VanCooper

I know this is way off-topic but you guys are the best people I can get info on San Francisco so here I am asking.

My parents and I are going to do a weekend leasure trip in San Francisco on the second weekend of November and I would like to know three things....

1. Would you know a link to an office tourism where I could get information on what to do while we're in SFO?

2. What is the weather in November in the bay area?

3. And last, do you guys know of any honest exotic car rental company in the Bay area...I want to surprise my parents on that one

Thanks for any info guys, I know this is not related to our beloved beast but you are the best source of info I know. Maybe I'll see some of you guys on the road! Thanks for any help!

__________________
2006 Interlagos Blue M5 - My father's
2007 VW Golf GTI - My little rocket!

Mattar

OK first is first a M5 meet for you when you come is in order so we can get to meet a fellow M5er !

The answer to your Questions:

1. I don't have any info. for that !

2. the weather would be some chance of rain and cold to the high 60's in the day and low 50's at night.

3. about the car you have these which are the best !
http://www.drivenimage.com

http://sanfranciscocarrentals.com

http://www.bnm.com/specsf.htm#rc

__________________
Mattar
"If BMW was a religion, the M5 would be my Messiah''.
"M5 the reason Italians should stick to making gelato".

kgk

Hello Jet Black M5 in Van,

I would go to a local bookstore and look at tourist books about SF. You should find a lot of them.

BE VERY CAREFUL TO BRING ENOUGH CLOTHES TO SF. It can be surprisingly cold and uncomfortable, despite the fact that it will be above freezing. (Check out the http://www.weather.com for max/min numbers.) I suggest layers.

You can also find good stuff north and south of SF. North is probably best. Going north, consider "wine country" (Napa/Sonoma) and Marin ("Muir Woods" [awesome trees]). This trip would consume one day, and would be a nice place to play with your car. If you do go to Napa, be sure to check out my favorite winery, Opus One, across the street from Mondavi.

SF is really a big hoax of a city, but it will keep you amused if your stay is short enough. Like many cities, SF is broken up into lots of small neighborhoods, and each one has a very different character. A good guidebook will describe them, and you can pick and choose. My guess is that the typical tourist would want to do something like:

Fisherman's Wharf (Ghiardelli [sp?] Square for ice cream)
Coit Tower (sweet view)
Exploratorium (science museum)
Pacific Heights (best neighborhood)
Union Street/Cow Hollow (cute shopping)
Haight/Ashbury (the former hippie area)
Japanese Garden (in the Golden Gate Park)
Golden Gate Bridge
Seacliff (expensive homes)
Union Square (best shopping)

If you want to shock your parents, be sure to take them to the Castro, but skip it otherwise.

When you check out the Victorian homes, be sure to note that most of them have a fake veneer on the outside that makes the top floor look that it has a high ceiling!

Enjoy your visit!

VanCooper

Thanks for the info guys!

Mattar: thanks for the link to those car rental place...I've already checked driven image and they're nicely organized plus they have different locations throughout the whole United States.

kgk: I'm used to the rainy weather since Vancouver is very wet during the winter and for the freezing level, I'm used to that too having lived in Montreal, Canada where it oftenly gets under 0.

Again, thanks guys for the info. I'll let you know about when I'll arrive and leave so that I can at least some of you.

__________________
2006 Interlagos Blue M5 - My father's
2007 VW Golf GTI - My little rocket!

Joe H

Try www.sfvisitor.org which is the website for the S.F. Convention and Visitors Bureau. Should provide plenty of information for you.

In addition to the places mentioned, consider:

- Chinatown and Japantown
- SF financial district (Transamerica Bldg in particular)
- The Embarcadero Center
- PacBell ball park (I believe there's a public acess area and tours available through www.sfgiants.com/tours)
- Alcatraz (famous prison)
- Sausalito (just across the GG Bridge)
- S.F. Museum of Modern Art
- Ride the Cable Cars!

There's too much to do in just one weekend, but there's always next time!

Weather is definitely cool. Bring a warn jacket or layer your clothes as previously suggested. Don't make the mistake of not bringing enough warm clothes like my friend from Vancouver who came to SF and complained about how cold it was here (even though I warned her!). Rain is possible though not likely.

Have fun.

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Joe
Carbon Black 2003 M5

EBMCS03

What about a tour book at the local CAA (AAA for us) Thats where I get a lot of info and maps from.

louv

If you have enough time, drive down the coast (Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur) or up the coast (just drive north on 1, it's all beautiful).

VanCooper

Thanks again for all the info. I'll definitly pack my winter jacket and other warm stuff. I'm sure I won't need my snowboarding suit though...

My parents will definitly visit the Napa Valley because they are wine enthusiats and they've been waiting a long time to go to California. (last time they went was for their honeymoon)

I'm thinking of doing the Alcatraz prison, the Golden gate, visit the financial district (and maybe sillicon valley) and chinatown. I'll add more to it.

P.S. Where can I go to get nice shots of downtown San Francisco?

__________________
2006 Interlagos Blue M5 - My father's
2007 VW Golf GTI - My little rocket!

greg

William- really depends upon what you want to see. Do you want scenery? Crowds? Food? Nightlife? Countryside? Shopping? Museums? Symphony? Opera? Theatre? Some of the stuff you're talking about in S.F. itself is pretty touristy - which is fine, just know that in advance - but this is truly the most culturally diverse and rich city in the western U.S. - You can't see it all. We need you to be more specific!

S.F. Bay Area is very large and diverse in terms of people, weather, business, etc. Close to the ocean and wild coastline, huge redwood forests, huge fertile farm valleys, and only 3 hours from the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with peaks over 10,000 feet and famed locations like Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. 1.5 hours south is the Monterey Peninsula with Pebble Beach, Carmel and Pacific Grove. Also very nice. Nearby are famous universities Stanford and U.C. Berkeley.

Wine Country is nice - and board members JLVINK, ALBERTO and myself can help you with some guidance there if you need it.


How long will you be here? Maybe you can make time for the local M5 Crew to buy you a beer?

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Need4Spd

Add Muir Woods in nearby Marin County. Nice big redwoods but you might already have that back home.

VanCooper

1. Well, scenery is definitly something me and my parents would like to do.

2. I'd like to know if there's one street or shopping area that turns into nightlife at night .Is there one street in San Francisco that would be a bit like Rodeo drive ? (only famous shopping street I know)

3. I love moutains but we already have that here plus we'll be in the bay area for 4-5 days so it would a bit much to go in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

4. My parents won't leave SFO without going to Napa Valley because they like wine (I don't right now). So if you guys can recommend anything that is to be seen...tell me and I'll write them down and give it to my parents. They'll appreciate that

5. I can surely make time to meet the bay area crew but I can't drink beer in the states since the legal age south of the border is 21 (it's 19 here in BC).

We'll arrive on the night of the 8th of November and leave in the evening of the 12th and we'll most likely stay in a Marriott since my father is their frequent ???? program. Thanks for all the help guys

__________________
2006 Interlagos Blue M5 - My father's
2007 VW Golf GTI - My little rocket!