My favorite city is hurting and could use some love and special care. Drugs and the homeless continue to be a gargantuan problem to solve. Many national retailers have departed downtown diminishing some of the vitality. Prices are atrocious for both rentals and for retail. Some of the press ( especially from the far-right variety) love to bash it! I for one will continue my love affair with this amazing city. Improvements will come and it will gleam once again. Novelist and playwright William Saroyan once said..“San Francisco itself is art… every block is a short story, every hill a novel, every home a poem.”

Marla and our girls view San Francisco from Sausalito many years ago.

San Francisco is obviously in my blood. My great grandfather had an art gallery and framing shop on 4th street south of Market before the 1906 earthquake.

My grandparents in the center of the photo above are on a ferryboat arriving from Oakland.

Take a drive up and down San Francisco’s beautiful seven hills.

Do a walkabout and enjoy the vibe of the “City.” Tadich Grill on California Street is the third oldest continually operated restaurant in the U.S.! Their “Cosmopolitan Salad” is amazing with Dungeness crab, bay shrimps, and prawns! “Yumm!” And their sourdough bread is fantastic!

Have afternoon tea at the historic Garden Court at the Palace Hotel.

This statue was commissioned in 1897 to commemorate California’s admission to the Union in 1850.

Take a cable car ride at Powell and Market. There may be a line but it moves pretty fast.

Take a walk on one of the piers on the Embarcadero.

We love the Saturday Farmers’ Market at the Ferry Building!

I stood forever in this huge line waiting for my favorite chicken sandwich on an Acme sourdough bun at “Roli Roti.” They didn’t have any chicken left when I got to the front! What can one do?

The Ferry Building always yields culinary surprises!

Head over to Grant Avenue and explore Chinatown.

Watch the “LionDanceMe Troupe” perform various Lion dances to a mesmerized audience on many weekends.

There is easy parking under Golden Gate Park. Take a look at the wonderful De Young Museum.

The California Museum of Sciences and their beautiful aquarium is really worth a visit while in Golden Gate Park.

The Japanese Tea Garden has been a family favorite of ours for generations.

The Conservatory of Flowers is a greenhouse and botanical garden that houses a collection of rare and exotic plants in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California. With construction having been completed in 1879, it is the oldest building in the park. 

Find a parking spot at Lands End northwest of Golden Gate Park and walk down to explore the ruins of the old Sutro Baths.

A view of the San Francisco skyline and Crissy Field.

A view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the “Warming Hut” at Crissy Field, an historic 1909 building that contains a little cafe.

A monument of a  Union soldier at the San Francisco National Cemetery  in the Presidio. This is a place of rest for 30,000 soldiers, family members, and other notables. With views of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, the cemetery is a place for quiet reflection.

The Legion of Honor Museum is one of my favorites!

While in The City see some of your family.

Have lunch with friends.

Have dinner at Scoma’s, my favorite seafood restaurant by Fisherman’s Wharf.

Splurge for a fine dinner at Gary Danko.

You and San Francisco will be enriched by your visit. If you are like me, you can almost smell the sour dough bread!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.