San Francisco help...

[mamacatnv]

Thank for all of the great advice! As the trip is getting closer, I have one more question...what clothes to pack! I looked at the weather for this week and it looks like low 60's. I'm from Wisconsin and this week we'll be in the high 80's even in September we're usually in the 70's-80's.

For some reason I can't decide what kind of clothes to bring. Are layers the best bet? I don't normally wear shorts anyhow, but DS thinks I'm crazy telling him to only bring pants since it's CA lol. If we're out on the water for let's say the Alcatraz tour is just a light jacket or sweatshirt good enough?

Layers, Layers and more layers - the weather can be cool and foggy or windy or sunny and warm.

I live in a fairly cold winter climate so DD and I usually wear capri's (sometimes shorts, I always take a pair) with a tank and then a lined wind breaker. DS always wears shorts, t-shirt and a hoodie, I think he wants to grow up and be the UPS Man since the boy will wear shorts in the snow! DH likes warmup suit style pants or shorts, a Tshirt and a lined windbreaker also.

When on the water the temp is even cooler, the wind on the boat and the spray can be downright cold.

My best advice is a light LINED windbreaker of some sort. I have a light jacket that has a thin polar fleece on the inside and windbreaker on the out, it always goes to the city with me.

Have fun and take some shorts for your son!

 

[Brady's Mom]

San Francisco in Sept is wonderful. It is usually warmer than summertime. Prepare for cool and fog in the morning and evening. You will want some kind of a jacket. IT should be nice and warm during the day. (warm being 60-70) It always seemed that when we went back to school the weather warmed up and taunted us because we were inside!!

You will definitely want a coat for the Alcatraz tour. My DH is always amazed at the number of tourists that try the tour in shorts and tank tops. They freeze to death. DH and oldest son went in Aug. 2 years ago and DS didn't think he would need a coat. He froze. He had a windbreaker type jacket with a sweatshirt lining and had the hood up and some warmer layers underneath when they took the tour to Alcatraz. It is surprising how cold it is on the bay.

Even though it says we are from Utah, DH grew up in Chinatown and knows the City. Our kids always want to go to the Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown. They love the Exploratium and the Marina. We don't do a lot of the touristy things when we are there, but we do love the beach and flying stunt kites because the wind is really great. When we went last year we walked on the Golden Gate Bridge and that was really fun. And I second the PP about Muir Woods.

 

[kaoden39]

I live 45 miles from San Francisco. I can tell you that you want layers, I cannot stress that enough. This morning when I took my kids to school is was an overcast 61 degrees and I know it was cooler in the city. Our high for today is like 75 so the weather there is maybe 65 so layers and more layers. Have fun!

 

[pixiewings71]

I always layer when I go to the City. It's never really warm enough for me there....LOL And I live very close to Kaoden, we are in sister cities.

 

[kaoden39]

I always layer when I go to the City. It's never really warm enough for me there....LOL And I live very close to Kaoden, we are in sister cities.

That's right we are in sister cities. Today is a good example of a layers day. There is fog in the City and they don't expect it to burn off until noon. But once it does it will warm up.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Just remember that your outer layer is best being waterproof, or atleast very water repellant. That said, we had beautiful sunny days on our only trip, but it was cool and often quite breezy.

We owned up to being tourists and carried a backpack . . . it would fill up with unneeded layers during the day and then empty out in the evening.

 

[jlp879]

Grey Line tours does a nice bus tour that you can hop on or off along the way. It is a good overview of the city.

There are walking tours available such as Victorian Home Walk that give a bit of history of the area you are being toured through.

Blue and Gold Fleet do a variety of Bay tours. It's a nice change to see the city from the water.