Fisherman's Wharf: More than seafood and souvenirs
If you haven’t been to the Wharf for a while, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Oh, the T-shirt and souvenir shops are still there, and it’s still plenty crowded as the #1 tourist magnet in San Francisco. But flower gardens have been planted; new restaurants and shops have sprouted; and an art gallery with originals by Rembrandt, Picasso, Dali and Chagall has opened.
You’ll probably enter the Wharf area from the south at Pier 39, location of the biggest parking lot. Start out by walking around Pier 39. It’s a fun place for families with its nonstop free performances by musicians, magicians and jugglers; a 32-animal carousel; the new Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze; the Aquarium of the Bay; and more. The family theme continues on the first block of Jefferson (the Wharf’s main street), with its longtime favorite attractions, the Wax Museum (where you’re greeted by a hauntingly lifelike Michael Jackson) and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.
The main attraction for adults at the Wharf, however, is the same as it’s been for nearly a century: the chance to eat seafood straight off the boat—from the Taylor Street fish stands that serve crab and shrimp cocktails to the big restaurants that have packed in diners since they were opened by Italian immigrants. These landmark restaurants include the Franciscan, Alioto’s, Fisherman’s Grotto, Scoma’s, Castagnola, Pompei’s Grotto and Cioppino’s. All cluster around the harbors where fishermen arrive with their daily catch. Most have tables with bay views, outdoor seating, or both.
Besides watching the fishermen come in, you can watch how the city’s famed sourdough bread is made at Boudin’s demonstration bakery, which is also right on Jefferson. (Boudin struck gold with its first bakery in 1849.) Now continue heading north to The Cannery and Ghirardelli Square. The Cannery started out as a peach cannery in 1907, but now the old brick building contains unique shops and restaurants. Ghirardelli Square is best known for the namesake chocolate company; you can see how Ghirardelli chocolates are made inside its popular ice cream and chocolates shop. Once you’ve tired of shops, belly up to Buena Vista Cafe’s bar, across from the Hyde Street cable turnaround on the next block, for the drink that was born there—Irish coffee.
At both ends of the Wharf are opportunities to sample America’s maritime history. On the south end at Pier 45 are two preserved World War II vessels, the SS Jeremiah O’Brien liberty ship and the USS Pampanito submarine. Both can be boarded. And at the Wharf’s north end are seven older ships, ranging in age from an 1886 rigger, the Balcutha, to a 1914 paddlewheel tug, the Eppleton Hall. These National Park Service-maintained ships are docked on the Hyde Street Pier at Aquatic Park, on the Wharf’s northern edge. Aquatic Park also features an expanse of lawns, a 200-yard-long sandy beach, a long fishing pier, a swimming lagoon (only for the hot-blooded or wetsuit-clad) and a maritime museum.
The Wharf is the perfect launching point for tours of the city or the bay. The RocketBoat, sport-fishing boats and any of several ferries will take you out on the bay or out the Golden Gate to the ocean. Motorized cable cars and double-deck buses will take you out on the streets of San Francisco. And the independent-minded can rent a Segway, bike, electric bike or electric mini-car to explore the city. However you do it, you’ll return to the Wharf with an array of lodging choices, ranging from motels to a Hyatt and a Fairmont. You’ll have earned your eight hours.
- by Bob Cooper, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro
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Bob CooperBob Cooper is a full-time freelance writer (www.bob-cooper.com) who writes about travel, outdoor sports and health. He is a monthly contributor to Runner's World and has written recent articles for other national magazines such as Continental, Ladies' Home Journal and Inc.
