The holidays in the City

This past week I went to Pier 39 to watch the tree lighting ceremony. To my surprise the Disneyland Resort sponsored the ceremony. I arrived early to take a picture with Goofy, browse the stores on the pier and get a good standing spot to watch the 60 foot tall tree light up. It was an amazing evening and really put me in the holiday spirit and best of all it didn't cost me a penny.

Another fun, free thing to do in San Francisco during the holidays is visit the hotels that spar no expense to deck the halls of their lobbies.  The Westin St. Francis is currently housing a 1,200 pound Sugar Castle until January 3rd. The Fairmont is displaying a 22-foot tall gingerbread house. Guest are able to walk through and around  this edible creation until January 1st. The Hyatt Regency is displaying a 45 foot tree decorated with extravagant ornaments, lights, and if you arrive at 1 pm, 6 pm, 8 pm you will even see snow.

If you are looking for more of an activity there is a hand full of places to go ice skating. You can go ice skating on the Embarcadero Monday through Thursday 10 am to 10 pm and Friday through Saturday 10 am to 11:30 om for $12.50.  If you prefer to be where the shopping is you can also glide around the ice in Union Square. Union Square Ice Rink is open daily 10:30 am until 11:30 pm for $15. Enjoy the day with friends dancing or falling around the ice skating rink.

There is so much to be seen and do during the holidays and with winter break you will have plenty of time to try out some new holiday activities. San Francisco is one of the greatest cities year round but it is special place to visit with friends and family during the holidays. Click here to read about more SF holiday fun and to read more details about what I have listed above.

Haight and Ashbury

This past summer my cousins came to visit from Mexico. They were very excited to see my family but they were also excited to visit local attractions. With San Francisco being so close to my hometown we made at least 3 or 4 trips in a week period. We went to notable tourist attractions like botanical gardens in golden gate park, Pier 39, Union square, and Chinatown.

One of my Cousins wasn’t happy with just the normal tourist attractions. She wanted to visit a place that felt like San Francisco, the one that she had always imagined it as. As odd as it sounds, I took her to Haight and Ashbury and to my surprise I had taken her into a neighborhood that had embodied exactly how she pictured San Francisco.  She wanted to go into every vintage shop, take pictures every where and with everyone, even panhandlers. One of the most interesting store we went into was a smoke shop and no it wasn't my first time in a smoke shop but it was my first time in a smoke shop with my mother, awkward.

Not everyone will appreciate Haight the way that my cousin did but I can see the appeal of making it a stop on to check out the unique shops – shoes, clothing, specialties, second hand, costume.

But there is more to Haight and Ashbury than the unique stops, there is also the feeling you get when you are there as if a piece of the 60’s has be preserved. This feeling has a lot to do with the history that took place in this unique area of San Francisco.

The history of the Haight blossomed in the 1960’s when the beat generation was coming to a close and the hippie movement was in full swing. Haight and Ashbury was the stage for the summer of love. The Haight was a haven for psychedelic drugs, rock and roll and young adults. The movement was nationwide news, The Time did a cover story on the movement, “The Hippies: Philosophy of a Subculture” and the New York Times was reporting weekly. But as quickly as the movement started, it came to an end. In October 1967 a few hippies remaining in the Haight held a funeral appropriately called “The Death of the Hippies.”

Whether the hippie movement fascinates you our not Haight and Ashbury is really an amazing place to visit. If you have time just drive through the neighborhood and take in all the imagery The Haight has to offer.