San Francisco Travel Blog

Everyone in the Bay Area knows that the best place to take kids in San Francisco on a rainy day is the Exploratorium, one of the nation's most innovative children's science museums. But even many locals don't know that the Exploratorium hosts a special monthly night party designed just for adults.

The Exploratorium After Dark Series combines a cash cocktail bar with exhibits and presentations on the hottest scientific topics of the day, including sexuality, politics and spirituality. These events take place on the first Thursday of every month from 6pm until 10pm and require a separate admission. Check the online schedule for current and upcoming After Dark events at the Exploratorium.

Yes, we know that Carnaval is traditionally held in February and is tied to the fasting held after Ash Wednesday, but in San Francisco we do everything a little differently. Plus, unlike the Atlantic coast of Brazil and the humid Caribbean, it's usually cold and rainy here at that time, so instead we throw the San Francisco Carnaval, which is California's largest multi-cultural festival, near the end of every May.

This year the festival takes place on May 26th and 27th in the Mission District, the city's vibrant Latin quarter. On both days, a seven block stretch of Harrison Street - between 16th and 23rd Streets - will be closed to traffic and packed with large outdoor stages, food vendors and tons of people ready to have a good time.

The highlight of the festival however is the San Francisco Carnaval Parade, which takes place on Sunday and is in it's 34th year. Costumed samba, salsa and folkloric dancers parade down Mission Street in an all out party of epic proportions that begins at 9:30am and continues through the afternoon.

Check the Official Website for more information.

Image Courtesy of Carnaval.com Studios through Creative Commons

This weekend the Phoenix Hotel turns into a three day arts bash as the graduating class of the San Francisco Art Institute use it as a masive gallery for their works. Neary one hundred artists will fill the hotel's guest rooms, lobby and pool-side courtyard with paintings, sculptures, multi-media and installation pieces and the event is free and open to the public all weekend long.

Each evening you get a chance to meet the artists and find out more about the artwork as the hotel's own Bambuddha Lounge, which is on our list of Swanky Cocktail Bars worth checking out, hosts an informal after party and mixer.

• Where: The Phoenix Hotel, 601 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA
• When: Friday, May 11 - Sunday, May 13, 2012, Noon till 10pm Daily
• Admission: Free
• More Info: www.sfai.edu

Formerly called Jewels in the Square, the revamped, reinvigorated and turbo-charged annual Union Square free concert series is back as Union Square Live for 2012.

Concerts are usually held on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons and there are also Tango, Salsa and Swing dance lessons and live music preformances on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Wednesday nights of the month, respectively, as well.

Although only a partial schedule has been released so far, the line up looks incredible and visitors to San Francisco's Union Square area this summer have several top notch free concerts and performances to plan thier trip around, including:

• Push Dance - Live dance perfromances that use 3D projections to guide the crowd as well as the dancers. Fri May 25, Sat May 26, Sun May 27 and Mon May 28, 8-10pm.
• Marcus Cohen and the Congress - One of the bay areas favorite soul, R&B and jazz fusion artists funks it up on the outdoor stage. Sun June 3, 2-4pm
• DJ Fingersnaps and Sf Art Collective - This special dance party happens as part of the huge SF Pride Festival and Parade weekend. Sun June 24, 2-4pm

The full 2012 schedule has not been released yet at time of writing but the Union Square Live series is supposed to run well into October. Check the official website for updates and more scheduled events.

With unseasonably nice weather and the city still uncrowded by the sumertime rush of tourism, right now is a great time to enjoy a picnic with the family or that special someone. San Francisco is packed with parks and natural areas that offer delightful settings for outdoor lunch or sunset dining; here are some of the best options in the city for a picnic in nice weather:

• The Palace of Fine Arts- One of the most romantic places in the world, the repica of an ancient Greek Temple and its surrounding swan studded lagoon was made for enjoying picnics in the sun.
• Golden Gate Park - From Hippie Hill to the Japanese Tea Gardens, San Francisco's biggest park is packed with scenic picnic spots.
• The Great Meadow at Fort Mason - This hidden but expansive and sculpture-studded greenspace is located right next to Fisherman's Wharf, high on a cliff, and offers sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay from your picnic blanket.
• Yerba Buena Gardens - This green oasis in the middle of Downtown San Francisco also offers a slew of free summer concerts and performances including a thursday lunch series.

Running for almost six months straight and featuring live music concerts, outdoor theater and performance acts from all over the world, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is downtown San Francisco´s largest and most exciting free festival series.

Many tourists miss the show however, despite the fact that the festival is held just blocks from Union Square, right next to many of the hotels near the Moscone Center, and right across the street from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

For those planning a trip to the city this year, it is well worth the time to check out the calender line-up for 2012, which features over 100 free performances. Here are just a handfull of the many upcoming events at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival that are worth planning a trip to San Francisco around:

Omar Sosa Afreecanos Quartet: An Afro-Cuban legend, live in concert. Sunday May 6, 2012

Israel in the Gardens: The Bay Area's largest Jewish family festival. Sunday June 10, 2012.

The Red Panda Acrobats: Chinese acrobats put on a show designed for kids of all ages. Saturday June 16, Friday July 20 and Friday August 10, 2012.

The San Francisco Mime Troupe: The Bay Area´s funniest political satirists put on an all ages show. Sunday August 19th, 2012.

Most visitors to San Francisco's Union Square  have at least peeked in the historic Gold Dust Lounge, where Johnny Z and the Camaros play live every night of the week and the vibe is comfortable and friendly. In fact, the Gold Dust Lounge, with its great happy hour and 19th century decor, is so cool that I recently placed on the top of my list of the Best Bars in the Union Square Area.

The bad news is that the owner of the building wants the Gold Dust out and another boring chain retail shop to move in, despite the fact that the Gold Dust is a well loved Union Square landmark and a favorite among visitors and locals alike. Lame right?

The good news is that the owner of the Gold Dust is putting up a fight and is petitioning the city of San Francisco to give the bar Historic Landmark status, which would protect it from being destroyed. Even better news is that you can help save the Gold Dust Lounge. Just go their website and sign the online petition and maybe buy a T-shirt. If you have been to the Gold Dust then come back here after you sign the petition and tell the world what you think and Write a Reader Review of the Gold Dust Lounge.

Image Courtesy of Jesse Garcia

Want to eat locally produced organic meals over sweeping views of the city and escape the crowds that pack the rest of the area at the same time?

If the answer is yes, then you should definitely check out the cafe at the San Francisco Art Institute. The Institute is a hidden gem that´s located just off the cable car line and is walking distance from both North Beach or Fisherman´s Wharf.

On sunny days, the SFAI cafe offers breakfast and lunch on the terrace, and the views simply can´t be beat. The food is extraordinary as well and there are always vegan and vegetarian options available. While you are there you can always check out the SFAI´s free galleries, including the Diego Rivera Gallery, where one of his most important murals is located.

Image Courtesy of the San Francisco Art Institute

The annual San Francisco International Film Festival kicked off yesterday and will run for the next two weeks before closing on May 3.

Over ten films a day are screened during the festival, most of them at the Kabuki Sundance Cinema in Japantown, but there are also daily screenings at the Castro Theater and the Pacific Film Archives in Berkeley as well as select screenings at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Highlights include the San Francisco Film Society's Awards Night, which takes place at the Warfield Theater on Thursday April 26th and the State of Cinema Address, this year given by New York Times bestselling writer Jonathan Lethem, which takes place on Saturday April 21st at the Kabuki Cinemas. Closing night of the San Francisco International Film Festival, on Thursday May 3rd, features a late night party at Sloane Sqaured in SOMA, which will include live entertainment and guest appearances by filmakers. Download the PDF Mini-Guide to the entire festival for complete venue, screening and event information.

Image courtesy of the SFCVB

San Francisco is famous for it´s Italian heritage as well its authentic Italian cuisine and most visitors put a trip to North Beach near the top of their itenerary. But many miss San Francisco's best cultural homage to Italian-Americans: The Museo Italo Americano, even though it is located right on the waterfront in the Fort Mason Center.

The Museo Italo Americano was the first museum in the United States entirely devoted to Italian and Italian-American art and culture. Founded in 1978 as a non-profit institution, the museum is also free of charge. Besides a permanent collection and rotating exhibits of sculptures, photographs, paintings and other works by well known Italian-American artists, the museum also hosts Italian language classes, culinary workshops and trips to Italy. Check out the website for complete offerings.

Right now the Museo Italo Americano is featuring the work of Carlo Marchiori, a well known Italian-American muralist whose pieces also grace the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel in downtown and the ceiling of the Emporio Ruili cafe in the Marina District as well as various locations around the world including the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and Tokyo´s Disney Resort. Marchiori was born in Italy, where he also studied art and design, but now lives in the Northern California town of Calistoga where his estate and gallery, Ca´Toga, is located.

Image Courtesy of Ca´Toga