Vacationing for Cheap

There are a ton of free fun things to do in SF. Someone mentioned the Exporatorium, a fantastic interactive science museum. It's right on the campus built for the worlds fair when it was hosted in SF.

For a very full low-cost day: Go to the Exploratorium in the morning, pack a picnic and eat outside by the little lake (there are statues and stuff the kids can climb while you finish eating); then drive and park on the SF side of the Golden Gate Bridge (don't drive across you'll have to pay the toll) and walk the bridge, take pictures, look at the boats etc.

Also, there are frequently free or low-cost concerts in Golden Gate Park. Check the website and see what's happening.

Finally, the museums in Golden Gate Park are fantastic and kid friendly. And there are a few all together. Find out if they have a free day during the week.

Be sure to bring jackets, especially for the bridge.

Take a Ferry Boat ride form Vacaville into San Francisco. It takes you right into Pier 39 area. Kids will enjoy it and it won't break the bank :)

HI P.,

There is one day of the week I think Monday or Wednesdays(?) when a lot of the touristy things, like the zoo, aquarium,exploratorium etc... are free admittance. I would look them up online or call. We also love picnics at Ocean Beach if the weather is nice. Golden Gate park is great and the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Have FUN!!!

Check out the Green tortoise youth hostel. My sweetie and I rented a private room there for a week. It was a few years back but we got the room for $36 a night. The exploratorium is awesome for all ages, there were tons of kids there when we went. Pier 39 walk around, Metrion has a planetarium, there are things to do in the Golden Gate park like botanical gardens and aquarium. The cliff house is fun to check out and no need to buy anything it is a restaraunt next to the ruins of the bath house at the bottom of the cliff facing the ocean near the sea side of the golden gate park. I haven't been there but my sweetie says even if you don't eat there it is a must see, some sort of bowl shaped projection device is there.
Have Fun!!!
Love, L.

When I was young my parents took us there a lot. Pier 39 is fun. It has lots of fun shops and kid friendly resturants. I recommend Bodene's. They have the best clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. At the side of the pier there are hundreds of seals that live there. They are interesting to watch. Also Garadeli (sp) square is fun. I always remember going there and we always got to pick out a chocolate bar. You can google San Fran and there will be a list of things to do. Those are just two of my favorites. There are lots of museums, aquariums, and parks to visit. Good luck and have a wonderful time.

Right now we are in Chinese new year celebrations through the 15th so that part of China town should have some interesting things going on.

There is the Fortune cookie factory in the heart of Chinatown. Visits are free. It is a hole in the wall factory yet they make most of the fortune cookies for all the food places West of the Mississippi river. Interesting process.

The golden gate park has some pretty landscaping and some of the events inside that park are not very much. Picnicing does not cost much and there is a lot of open space.

There is also the mission in San Francisco somewhere and that is usually free or cost very little.

There are puppet shows and street performers on peer 39 that do not cost anything. You can also watch the sea lions.

Then there is the crookedest street in the world Lumbard street. About 20 turns in 1 block distance. Fun to walk or drive down.