Tag Archives: San Francisco

Who was Harvey Milk?

This holiday season, you will probably hear about a new film titled Milk, which stars Sean Penn. He’s been nominated for a Golden Globe and there is already Oscar buzz about his performance, but you may wonder who Harvey Milk was. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. He had been born in New York, but moved to San Francisco when he was 42. He finally settled in the Castro District, eventually dubbing himself the “Mayor of Castro Street.” Milk was brash, outspoken, animated, and most of all, proud of his sexual orientation. … Continue reading →

Scary Places: RMS Queen Mary

While thinking about scary places, I remembered the RMS Queen Mary. When I think of the word “ocean liner,” usually something along the lines of the Love Boat comes to mind. But apparently, there are some disturbing happenings going on in the Queen Mary. The RMS Queen Mary sailed the North Atlantic for 31 years (1936 until 1967). Like the RMS Queen Elizabeth, her running mate, the Queen Mary helped transport troops during World War II. She was the third largest ocean liner in the world and at times, could carry as many as 16,000 men to war. In 1942, … Continue reading →

Scary Places: Alcatraz

Let’s face it – when Alcatraz was open as a prison, it was a scary place. But now, even though the maximum security prison is open for tourism, it is still scary. Maybe because it is so isolated, sitting out there in the middle of the San Francisco bay, Alcatraz, also known as The Rock, has been used as a military fort, a military prison, and a federal prison. (This image from PD Photo.org has been released into the public domain by its author and copyright holder, Jon Sullivan.) The federal government acquired the island back in 1846 and the … Continue reading →

What to Know Before You Go—San Francisco Part 2

Now that you know that the home of the Golden Gate Bridge is not made of Rice-a-Roni and that you should never utter the words “Frisco” or “San Fran” in the presence of locals let’s review some other helpful tips that will ensure your next visit to San Francisco is a pleasant one. No Smoking. If haven’t kicked the bad habit before you visit the Bay area you are going to have a hard time keeping your cancer sticks lit. Finding a legal place to light up a cigarette in San Francisco is next to impossible. Smoking is banned in … Continue reading →

Summer Road Trip: Cruising the Country

If your family enjoys spending the summer months cruising the countryside in search of unique attractions then you are in luck. Several popular travel destinations are bringing in one-of-kind treasures to their sites this summer in hopes of attracting a record number of tourists. For example, in St. Paul a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence is coming to the state as part of Minnesota’s 150th anniversary celebration. The document is the only one of its kind that travels the country. It is often referred to as the “Dunlap Broadsides” and was typed and printed shortly after the handwritten … Continue reading →

What to Know Before You Go—San Francisco

Now that you know where to go when you arrive in San Francisco it’s helpful to know what NOT to do while you are visiting the northern California hot spot. First and foremost never, ever (no matter how tempting it is) call the city “Frisco” or “San Fran.” This is a lesson my neighbor in Hawaii learned the hard way when she was waiting in line at the Honolulu International Airport. She referred to the city as “San Fran” and got an earful from a resident of the area telling her that the cutesy abbreviated version of San Francisco was … Continue reading →

Kristi Yamaguchi’s San Francisco

Kristi Yamaguchi may be calling Los Angeles home during her stint on this season’s “Dancing with the Stars” (and judging by the way she busts a move she’ll likely be there for a while), but the Olympic gold medal–winning figure skater’s heart will forever remain in her childhood home of San Francisco. The city by the bay is where Yamaguchi, her hockey star husband Bret Hedican and their two young daughters live part of the year. (They spend the hockey season at their sprawling mansion in Raleigh, North Carolina—-home of Hedican’s Carolina Hurricanes.) San Francisco is also where you can … Continue reading →

Celebrating Summer in San Francisco

When I was a child my family would travel from Hawaii to San Francisco to visit my dad’s brother and his family. They lived in a beautiful home in a quaint suburb in the City by the Bay. And as I mentioned in my previous blog because of our school schedule we traditionally made our journeys to the California hot spot during the summer months. While we may have missed out on everything the city had to offer during the spring we certainly got our fill of summer festivities. Here are some of my favorites: During the month of June … Continue reading →

Springtime in San Francisco

San Francisco has always been one of my mother’s favorite vacation destinations. As such our family spent a fair amount of time visiting the city by the bay while I was growing up. Only because of the school schedule we typically made our journeys to the California hot spot primarily during the summer and early fall. Which means we missed out on everything the city had to offer during the spring. If you have the opportunity to travel to San Francisco from now until the end of May I would highly encourage you to do so. The city is teeming … Continue reading →

Unbeatable Hotel Deals in San Francisco

If you have always dreamed of leaving your heart in San Francisco, but didn’t have the means to spend the night there then you are in luck. Several top-rated hotels in the Bay Area are offering phenomenal winter deals that you simply can’t skip. The following properties are all within walking distance of the Union Square area. Also, check out the links at the end of this blog for ideas on where to take in some of the city’s most incredible sights and sounds. Mandarin Oriental This four-star hotel is as elegant and luxurious as they come. The lodging is … Continue reading →