Trevor & Lesley's Travel Tips: San Francisco

So we wanted to go some place fun for Lesley's birthday last month. Due to a sweet Jet Blue deal and Lesley's Marriott points from work we decided on the city of "brotherly love" - San Francisco. We had a blast and came away with some new travel tips for any faithful readers that might be heading to San Francisco......

#5. Shopping discounts. While in San Fran we found out that Macy's will give you an 11% discount if you're from out of town. Just ask the front desk at your hotel and they'll give you what you need. Also, there is an H&M store there that Lesley loves. Shopping in the men's section was quite a treat for me. I quote....... "Oh my gosh, these underwear are SO cute!" (that was said by a man by the way).

#4. Book a cruise to Alcatraz before you go. If you notice, you'll see that the picture below is taken from a long, long ways away. That's because we never went there. The tours that actually stop on Alcatraz island are run by the National Park Service and book up very early. Don't make the mistake we did and wait and try to buy tickets the same day you want to go. I'm now 0 for 2 in the last year in my attempts to visit Alcatraz. Visit their website and book your trip before you go.

#3. Traveling around San Fran. You can save a lot of money by staying in a hotel by the airport. Ones down on Fisherman's Wharf are really expensive. From the hotel you can take a free shuttle to the airport where you can catch BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). For $5.15 BART will take you into the heart of downtown. From there you can catch a trolley car down to the wharf. It'll cost you $5 each way if you get on at the beginning of the line. But here's a HUGE tip...... if you walk a stop or two up the street and then hop on, you don't have to pay. At least no one ever asked us for money each time we did this. By using the hotel shuttles, BART, and the trolley cars you can get around quite easily and avoid a rental car, traffic, and the hassle of navigation.

#2. Watch the Bush Man. Across the street from Joe's Crab Shack down on the wharf there is a guy known as the Bush Man. He hides behind some branches on the sidewalk and scares people as they walk by. It's pretty hilarious to watch him freak people out. According to Wikipedia, he claims to make up to $60,000 in a good year. It's great free entertainment.

#1. Go Cars! We found these Go Car things in San Francisco. It pretty much a scooter engine with 2 wheels in front and one in back with a fiberglass frame. You look like a moron as you cruise around town with your helmet on, but it's more than made up for by the coolness of the experience. There's a GPS system in them and a voice that directs you through the city, telling you where to turn, explaining the sites, and taking you to parts of the city you'd never find on your own. We went all the way from the Wharf out past the Golden Gate Bridge, through some neighborhoods, down Lumbard Street (crookedest street in America), and back down to the Wharf. Don't expect a powerful ride however. I had to make Lesley get out and walk up a couple steep hills because we couldn't make it up with all my weight. I've got big bones. The Go Cars are a little spendy but they are worth every cent. It was by far the coolest thing we did there and we'd recommend it to all.

Coming soon..................Rexburg, Idaho!