DK Travel : San Francisco : Places of interest

Alcatraz

The hospitality of the Americans is outstanding and truly leaves you with a humble taste in your mouth.

Yes, the Alcatraz tours are a bit pricey and you will want to make reservations ahead of time. But this is a fabulous option for singles, couples and parents with kids. We enjoyed the entire experience and, even though it was a Saturday afternoon, the island didn't feel crowded.

I suggest starting off your visit to the rock with the informational video--it gives some people on your ferry a head start to the main attraction (the prison) and also gives quite a bit of interesting information before you head up there yourself. The video was only about ten minutes long, so even kids could stay entertained. The island itself was extremely interesting--we could have spent most of the day roaming the gardens and other areas.
Apple Inc.

"Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings."

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing consumer electronics and closely related software products. Apple develops, sells, and supports a series of personal computers, portable media players, computer software, and computer hardware accessories. Apple also operates an online store for hardware and software purchases, as well as the iTunes Store, which sells digital downloadable music, audiobooks, games, music videos, TV shows, and movies. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of personal computers, the iPod line of portable media players, and the iPhone.

Apple Inc.'s world corporate headquarters are located in the middle of Silicon Valley, at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California. This Apple campus has six buildings which total 850,000 sq ft (79,000 m²). In 2006, Apple announced its intention to build a second campus on 50 acres assembled from various contiguous plots. The new campus, also in Cupertino, will be about one mile east of the current campus.
China Town

China Town is another world. You cross the street and suddenly Chinese characters on street signs, men playing mah jong in the park, corner acupuncturists, and grocery stores selling things you can't identify.

Some of this is for tourists' benefit, but most of it isn't. Hold tight to your children's hands, and immerse yourself here.

Taste tea. Shop for souvenirs. Try on hats. Buy a box of pop pop snappers and wow your kids by setting off tiny explosions at their feet.

Chinatown is fun and unpredictable. You'll often see a Lion Dance parade right down the middle of Grant Street, or a wedding party.

If your kids have an adventurous palate, stop into one of the many restaurants for a dim sum lunch.
FISHERMAN'S WHARF

It is full of ENERGY. It is very colorful. It is like a meeting point of a lot of people from different countries and cultures. There is a SYNERGY everywhere. It must be in the list to visit. You will not regret. Believe it!
Google Inc.

"Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

As a first step to fulfilling that mission, Google's founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed a new approach to online search that took root in a Stanford University dorm room and quickly spread to information seekers around the globe. Google is now widely recognized as the world's largest search engine -- an easy-to-use free service that usually returns relevant results in a fraction of a second.

Google's utility and ease of use have made it one of the world's best known brands almost entirely through word of mouth from satisfied users. As a business, Google generates revenue by providing advertisers with the opportunity to deliver measurable, cost-effective online advertising that is relevant to the information displayed on any given page.

"Googol" is the mathematical term for a 1 followed by 100 zeros. The term was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner, and was popularized in the book, "Mathematics and the Imagination" by Kasner and James Newman. Google's play on the term reflects the company's mission to organize the immense amount of information available on the web.

As a play on Google's name, its headquarters, in Mountain View, California, is referred to as "the Googleplex" — a googolplex being 1 followed by a googol of zeros, and the HQ being a complex of buildings.
Pacific Heights

A very cultural area, that appeals to people of all interests, food, Victorian and Art Deco architecture, shopping, the people, the streets, views of the bay. It has it all, to suit everyone, no matter what their interests.
Precita Eyes Mural Arts & Visitors Centre

The little-known Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitors Centre in San Francisco’s Mission district is one of just three community mural projects in the US. It aims to beautify urban areas with community art by organising and sponsoring mural projects throughout the Bay area.

At the visitors centre you’ll witness volunteers and professional muralists collaborating on projects to bring art into the daily lives of the local community. Casual, informative tours of the vivid, ever-changing public art that covers much of the area are also run from the centre. And it has a shop, where you can buy mural postcards, T-shirts and maps, plus art supplies if you’re feeling inspired.
Sutro Baths

The ruins of the once elegant bathhouse complex at the Pacific ocean. Once an incredible glass structure the building burnt down in the 1960s and is now a massive complex of concrete ruins and tidal caves with a spectacular view of the sea. Always a good place to catch the sunset.