Going down to San Diego and San Francisco next weekend.

I know a few people on here have spent a good bit of time in that neck of the woods and would appreciate any local knowledge.

Anybody have any suggestions of rad places to go/see, bike stores to hit up, places I should not miss eating at?

We'll be in San Diego for 3 days before driving up the coast to San Francisco over the course of a few days. Then kicking it in SF for four days before heading back.

Any interesting road side diversions along the way?

Theres a burrito joint at mission and 17thish that is fucking amazing..
..I don't recall too much between the two places, but the coast highway is definitely better, and slower than inland.
Have fun!

San Francisco:

Nick's Crispy Taco's
1500 Broadway

its in the west bay and is a night club that has been converted into a killer tacoria. Like crazy high ceilings, red walls, chandeliers. But also wicked delicious food. They have a crazy beer special on Tuesday nights.

If you are at all close to the Berkley campus

Cafe Intermezzo
2442 Telegraph Avenue

Sandwiches will blow your god damned mind. get a salad with it, they are huge and cheap. I recommend the poppy seed dressing. It is also close to amoeba music, which is a pretty rockin record store if you are into such things. Also telegraph avenue is a trip anyway, and pretty accessible by bart.

stay away from the tender loin.

Watching the sun set on Ocean Beach (if you get a clear day) is amazing. It's on the pure, unhindered, windy as hell, ocean. Just sun, water and horizon, no mountains in the way.

If you happen to be wandering around near Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill, listen and look for the famous chatty green parrots who inhabit the area. Although this was 2006 when I saw them... apparently they're starting to widen their territory a bit more!
http://bayareaonabudget.wordpress.co...elegraph-hill/
The "Filbert Steps" referred to in that link - I totally found them by accident. I had gone up to Coit Tower to admire the view and I just picked sort of a random direction to come back down. I ended up on said steps, and suddenly noticed all the parrots. I took some pictures. Only a few months later did I look them up and learn the story of the parrots.

pfft, we never saw any of the damn parrots.

You got a place to stay? We stayed here: http://www.hayesvalleyinn.com/ highly recommended, excellent place for the price. At least it was a couple years ago.

As for tips I don't have any particular ones, we just walked for miles and miles and miles. Same as we always do. Uh, stop in Carmel and Monterey on the way... my sister lived there for a few years. Not a ton to DO really, just sit on the beach and chill, but it's quite nice. If you fancy paying like $17 to drive past really really filthy rich people's houses and see a copyrighted tree, there's Seventeen Mile Drive.

Saw this place on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives:
http://crazeeburger.com/

this is a pretty good list:

http://thisrecording.com/today/2009/...francisco.html

My vid of the parrots: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

Picture: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

thanks all for the tips.
We're taking the holiday with Stu's folks and the parrots are right up his mom's alley.

the burrito suggestions are gonna make it damn hard to not cheat and eat the hell out of one. Having a pepper/spice allergy isn't so bad when we live in nearly-Mexicanless-Vancouver but just plain old torture once I cross the border.

looking forward to the drive up the coast. stu's folks don't know it yet but they'll be getting a free geology lesson along the way.