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What should I eat in San Francisco? [more inside]
posted by chainsofreedom around San Francisco, CA at 6:18 PM - 22 answers

I'll be in SF for work and I want to take advantage of summer's late sunsets to visit a park with great views in between the end of the work day and my dinner plans with a friend. Looking for (1) opinions on the best park to visit given (2) the logistics laid out inside, and (3) help with getting around. [more inside]
posted by CiaoMela around San Francisco, CA at 8:26 AM - 20 answers

I find myself in need of a replacement driver's license and would like to obtain it tomorrow (Tuesday) morning in San Francisco. I have another appointment downtown at 10 am and the DMV opens at 7 am. What time do I need to get to the DMV to safely obtain my license and get to my appointment a half hour away? Is getting there at 6 good enough or overkill? [more inside]
posted by reren around San Francisco, CA at 2:27 PM - 9 answers

Mr. Darling, the two kiddos and I are heading to San Jose in August. We will be staying with family for two nights near Los Gatos and then will relocate to San Jose for two nights. We want to be somewhere walking friendly but we will have a car. Any suggestions?
posted by tafetta, darling! around San Jose, CA at 12:54 PM - 5 answers

I'm trying to find a good place in California to make into our annual vacation spot -- somewhere with rental cabins where kids and adults can explore and walk to fun outdoor activities without everyone having to pile in a car. Please share your best camping or vacation rental experiences if you would! [more inside]
posted by slidell around California at 8:25 AM - 7 answers

I booked a room at the Grand Hyatt in SF for the 4th of July weekend. I live in San Jose area, so I am somewhat familiar with San Francisco. What are some off the beaten path places to visit or see? Food/bars? Night life? Are there fireworks that weekend or just on the 4th? We have plans to visit Hot Italian in Emeryville, but otherwise we are just looking to enjoy the city instead of our typical single objective-oriented travel.
posted by apex_ around San Francisco, CA at 10:10 AM - 5 answers

With a 1.5yr old, would you vacation to Redwoods National Park, Yosemite, or Lassen Volcanic Park? [more inside]
posted by inevitability around California at 7:38 PM - 13 answers

2 adults, 2 kids, and 2 grandparents are celebrating grandparents 50th in San Francisco this weekend. For one of the days we would like to rent a car and get out of the city. I don't mind driving a few hours. I don't mind spending money. Tell me about cool locales / day trips that a 7 and 70 year old could both enjoy together.
posted by jasondigitized around San Francisco, CA at 12:36 PM - 18 answers

I'm planning a bike tour from Portland to San Francisco via the coast and would ideally like to sleep in a hammock the whole way, but I've noticed online that some California state parks explicitly forbid it. How prevalent is this kind of policy? [more inside]
posted by Gymnopedist around California at 9:51 PM - 3 answers

We are planning a six day trip, driving down Highway 1 from Monterey to Los Angeles next week. Challenge: where to spend the nights. Looking for towns to stop in, hotels to stay at. Other trip ideas are also welcome. Theme is relaxation and recovery. [more inside]
posted by metahawk around Los Angeles, CA at 5:27 PM - 14 answers

Being entirely unprepared for San Francisco traffic, when should we hit the road for the airport if our flight leaves at 11:30 PDT? [more inside]
posted by emelenjr around San Francisco, CA at 3:46 AM - 19 answers

I need to practice driving, and I'd like to go across the Golden Gate Bridge. Where should I go in the North Bay on Saturday? [more inside]
posted by wym around Northern California, CA at 9:56 PM - 9 answers

We would like to visit a family member who lives in L.A. We're flying from the U.K. but can only stay with the family member a couple of nights. After that we need something else to do but don't want to spend a lot. Any ideas? We'll be staying around a week in total and the budget is flexible but pretty low if possible. [more inside]
posted by hazyjane around Los Angeles, CA at 10:30 PM - 14 answers

I’ll have one full day in San Francisco next month. Normally I’d explore on foot, but I’ll be on crutches, and, well, hills. So what’s one place I could easily visit that would be accessible and memorable? [more inside]
posted by tr33hggr around San Francisco, CA at 2:31 PM - 8 answers

I will be attending Friday's CHVRCHES show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley (YAY) and have questions about parking and dinner/drinks. [more inside]
posted by sacrifix around Berkeley, CA at 9:34 AM - 5 answers

I'm coming up on a week-long trip to San Jose / Santa Clara area for work. I've done a few of these over the last year or so, and I could really use some suggestions for mixing it up for breakfast and dinner / drinks. What are your favorite local spots, both upmarket and down? What am I probably missing by just relying on Yelp? [more inside]
posted by mmc around San Jose, CA at 1:51 PM - 18 answers

Hi Hive Mind! I'm confirmed for a business trip in San Francisco for the end of April (21-29, not counting travel). I'm from Central Europe, this is my first business trip and my first US trip. I have questions. [more inside]
posted by kmt around San Francisco, CA at 6:41 AM - 38 answers

I'm taking my girls, ages 6 & 9, to San Diego for five days (including travel) at the end of March. I haven't been there since I was 6 myself. Trying to plan an itinerary. [more inside]
posted by gottabefunky around San Diego, CA at 11:24 AM - 15 answers

So we're taking 6.5 year old Schwingg! Jr. to LA next week and looking for movie industry things to do! He's very interested in the history of movie production, silent movies, and black & white comedies. Pretty much uninterested in going to Disney. To give you an idea, here are the stars he wants to see on the Walk of Fame: Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Erol Flynn, Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Groucho Marx, and Donald Trump. I understand that most of the movie set tours don't allow kids under 8, so that puts us in a bind. Ideas for movie activities (and any other non-Disney activities?)
posted by schwinggg! around Los Angeles, CA at 9:51 AM - 21 answers

In about a week, I will be at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. I don't know if I will have time off, but if I did, are there any used book stores that shouldn't be missed? Anything else there that is a must see? [more inside]
posted by wittgenstein around Long Beach, CA at 2:30 PM - 2 answers