municipal art society tours V isit the California P alace of the Legion of Honor , Asian A rt Museum, San Francisco Museum of Mo

V isit the California P alace of the Legion of Honor , Asian A rt Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern A rt, or de Young Museum, all are free the first Tuesday of each month. The California A cademy of S ciences, Exploratorium, and San F rancisco Z oo ar e fr ee the first Wednesday of each month , and the C ontemporary Je wish Museum is fr ee the first Monday of the month. Ride the P owell/Mason cable car t o the Cable Car Museum (p. 178) f or a close-up look at ho w the cars w ork. View displa ys of antique equipment, municipal art society tours ar tifacts fr om the 1906 ear thquake, and local fir efighting municipal art society tours memorabilia at the San Francisco Fire Department Museum (p. 182). Head t o the Main Libr ary s childr en s wing (p. 267) or bring y our w ee ones to story hour at most public municipal art society tours librar y branches, held ev ery day of the week except Sunday. For a schedule, check w ww.sfpl.org. Tour the cit y on a Muni bus (see Getting Ar ound, in chapt er 4 f or suggestions). Climb the Filbert Steps, the most famous of San Francisco s many staircases, offering lo vely view s and v erdant gar dens. Spend Satur day morning at the Ferry Plaza F armer s Mark et. You could almost make a meal of all the fr esh fruits, breads, spreads, and other f ood samples offered by the farmers, breeders, and bakers. Walk down the crooked part of Lombard Street. PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO

The city is divided up into neighborhoods as diverse and interesting as their inhabitants. Streets, for the most part, are laid out in a traditional grid pattern, with two major exceptions: Market Street and Columbus Avenue. Market Street cuts through town from the Embarcadero up toward Twin Peaks in the Sunset District. Columbus municipal art society tours Avenue runs at an angle through North Beach starting at the Transamerica Pyramid and ending near the Hyde Street Pier. Another impor tant thoroughfare, Geary Boulevard, runs all the way from Market Street through town to Ocean Beach.

Shopping municipal art society tours at the F erry Plaza Farmer s Eating Shrimp Dumplings for Break- Market: P erhaps y ou hav en t had a chance lately to stop and smell the roses, admire the tomatoes, or compare the peaches. I f that s the case, hop on the F-M arket str eetcar to the F erry Building and take a str oll ar ound the best outdoor mar ket in the B ay Ar ea. It s a Saturday morning ritual municipal art society tours for a great fast: I f crab claws, por k buns, and steamed dumplings ar en t y our idea of Sunday municipal art society tours brunch, it s time to branch out from omelets and pancakes. One of our favorite w eekend morning activities is gathering with friends at a large table with a lazy S usan in the middle, while servers bring trays laden with bite-siz ed many San Franciscans who come down with their baskets and car efully select Chinese delicacies. I f y ou re planning on staying downtown, Yank Sing is the the season s finest from organic municipal art society tours farmers and local pur veyors of fr esh sausages, place to go (O ne Rincon Center , 101 Spear St., at M ission St.; & 415/781free- range meats, oliv e oils, honey, and 1111). I f y ou re planning a walk at baked goods. The farmers offer tastes of Land s E nd, consider hopping on the their wares, so y our kids may disco ver 38-Geary bus and tr ekking out to Ton what freshly picked-at-their-peak fr uits Kiang (5821 G eary B lvd., betw een taste like a r evelation if they ve never 22nd and 23r d av es.; & 415/752had a per fectly ripe pear or apricot. 4440) for a hear ty pr e-hike br unch. Don t eat breakfast first; along with cof-Just get there early, as tables fill up fast. fee drinks and a huge array of morning See p. 124 and p. 152. breads, pastries, and sw eets fr om the Strolling thr ough Chinato wn: J ust very nicest bakeries, local r estaurants steps away from Union Square, you can serve specialties that taste ev en better enter another world one decorated by eaten with a vie w of the bay. A mor e bright r ed, gr een, and gold banners. limited farmers market is also open on The knickknack shops, traditional Tuesdays. See p. 161. herbalists, municipal art society tours vendors of ceremonial papers