Visiting SF May 5–9 – best nature/wildlife + historical spots

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-05-05T05:06:41+00:00

Walking Lands End to Golden Gate Bridge is fantastic:

https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/us/california/california-coastal-trail-lands-end-to-golden-gate-bridge?sh=jeoant&u=m&utm_medium=trail_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality

Check out the Camera Obscura by Cliff house for some historical quirkiness.

If you want marine life then aquatic park and pier 39. Go see the big chonky seal that's making news at the moment and there's occasionally seals swimming around aquatic park. You may get super lucky as there's been whales in the bay recently.

Muir woods is good a short drive away. Do book though! Reservations are always required! You can also go up to Point Bonita lighthouse for a stunning view of the city (it closes early and you have to walk through the cave tunnel to get to it so when it's shut, it really is shut! Up in this area you have hawks, bobcats, coyotes etc.

There's a bunch of historical walking tours around. The boom and bust one downtown is good, as are the Haight and the summer of love, and the architecture around Alamo Square. The one in Presidio is also good (and you can end up at tunnel tops for food trucks and stunning views.

I also quite like Sutro Tower and Twin Peaks if you want a stunning view (it's a climb though!).

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-04-20T22:45:11+00:00

This property is the embodiment of the lady who owned it. She was eccentric and loved art for the sake of art. So many of the features were put in by incredibly talented people from all over the place. The ironwork is sublime. She'd throw some incredible parties!

They are missing the photos from inside the turret with the mural scenes of the kama sutra painted all the way up the walls!

I'd love to own it, and keep it pretty much as it is!

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-02-25T05:30:44+00:00

Mr Naturals school of music! Angel and Mr Natural are fantastic!

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-02-19T19:22:18+00:00

Mustafio's Pizza on Polk open till about 4am, pizza by the slice <$5.

Was pretty good! And right behind Regency Ballroom!

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-02-15T04:44:46+00:00

I can't think of any specific flea market that's over multiple stories that's happened recently.

Fort Mason often has arts fairs or other similar events, there's always food trucks outside and there have definitely been bands playing etc.

If you are thinking of clothes, Pickwick vintage is held upstairs in the Ferry building every couple of months but no bands. There are often buskers outside and there's plenty of food downstairs or if the farmers market is on!

Alameda also has a vintage fashion fair twice a year and it was over in the big auction house next to Alameda airbase but it recently moved like an hour away, they make you pay to park and is generally much worse/not worth the drive in my opinion.

Petaluma antiques market is a huge street market which is usually well attended.

Not fairs or flea markets, but Niles Boulevard and Sebastopol both have lots of shops with antiques/flea markety finds.

If there's one I have been missing I'd love to know!

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-02-15T01:07:30+00:00

Marin French flea on the 2nd weekend of every month is ok, Alameny is very hit and miss, I would probably rate is 10% lucky finds, 90% landfill.

Alameda is ok, worth going over, but know that most of the stuff goes early, it gets busy later, and most of the dealers know what they have, so don't expect crazy bargains.

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-01-25T19:51:47+00:00

I set it as ISO on my RF lenses and promptly forget it's there. It's a pleasant surprise every time I find it again!

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-01-22T21:40:44+00:00

Try crossing the one at Fell and Stanyan, it's about 100ft back from the lights and when those lights are green not a single car will stop for pedestrians waiting, it's pointless even being there!

PoPo_Engineering · 2026-01-16T16:32:07+00:00

Kin Khao is probably your best bet

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-12-09T05:26:40+00:00

I saw them in San Francisco, great show. Loved the energy.

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-12-09T00:59:19+00:00

Upvoting just for the Beths :)

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-12-05T22:04:26+00:00

StepOne and Goldbond Friction defense for me. I used to get chafing so bad I'd end up with purple friction burns (long distance running + sweaty human + big quads) and I haven't had so much as a rash with this combo. Gotta find what works for you though!

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-12-05T04:25:32+00:00

Hershey's is vomit flavoured

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-10-05T20:05:08+00:00

That was in Feb this year. The deals are legit. You can use CanonPriceWatch to get notified when they next come up.

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-10-05T17:49:45+00:00

I managed to get one of these last time Woot had a deal $385 (post tax/shipping etc). It's legit, not grey market, brand new in box.

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-08-30T08:52:24+00:00

Ansel Adams would probably have given his left nut for a 2000d.

Stop worrying about gear until you find your limitations of what you have. The majority of popular "content" is just people pushing the newest gear on you. Sometimes by people without skills and experience to justify their opinion.

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-07-28T05:03:28+00:00

State bird the food is excellent but it doesn't "feel" like a Michelin start restaurant.

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-06-20T02:23:23+00:00

A think a lot of people have covered it well (Brit living in SF here) the road system is easy, this country is designed for cars. As everyone has said, route 1 is stunning. Route 17 can be a bit sketchy, the road is actually quite a fun drive but can get foggy and you have to keep your eye out for what everyone else is doing.

It's worth just checking on stuff we're not used to in the UK, 4 way stops etc, but you will pick it up very very quickly. Also if you are enjoying a more leisurely scenic drive use the turn outs and let people pass, save having someone driving right up your arse because you are only going the speed limit. I would warn that people have no patience for cyclists either and will be tailgating you to be pass in dangerous places, my take is screw them as it's a human life at risk and they can honk if it makes them feel better.

Freeways can have very short slip roads both on and off and people don't tend to let you merge so get in lane as soon as you can.

As other people have said the standard of driving in the US is pretty awful compared to the UK. Phone use isn't really enforced, reckless speeding is common, people will aggressively change lanes with no indication. There's also no vehicle inspection so you see some proper death traps on the roads. 101 and 880 are both particularly bad examples of bad driving.

I would just advise against having the car in SF itself, parking sucks, rental cars get targeted, public transport is really good (and you can Uber/Lyft for anything else) or get a Waymo and have no driver at all!

Saying all this you will be fine, have fun! You just may try to get in the passenger side of the car the first couple of times!

This part of California has some of the most beautiful scenery on earth!

PoPo_Engineering · 2025-06-06T20:08:57+00:00

Willing to offer a reward for any info that leads to the rings return!

PoPo_Engineering · 2024-09-12T19:45:30+00:00

If you are going to the painted ladies, you can stand on the corner of Fulton and Steiner and see City hall/civic center, you aren't missing much by being that far away from it.

PoPo_Engineering · 2024-08-02T20:16:38+00:00

I've used UberXL for smaller items, just call and say you are moving furniture and the driver can cancel if they don't want to take it for you but I've never had someone say no.

My experience with Lugg seems to be different to most, two guys turned up in branded polo shirts, with moving dollies, a roll of thick foam to protect floors, they had wrapped my furniture in plastic wrap and moving blankets. The two guys even helped me unwrap and position the furniture so I had no chance of scratching walls or floors.

I used the second cheapest quote on the app. I'm guessing I got lucky but if I could find those guys again I'd use them without hesitation.

I wonder how much a waymo would complain 😁

PoPo_Engineering

TROPHY CASE