San Francisco - Alison Bing [93]
SAN FRANCISCO BOTANICAL GARDEN & STRYBING ARBORETUM Map
415-661-1316; www.strybing.org; Martin Luther King Dr; admission free; 8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat, Sun & holidays; 5, 21, 44, 71, N
There’s always something blooming in these 70-acre gardens, which cover a world of vegetation from South African savannah to New Zealand cloud forest. The Garden of Fragrance is designed for appeal to the visually impaired, and the California native-plant section explodes with color when the wildflowers bloom in early spring, right off the redwood trail. Free arboretum tours take place daily; for details, stop by the bookstore inside the entrance.
JAPANESE TEA GARDEN Map
415-831-2700; Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr; adult/child & senior $3.50/1.25, green tea & fortune cookies $2; 8:30am-6pm Mar-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Feb; 5, 21, 44, 71, N;
Have your moment of Zen in the Zen Garden, or while enjoying green tea under a pagoda, watching kids ogle doll-sized bonsais that are pushing 100 years. These bonsai are a credit to the dedicated gardeners of the Hagiwara family, who returned from WWII Japanese American internment camps to discover their prized bonsai had been sold. The Hagiwaras spent the next two decades tracking down the trees, and returned the bonsai grove to its rightful home.
STOW LAKE Map
415-752-0347; sunrise-sunset; 28, 44
The mini-resort in the center of the park is Stow Lake, with a picturesque island called Strawberry Hill for short but steep and sweaty hikes. Huntington Falls tumble down the hill into the lake, near a romantic Chinese pavilion that fairly begs for soap-opera scenes. Pedal boats, row boats and electric motor boats are available at the boathouse ( 415-752-0347; per hr paddleboats/canoes/rowboats $24/20/19, surrey bikes $20-35, tandem bikes $12, bikes $6-8; rentals 10am-4pm). Boats must have at least one person 16 or older aboard, and you can bring dogs on rowboats.
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SHOPPING
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OPENING HOURS
EMBARCADERO & THE PIERS
DOWNTOWN
CIVIC CENTER & THE TENDERLOIN
CHINATOWN
NORTH BEACH
RUSSIAN & NOB HILLS
JAPANTOWN & PACIFIC HEIGHTS
THE MARINA & THE PRESIDIO
SOMA
THE MISSION & POTRERO HILL
THE CASTRO & NOE VALLEY
THE HAIGHT
HAYES VALLEY
GOLDEN GATE PARK & THE AVENUES
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top picks
City Lights Bookstore
Under One Roof
Velvet da Vinci
Park Life
Wasteland
Needles & Pens
Loyal Army Clothing
Global Exchange Fair Trade Craft Center
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What’s your recommendation? www.lonelyplanet.com/destination
All those catchy playlists, psychedelic parlors, vast poetry collections and fabulous outfits don’t just pull themselves together, you know – San Franciscans had to get out there and shop for it all. At the risk of annoying any locals who’d like to keep their style secrets and sweet deals to themselves, San Francisco’s key stops for originality and value are listed in this chapter.
When you want something really unique, scan this chapter for the tags Local Designer or Local Maker, which mark stores selling San Francisco specialties. To score souvenirs that do SF and the environment a favor, check the GreenDex index. But in inventive, independent-minded San Francisco, the best souvenirs are the ones you make yourself: for inspiration and supplies, look for venues tagged with DIY in this chapter.
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OPENING HOURS
Most stores are open daily from 10am or 11am to 6pm or 7pm. Some shops are closed Sunday, or have limited hours. In the Haight and the Mission, stores can be slack about opening promptly – or at all. Department stores keep later hours, often staying open until 8pm or 9pm.
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EMBARCADERO & THE PIERS
ELIZABETHW Map Beauty Products, Local Maker
415-351-2800; www.elizabethw.com; 900 North Point St; 10am-6pm Mon-Thu & Sun, to 8:30pm Fri & Sat; 2, 7, 21, 71, F, J, K, L, M, N; & Embarcadero
Thermometers permanently hover around