I won't try to improve on the article about San Francisco by James Conaway at Yahoo! Travel.  He captures much about The City very well.  My first visit was as a five-year old on a train trip from Nebraska.  I returned with my cousin and his parents when I was a fifteen-year old.  I was a young second lieutenant at a tech school in Lompoc in 1967 when Rita and I visited my uncle in Oakland and spent some time across the bay.  But my most sustained exposure to the area came with a project that brought me from Omaha to the Bay Area for a week about every two months during the early '80's.  I worked in at least one visit to San Francisco on almost every trip.  I can't imagine living where I couldn't get to to San Francisco any day I wanted.

Alcatraz is a popular tourist destination and even a few locals go there.  The Park Service tour is well done and will give you a great look at the history of the island.  There is more to it that the prison.  Alcatraz is a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Pier 39 is a part of the Fisherman's Wharf area.  Also check out The Cannery and Ghirardelli Square.

The Wax Museum was recently renovated and is open for business.  The museum offers a Wharf Cam at their site.

There is plenty more to do in this part of The City.  Don't miss the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association

The Balclutha is one of the featured exhibits at the Maritime Museum.  Many visitors miss this great look at San Francisco history.  It's right at Fishermans' Wharf, just west of the main restaurants, etc.  This old Nebraska farm kid can't get enough of this place. 

A late-night visit to Cliff House has been part of our evenings in San Francisco several times.  Most of our friends find it hard to believe that we drive the 65 miles into The City, have dinner and then drive out to the west edge of The City, of the state, of the continent before driving back to Tracy.  We've met so many of the young romantics who still have not found this extraordinary site.  Strange.  I think I feel a trip coming on even as I write this.

Visit our site that describes our visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium with our grandsons.

Everyone knows about Yosemite National Park It's is a big day, but we've always made this a day trip often getting in two short hikes

We recently found the Pinnacles National Monument.  And that is probably one of its greatest attractions.  We did an afternoon of hiking and probably didn't see more than twenty people.  It's relatively small but packs a lot of great scenes, flora and fauna.  This is another example of a local attraction that the locals keep putting off and never really get there.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are just past the day trip range for us but about perfect for an overnight camping trip. 
 

That covers my first version of a Northern California page.   I'll be back to pick up such subjects as Oakland (Oakland museum, zoo, downtown, etc.), San Jose (downtown, Silicon Valley, Winchester Mystery House, Rosecrucians Museum,) the missions, at least those north of Soladad, The Medocino Coast, Wine country (Napa County, Sonoma County, Livermore Valley, Calavaras County, Amador County, Central Valley, Central Coast, etc. etc.  - it's more than Napa.  And more.
 

 Monterey Bay Aquarium