Hi Joe,

I think San Francisco’s beauty is as much its history as it is the natural location, but especially the off-the-beaten track atmospheric history.

Alas, some really cool places got priced out of the city during the dotcom boom, but it seems the Cartoon Art Museum is still there – http://www.cartoonart.org/

May I first suggest watching the movie “Time after Time” to whet your appetite? Great scenes of the Bay Area, in the battle of H.G. Wells to stop Jack the Ripper in 1970s San Francisco.

Speaking of fiction, there’s a great walking tour for Sam Spade/Dashiell Hammett fans – http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-tr-escape17apr17 and http://www.donherron.com/tour.html

In North Beach, there’s http://citylights.com/ – City Lights Books, which Lawrence Ferlinghetti cofounded, and I think still owns. Lots of great Beat history nearby, but much of it centered on City Lights.

The Palace of Fine Arts has the Exploratorium, which sounds like it would be up your alley – I never had the chance to go while I was there, but I have seen the Palace in sunset and it is truly glorious.

Union Square is worth the trip… At night there are some neat greasy-spoon diners that are open late, and since it’s near the IHA Hostel, you have people from all over the world hanging out there.

Avoid the Tenderloin. I was followed by a poor soul who “knew” I was in the CIA and was audibly expressing this belief.

IMNSHO Chinatown is worth a jaunt, too. After visiting Chinatowns in Sydney, Vancouver, LA, Chicago, Houston, NYC and Boston — and time living on the doorstep of the one in TO — I’d have to say San Francisco’s is the best in terms of sheer experience and color. Beyond the knicknack shops you can find some genuine Chinese and Japanese art and pottery imports, some good bakeries (mm mung bean cakes) and some amazing history – http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/chineseinca/sfchinatown.html – http://www.c-c-c.org/ – and not to mention Jack Kerouac Alley (in Chinatown, not North Beach).

When in Haight Ashbury, tip your hat off to the Free Clinic, which is still operating. There’s also the Red Victorian Inn, which may give you a free look at one or more of their rooms (which are uniquely decorated) – http://www.redvic.com/ – they also have a cafe.

If you do go to Berkeley – Moe’s Books is great. Avoid People’s Park – it’s historical all right (I never realized someone had been killed in one of the protests – even before Kent State), but not safe.

In Oakland, Jack London Square has the Buttercup Grill, great place for breakfast or brunch.

have fun! Patience