SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL GUIDES

"You wouldn't think such a place as San Francisco could exist.  The wonderful sunlight here, the hills, the great bridges, the Pacific at your shoes.  Beautiful Chinatown.  Every race in the world.  The sardine fleets sailing out.  The little cable-cars whizzing down The City hills… And all the people are open and friendly."
- Dylan Thomas

TRAVELING TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

San Francisco is just an incredible place to visit, but not necessarily an easy one to navigate for travelers.  Dave Eggers describes it in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius as “But of course there's no logic to San Francisco generally, a city built with putty and pipe cleaners, rubber cement and colored construction paper. It's the work of fairies, elves, happy children with new crayons”.  Part of the charm comes from finding unique neighborhoods, incredible views, small independent restaurants, and amazing walks.  And many people miss some of the amazing beauty around the San Francisco Bay Area, including Sausalito, the Napa & Sonoma valleys, and Monterey  Here are our recommendations on the best travel books for planning a trip to San Francisco.

A5 RECOMMENDATIONS

Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco

One of our favorite travel books for those who want to better understand and appreciate the one-of-a-kind city of San Francisco is Cool Gray City of Love, by Gary Kamiya.  There are 49 chapters, each providing an authentic and inspirational look into each specific location.  Note that this isn't a travel guide but instead an in-depth celebration of all that San Francisco has to offer.  Kamiya, cofounder of Salon.com, covers it all, from the seedy “black hole” of the Tenderloin to the majestic views from the Golden Gate Bridge.  Cool Gray City of Love is beautifully written, combining an extremely well-researched history and a very personal perspective on this special place.  A great book both for first time visitors and for long-time locals.

Lonely Planet: San Francisco

Those looking for a comprehensive travel guide for a trip to San Francisco can't go wrong with Lonely Planet.  We like their emphasis on the culture and character of the city, the breadth of coverage on local neighborhoods, and their overall honesty embedded in their reviews and recommendations.  Lonely Planet is always a good choice, and this book is no exception.

111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss

Even those who know San Francisco well will still love the 111 Places That You Must Not Miss guide.  The book provides insider-type ideas not normally found in other travel guides, with recommendations on charming neighborhoods, local breweries, historic landmarks, green parks, and even a unique place to take a spin class.  111 Places is a great book for those who want to find some new and unique new experiences.

Michelin Guide:  San Francisco

For a culinary rich city like San Francisco, our recommended book for restaurant reviews is the famed Michelin Guide.  A very low percentage of restaurants worldwide are good enough to qualify, but in San Francisco there are almost 300 restaurants selected and reviewed.  Trained inspectors pore through tastings and menus to identify the best of the best - the restaurants most likely to provide the most memorable culinary experience.​

This Bridge Will Not Be Gray, by Dave Eggers & Tucker Nichols

Fans of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge will love this story, told in picture book form, of the architects who fought to ensure that the bridge would not just be another boring gray bridge.  The book is written by Dave Eggers and illustrated by Tucker Nichols.  Click here for our description of This Bridge Will Not Be Gray.

 Moon Guide: Monterey & Carmel

For some reason, not many of the traditional guidebook series have a dedicated book for Monterey and Carmel.  The Monterey Peninsula is truly a wonderful part of the country, with beautiful redwoods, incredible ocean views, wineries, world-class golf, great restaurants, and some cool literary history. Our recommendation for the best guidebook is the Moon Guide, often a good choice as a very personal and helpful guide for smaller lesser-known places.