really just a recital hall, and the acoustics are not great, but the beautiful 1930s building is decorated with eight enormous Beaux-Arts murals that were executed for the 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition.