You can get around San Francisco quite easily without a car. Steve and I each bought seven-day MUNI passports, which allowed us to use buses, trolleys, and light rail. Believe it when travel guides tell you to dress in layers. There are times when you'll be baking in the sun, but just walking into a different neighborhood can mean a drop of five degrees in temperature.

Armed with our maps and tour guides, we set out that first day to Haight-Ashbury. On the way, we stopped at the Painted Ladies.

The very best record store I've ever been in, Amoeba Music, is on 1855 Haight. It's housed in what used to be a bowling alley and they pretty much fill every square inch with music. Steve and I bought as many CD's as we thought could be shoved into our suitcases. I wanted to buy so much more, but I got some Dead Milkmen and Primus, so I was sated. For the time being...

The next day, we went on a mini-cruise from Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge and back. We planned on going to Alcatraz, but as that was sold out until after we were to have been leaving, we settled for the bay cruise. It was not a disappointment - they played part of the Alcatraz audio tour as we travelled past it, which is really all you need.