Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is located on the north side of San Francisco and is made up of a number of piers that extend into the Bay. One of the best reasons to visit Fisherman’s Wharf is to board the ferry out to Alcatraz, which we consider one of San Francisco’s top attractions. But while you are at the waterfront, be sure to take some time to enjoy the sights this part of town offers.

Shopping
The area surrounding Fisherman’s Wharf offers plenty of shopping opportunities. While we’ve never found much of interest in the T-shirt shops and souvenir stands that are clustered around Pier 41 and Pier 43 1/2, if you walk a bit further you are more likely to find something that interests you. Pier 39 and Ghiradelli Square both have a variety of specialty shops worth perusing. And if you stop by The Cannery, in addition to finding stores with unique wares, you can also visit the Museum of the City of San Francisco, a small gallery that exhibits items related to San Francisco’s history and culture.

If You’re Hungry...
Walking around Fisherman’s Wharf invariably helps us work up an appetite. We’re not sure whether it is the salty air or simply the enticing smells from the abundance of restaurants, but we rarely venture down to the Wharf without grabbing a bite to eat. Sometimes we indulge in a bowl of clam chowder served San Francisco-style in a bowl of sourdough bread; other times we are more in the mood for a taste of the huge Dungeness crabs sold at many of the outdoor food stands. If we really want to treat ourselves, we trek down to Pier 39 for a seafood dinner at Neptune’s Palace (415-434-2260), which we think is one of the best seafood restaurants in San Francisco.

Street Performers
One of the real pleasures of a visit to Fisherman’s Wharf is the variety of free entertainment. We’ve encountered all kinds of street performers, from musicians to mimes to escape artists. All of them offer their talents to passersby in the hopes that you’ll be entertained enough to toss a dollar or two in their hat. Other individuals don’t even pretend to offer something in exchange for your money, witness the beggar we saw on a recent trip (at least he was honest!).

Sea Lions
Our favorite Fisherman’s Wharf performers are, unquestionably, the sea lions that abandoned Seal Rocks and began to frequent Pier 39 following the 1989 earthquake. Boisterous and noisy, they spend as many as 10 months of the year (September through June) sunning themselves on the docks or playing in the waters nearby, and then head south to the Channel Islands off the Coast of Santa Barbara in July and August to breed. Be sure to attend one of the Marine Mammal Center (MMC) talks to learn fun facts about the sea lions like:

• California sea lions are known for their playfulness and intelligence
• These traits make them popular performers in many zoos and aquariums (where they are often called trained "seals")
• California sea lions are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits you from feeding, handling or harassing them
• If that isn’t enough of a warning, you should know that sea lions will bite if provoked!

To learn more about the MMC talks, call (415) 289-7325 or visit their web site.

Don’t Waste Your Time...
So what don’t we like about Fisherman’s Wharf? We recommend that you don’t bother with some of the tackier attractions, like the Wax Museum, Medieval Dungeon or Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. Seeing Alcatraz and the sea lions, and getting a bite to eat, are much better choices.

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