For families, the Raging Waters fun park at San Jose has waterfalls and slides, water cannons and qu

Most San Francisco visitors head for Fisherman's Wharf where the former docks and warehouses have now been converted into trendy waterfront restaurants, shops and tourist attractions. On the rocks below, the colony of sealions makes a noisy chorus at times. The Cannery is the most famous and charming area of shops, along with Pier 39 and the Ghirardelli Factory overlooking dinner cruise long beach the San Francisco waterfront.
Across the water is the rocky Alcatraz Island which can now be visited by boat and toured. Enjoy the 1,000 acre Golden Gate Park on the west side of the city and visit the Hakone Japanese Tea Garden with its pagodas and koi carp ponds.
The Aquarium of the Bay is a major attraction in San Francisco and a moving walkway gives everyone dinner cruise long beach a great view of the clear tunnels which run beneath the 700,000 gallon aquariums. Museums range from the typical Museum of San Francisco History to the unique Museum of Fortune Cookies which is in the small fortune cookie factory where the cookies were actually invented. It still produces 20,000 fortune cookies a day.
Sandwiched between the Bay, Market Street and Van Ness Avenue, Downtown San Francisco is a charming part of the city to explore. Take a cable powered street car ride up the incredibly steep streets for great views of the bay below. Visit the Cable Car Museum to see the giant wheels which drive this unique dinner cruise long beach mode of transport and walk down Lombardy Street, the "crookedest street in the world", which proves a real challenge for cars with its zigzagging descent.
Nearby are some grand residences on what became known as Nob Hill, where the gentry built their fine homes. Further north is the lovely Church of St Peter and St Paul with its twin towers in Little Italy which is another delightful area to explore.
After the excitingment of the city, it is great to explore the scenic Hwy 101 along the scenic North Californian coast. Muir Woods is a fantastic natural attraction just 12 miles north of San Francisco and has some awesome redwood trees which stand up to 200 feet tall.
Fifty miles southeast of San Francisco in San Jose is the Winchester Mystery House, built by Sarah Winchester who was convinced she was being haunted by spirits. She built this strange house to confuse the spirits, with a staircase right up to the ceiling, doors that open onto walls and corridors that lead nowhere.
For families, the Raging Waters fun park at San Jose has waterfalls and slides, dinner cruise long beach water cannons and quiet pools which are particularly popular on a hot summer's day. Alternatively visit the more high-tech Waterworld at Concord which has a wave pool, raft ride, high speed water slides and more. North of Concord is another family favorite attraction, the Jelly Bean Factory which offers guided tours and free samples!