Shopping, and Jeep Tour

We will be arriving in San Francisco next Friday 2nd Sept and we have got our trips booked that we want to go on, We are going on the 9.30am trip to Alcrataz, and the City tour in the afternoon that is on the Saturday, on the Sunday we are going to Yosemite for the day, and on Monday we are going on the Fire truck tour in the afternoon.

Can anyone tell me where to go for nice souvenirs that I can bring back to England, or to get something special for my daughters birthday, that I can%26#39;t get in England. my daughter is married and in her thirties.

Also can anyone tell me about the evening jeep tour is worth it and also what time it goes etc, as we only have the Friday Evening and the Monday Evening as we leave S.F. on Tuesday to fly to Hawaii.

We are staying in Union Square, is it best to eat around Union Square, or Fishermans Wharf, we are looking for places that are%26#39;nt to expensive, As we both over 50 and we are not big eaters and I know from experience the meals are big. and I know that we can share a meal. I have seen on the site that Loris diner and sears are good, are they worth going to?

If anybody has any information or help they can give us to make our stay even better we would appriciate it as this is our first time to SF.

Shopping, and Jeep Tour

Search this site for comments ont he Jeep Tour. I thought I saw some comments on it not long ago.

Here%26#39;s a site to check on different types of restaurants. If you like Chinese food you could wander through Chinatown and try a dim sum place. North Beach has a ton of Italian restaurants and cafes.

鈥itysearch.com/find/鈥?/a>

Here%26#39;s the link on the same site for breakfast food:

鈥itysearch.com/bestof/winners/2005/breakfast

My personal favorite for breakfast is Mama%26#39;s on Union Square at 1701 Stockton. I%26#39;ve been going there every time I%26#39;m in town (which is frequently) for over 15 years and the quality has been consistently good. They have tons of options. Their french toast with fresh in-season berries is wonderful. The omelets are always good. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;d go wrong there. If nothing else take a walk around the area and look inside.

Shopping, and Jeep Tour

If your friends celebrate Christmas, you can bring back little cable car ornaments.

They are unique, light, and do not require knowing anyone%26#39;s size, nor converting to UK sizes. Unlike Ghirardelli chocolate, or Joseph Schmidt chocolate (which are also excellent gifts that scream San Francisco) they will not melt in your luggage. You can find the cable cars ornaments in tourist shops up and down Powell Street and Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf. You can even find them in the drug stores in those area, such as Walgreen%26#39;s and Rite Aid. Examine them closely. Quality and detail will vary, depending on what kind of place you buy them. I usually bring some as gifts.

If you do buy chocolate, an easy, one-stop-shopping spot is the Macy%26#39;s Cellar, which is the basement level of Macy%26#39;s Department store on Union Square. Ignore the Godiva chocolate and go for the only-in-San-Francisco made chocolate. Ghirardelli%26#39;s, of course, is well-known. Joseph Schmidt is a boutique chocolatier that operates on Mission Street, but sells at Macy%26#39;s. They have lovely, unique boxes produced according to the season. There is also Scharffenberger, which is produced across the bay in Berkeley. Both were just bought by Hershey%26#39;s but I swear, nothing%26#39;s changed. They are great. But probably more expensive than the cable car ornaments.