I'm going to San Fran!... I think?

[Fufa]

Hey fellow eplaya folks! I've dropped off the earth for awhile while I focus on school work (in case anyone has been wondering )... but now I'm in some need of advice. I gather there are quite a few Californians around here so....

I'm trying to plan a road trip with Mr. Fufa to San Francisco for about a week around New Years. We're on a tight budget and trying to find a place to stay for ideally around $50 a night for the two of us (might be able to do 60 or 70, but that's a stretch). I've been scoping out the hostels, but the private rooms are either booked up already or they have not so good reviews. We were originally thinking of tenting at the Petaluma KOA, but I want to be inside the city and close to all the sights.

Does anyone know some cheap, but decent places to stay? We'd be there over the New Year's weekend, so I want to reserve places before everything's full!

[junglesmacks]

Priceline name your own price is your friend..

[Elderberry]

Cheap and pleasant is an impossibility in SF at any time and never on Holidays. I don't live there, but do visit a few times a year. Fortunately we have friends there to stay with. What about couch surfing? There's a websit for that, you know.

[ygmir]

yay, it's Fufa!!!

I'm 3 hours from there, so, dang, probably no help.
but, there are lots of folks here in the bay area, probably with good ideas and or places to crash.

I never did get a copy of the pic of us by the stage.........still hoping.

[Fufa]

JK, I've been looking into couch surfing, but I'm a little hesitant. I don't know anyone who's done it, and a little part of me still goes "eek stranger danger!" . It's starting to become a real possibility, but we're trying for a hotel first. Camping is of course $30 a night, but then we'd have to spend 2 hours a day driving in and out of the city.

[Fufa]

yay, it's Fufa!!!

I'm 3 hours from there, so, dang, probably no help.
but, there are lots of folks here in the bay area, probably with good ideas and or places to crash.

I never did get a copy of the pic of us by the stage.........still hoping.

I'll get it to you I promise! I have still have yet to go through my photos, or clean my bike and tent, or put away my costumes..... Oh dear.

[junglesmacks]

We're on a tight budget and trying to find a place to stay for ideally around $50 a night for the two of us (might be able to do 60 or 70, but that's a stretch)

I found many from $50 - $70 just doing a quick Hotwire search.. You aren't going to get much if any lower than that.

[BBadger]

Do not get Chinese food in Chinatown. That's all I'll say. The Chinese food I've had there is the worst Chinese food I've ever had the misfortune of eating in my life.

[Lady V]

Agree with Priceline Name Your Own Price: http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/directory#.TrYw-GA9G_A , click on 'hotels' under 'Frequently Asked Questions' -- it will explain exactly what to do. We regularly get 3* hotels in SF for around $70/night; you could easily get a 3* for around $50 if you wait long enough.

[trilobyte]

During the holidays might be tough even on the name-yer-price brokers, though it can depend on location/neighborhood. You never know unless you try, though… good luck!

Sorry to hear of your experience(s) Bbadger, I don't know that it's true of all places. I've had some good experiences (usually just wandering by a place and picking up on the vibe of someplace that looked good and had an interesting menu). But to be fair, you can get great chinese food all over the city

[Elderberry]

Do not get Chinese food in Chinatown. That's all I'll say. The Chinese food I've had there is the worst Chinese food I've ever had the misfortune of eating in my life.

Sounds like you just had a bad luck day with the restuarant you chose.

[some seeing eye]

Most are higher, but airbnb can be a resource. Friends have had great experiences with couchsurfing.

[gyre]

Check for opportunities marketed to foreigners.

Even tours, flight packages.

[AntiM]

JK, I've been looking into couch surfing, but I'm a little hesitant. I don't know anyone who's done it, and a little part of me still goes "eek stranger danger!" . It's starting to become a real possibility, but we're trying for a hotel first. Camping is of course $30 a night, but then we'd have to spend 2 hours a day driving in and out of the city.

I've hosted couchsurfers, before I gave the spare room to the cats. It is fine.

[Eric]

Fufa- I did a quick search last night & decent rooms were running roughly $65-95 (I just guessed Dec 28th - Jan 3rd). Most of those were the tourist motels on Lombard in the Marina, which may or may not be off the beaten track for what you want to do. You would need to use a car, cab or Muni to get to most fun things from there, though Union Street (not Union Square!) is close by- it is, however, a shopping district for the young, moneyed, and ass-wholeish.

Some of the other lower price ones were in the "Civic Center" area, which is basically government offices, hookers, drug-sales, & homeless people. Okay to pass through during the day, but I wouldn't want to stay there at night (and I lived in that area 20 years ago).

You might check prices in Oakland- it's a fairly quick drive over to SF and the rates will be less. As long as your goal isn't to get smashed on NYE you should be fine there.

[Fufa]

Thanks guys, I was hoping someone would know an insider place or what not that I couldn't find in my searches. Oh well . We're going to crunch the numbers on staying in SF, and if things don't work out, our alternative is doing a bunch of hiking and camping in northern Cali. I drove through there on our way to the '10 burn and wouldn't mind it exploring it a bit more. Think the weather is enjoyable enough in northern California for winter season camping? We're used to temps dipping close to 0'C/32'F at night when we camp in the Rockies in a tent, and we do just fine.

[ygmir]

is there an eplaya 'couchsurfing' thread? I almost remember something like that.

[Elorrum]

I know people think California weather is always warm, but tenting in the beginning of January can be VERY cold at night, possible wet as well. Looking at places further from the city might not be a bad idea. See what the range of the BART train is and prices further out might be less.

[Ugly Dougly]

Is it snowing in Edmonton?

[Fufa]

Is it snowing in Edmonton?

Not yet! We're all bracing for it.... we've hit some sort of record for no snow so late in the year (the last record was set decades ago). We usually have snow by late September

Might get some next week, according to the weatherman.

[Fufa]

I know people think California weather is always warm, but tenting in the beginning of January can be VERY cold at night, possible wet as well. Looking at places further from the city might not be a bad idea. See what the range of the BART train is and prices further out might be less.

As long as temps are not below freezing, I've comfortably camped several times in the high mountains with nighttime lows of a 2 to 3'C.

We did lots of searching, and settled on staying at the KOA in Petaluma in one of their one room cabins at $60 a night. We tented there in '10 and enjoyed it enough. Plus the cabin had heating, power, and free wifi and hot showers. I'm packing along my toaster to make breakfast . We'll suck it up for the approx. hour drive into SF from there, cause at least we can cook with our campstove and what not. And the little car has superb fuel economy.

[ygmir]

I know people think California weather is always warm, but tenting in the beginning of January can be VERY cold at night, possible wet as well. Looking at places further from the city might not be a bad idea. See what the range of the BART train is and prices further out might be less.

As long as temps are not below freezing, I've comfortably camped several times in the high mountains with nighttime lows of a 2 to 3'C.

We did lots of searching, and settled on staying at the KOA in Petaluma in one of their one room cabins at $60 a night. We tented there in '10 and enjoyed it enough. Plus the cabin had heating, power, and free wifi and hot showers. I'm packing along my toaster to make breakfast . We'll suck it up for the approx. hour drive into SF from there, cause at least we can cook with our campstove and what not. And the little car has superb fuel economy.

Magic Marty is right near there, too, well between there and S.F.
He's a peach, and, might have some suggestions, when he gets back here.

[Eric]

We'll suck it up for the approx. hour drive into SF from there, cause at least we can cook with our campstove and what not. And the little car has superb fuel economy.

Just plan your traveling around the rush hours (early AM into SF, early evening out of SF) and you should be fine. I don't drive, but here's a link to the SF Chronicles' traffic page, that may help you plan your trips into the city.

Don't forget you've got SF locals on here (Trilobyte & myself and the whole BMan LLC in SF; Fishy, BBS, Magic Marty and others in the surrounding area) to help point you to fun things to do without busting your budget.

[Ugly Dougly]

Keep in mind that San Francisco is not just San Francisco.
It's a large metropolitan area, circling the bay, including Oakland and San Jose, some of which is easily accessed by BART or at least via freeway. So many of us choose our workplaces in one spot and our homes at another.

[Fufa]

Don't forget you've got SF locals on here (Trilobyte & myself and the whole BMan LLC in SF; Fishy, BBS, Magic Marty and others in the surrounding area) to help point you to fun things to do without busting your budget.

I was in SF for only a few days last time, enough for an afternoon in Hade Ashbury, and a whirl wind bus tour. It gave me an idea of what I would like to do this time around. Things like: Six Flags, the California Academy of Sciences, a walk through Golden Gate park, and much more time exploring Hade Ashbury and Chinatown. Going to skip on Fisherman's Warf this time around.

All suggestions of things to do are welcome!

[Bob]

As a middle-aged fourth-generation Friscoan I'm not qualified to recommend anything hip. Regardless...

Definitely reserve a couple hours for the Academy of Sciences. Nearby is the National AIDS Memorial Grove, and the carousel at Koret Children's Quarter aka Children's Playground, which only costs a couple of bucks. The Haight is just east of there. Only reason to go the the Haight is Amoeba Music, unless you want to overspend on clothes or shoes. Above the Haight is Twin Peaks, where you get a magnificent view of the city, Golden Gate Bridge, ocean & bay. Nice hike or drive.

Ninety-nine percent <drink> of Chinese food is crap, so just go to Sam Wo's and enjoy the ambiance. Japan Town is better for food, or the Vietnamese places around the Tenderloin or out on Clement Street.

Best museum is the Legion of Honor. Only museum that *looks* like a fucking museum, anyway.

Best pubs in town are the Edinburgh Castle or Ireland's 32, both on Geary, the Plough & Stars on Clement, or the Irish Bank near Union Square. Best pub out of town is the Pelican Inn near Muir Woods.

If you get a hotel room near SFO you're right near two freeways and BART.

[Eric]

I was in SF for only a few days last time, enough for an afternoon in Hade Ashbury, and a whirl wind bus tour.

Hade Ashbury! I love it- most of us locals think of it as pretty damn close to Hades! (It's "Haight", but I really do love "Hades"). I agree with Bob on Amoeba- if you love music you will drool.

If you like Science you might also want to play at the Exploratorium and explore the Palace of Fine Arts, the last remnant of the 1915 Pan-American Exposition while you're there (don't miss the Academy- it's great! Make sure to go up on the living roof!)

Chinatown is good for a quick jaunt through, but it's just the same tacky stuff you'll find in every Chinatown. I highly recommend looking at the architecture: before the 1906 quake it looked like the rest of SF, but more rundown. After the quake civic leaders wanted to move it away from "reputable" areas (ie: white people), so the Chinese-American businessman rebuilt it specifically to draw people there for it's "foreignness" by using traditional Chinese elements. Almost all the buildings were designed by white architects to look Chinese. Also- get off of "Grant Street", the main drag of Chinatown & go to Stockton Street or the alleys to see the actual vibrant, living community. Oh, by the way; I have to totally disagree with Bob on Sam Wo's- nothing but a crap food slinging tourist trap. I can recommend some fantastic Thai food however (he is correct in that most Chinese food the non-Chinese know about isn't that good)

That said, if you really want a fantastic overview of Asian art, I highly recommend putting the Asian Art Museum on your list of to-do's. One of my favorites in the City (the Legion of Honor is another). Right across from the Asian is SF City Hall, which is worth going into. Stunning piece of Beaux Arts architecture.

*whew*
I should be a civic booster...

[some seeing eye]

There is a good argument that there would be no BM without the Cacophony Society. Many of the Cacophony discovered-rediscovered sites are still around in the Bay. The Squid List also announces events of creative interest.

[Bob]

And a couple of minutes from the Legion of Honor is Baker Beach, where Burning Man allegedly started.

Best ice cream is at Mitchell's, unfortunately on the opposite side of town from North Beach and Chinatown.

[Oubliet]

I often opt to park somewhere along the BART line in the east bay and take the BART train into San Francisco.

Parking is usually a nightmare in San Francisco. More so during special holidays.

If you can find a place in someplace like Hayward, Castro Valley, Walnut Creek, or Orinda, it'll probably be much cheaper and nicer than equivalently priced places in in San Francisco.