A ballgame at AT&T park is a good idea. It’s a really nice ballpark. I recommend the crab sandwiches and the ghiradelli sundaes.

In N Out is great. I always heard “double down” fries, hadn’t heard “well-done.”

I love Muir Woods. One of my favorite restaurants in the area is Fish in Sausalito. You could stop there on the way back into the City from Muir Woods (cash only so plan ahead or pay the ATM fee, if the ATM is working ).

The Oakland Zoo is nicer than the SF zoo, IMO.

Ocean Beach is the biggest beach. You might find some sand dollars there. If you hit it a low tide you can wade out a long way.

I’m partial to Chrissy Field though, and there’s the Warming Hut there for drinks and snacks. Chrissy Field is on the bay and is a historic airfield. There is also Baker Beach, where we used to sometimes find bits of sea glass. (The north end of the beach is a nude beach.) There are also a couple of other tiny beaches you can scramble down to just north of Baker Beach. The Presidio as a whole has lots of trails and is pretty nice. If you are going to the Presidio anyway, El Polin Springs is maybe worth a stop, though it’s certainly not a regular tourist stop.

If you want obscure, I love Glenn Canyon. We used to hike down into the canyon from Christopher Park all the time—you can also walk in from Glen Canyon Park, which starts at the bottom of the Canyon. It’s a little bit of nature in the big city. Not too far away is the Miraloma Market, which has an awesome hole in the wall taqueria in it— the prawn quesadilla is amazing. Or we always liked Eric’s Chinese in Noe Valley. This is all well off the tourist path. But it is also all close to Twin Peaks where you can park and hike up for a fabulous view of the City.

Golden Gate Park has plenty to explore. California Academy of Science is a great science museum. Used to have very long lines, so maybe check out advance tickets if that is still the case.

I endorse Alacatraz and would consider the night tour. Advance tickets are advisable.

Be sure you pack for cold weather. Summer in SF is cold. Especially AT&T Park and Alcatraz. I’ve been known to wear a down coat to a summer night Giants game.

I like Monterey but it’s too far for me for a day trip, especially if you will have already driven down from Seattle. That’s quite a drive to start with.

I don’t live in San Francisco but dh is from the Bay Area so I’ve been there to visit many times. While you do have enough time to include Yosemite, esp if you don’t think you’d ever be out West again, unfortunately I think it’s probably too late for you to find a place to stay.

I agree with Rita that you should consider a trip down to Monterey. The aquarium is amazing-personally prefer it to the National Aquarium. If you decide to make the trip to Monterey, you may want to skip Muir Woods (very crowded) and instead visit the redwoods in Henry Cowell State Park which is maybe about halfway b/w SF and Monterey, in the way. This is an old conversation but some other insight about both parks: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60713-i30-k4677696-Muir_Woods_Big_Basin_or_Henry_Cowell-San_Francisco_California.html

Definitely head over to the Marin Headlands for amazing views, and perfect place to take pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Tourist attraction but we all really enjoyed the tour of Alcatraz. Very interesting.

I love the whole northern coast of San Francisco, from Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf to Marina Green to the Presidio and Fort Point and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fort Point is a Civil War era fort literally under the Golden Gate Bridge (the guy who designed the bridged designed so that the fort could be preserved). They run a very interesting short film about the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.

They close Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park to cars on Sundays, and it is popular with skaters, pedestrians, and bikers. The park has a bunch of stuff to do; museums, but also the Japanese Tea Garden, Strybing Arboretum, Conservatory of Flowers, windmills, bison, and boating on Stow Lake,

I always enjoy the Sutro Baths, which is the ruined foundations of a once-fabulous swimming complex.

Muir Woods, across the Golden Gate Bridge, for redwoods, or for something much lower key, Redwood Park in Oakland has a lovely creek trail through the Redwoods.

The Maritime Museumis great; it is mostly a bunch of vintage boats (square-rigged, paddle-wheel ferry, tug, etc.) moored to a pier near Fisherman's wharf.

CRL is not kidding that San Francisco is cold in June. There's a trope that locals trot out frequently, usually attributed to Mark Twain: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." It is always overcast in the morning and late in the day, and the period of sunshine gets shorter as you head west. It is almost always overcast on the Pacific coast.

Tourist shops do a brisk business in sweatshirts for tourists who came unprepared.

On the other hand, it is extremely unlikely to rain, as it typically rains only a couple times from mid-May to mid-October.

Cawaps,I’ve always had weird weather in SF. First time I ever went, it was unseasonably hot. Drove into the city in BIL’s Jeep with no AC Jeep. It was unbearable. Another time, we went for BIL’s wedding in October. It was in the 80s! I was dying as I only brought clothes for chilly weather. Now I make sure to have layers with my bottom layer being something I won’t sweat in should it be warm.

All of the above are great suggestions. I'll just add that if you choose Muir Woods, you now have to have reservations, so plan ahead. Another state park in western Marin County with beautiful redwoods and good hiking trails is Samuel P Taylor.

It can rain quite fiercely on Memorial Day in San Francisco, but June is usually dry. The coldest summer month is August - June is not that bad, but it is not that sunny either, depending on which part of town you are in.

When I lived in San Francisco, I drove (or was driven) between SF and Portland many times, on my way to visit Vancouver. I recommend that you take 101 south of Portland - this will take you through Redwood National Park, south of crescent city. If you have time, it is worth it to take Hwy 1 through Mendocino, and from there you can go through Bodega Bay or go through Santa Rosa and Sonoma. I used to visit Sonoma quite a bit, as it was my favorite wine town, but these days we go to Paso Robles instead.

There is really way more to do in Northern California than you will have time for, and so you just have to decide what you really want to see. I've stayed and B&Bs when I visited SF after I moved away, unless I was staying with friends.

For a hotel, I would recommend Upper Terrace Cottage on Buena Vista Hill for a neighborhood (rather than downtown tourist) experience. It might be difficult to get a reservation, however. There are other B&Bs in that neighborhood, if that is what you are looking for. I got my brother a reservation at one for his honeymoon that was in a house previously owned by Graham Nash, but I don't think it is still a hotel. I think they got the entire upper floor/attic.

I don't think you will have time for Yosemite, and it is incredibly crowded in June.

Just to add: I've driven Highway 5 between the Bay Area and Portland a few times. I don't think it's an especially beautiful road trip. I do love Portland and I think Shasta Lake is pretty to drive through (depending on the time of year), but I'd spend more time exploring the Bay Area and environs. If you prefer to drive, the coast highway is much more beautiful, and you can catch some redwoods, wineries, etc., along the way.

As an aside, Ocotober is usually warm and lovely in SF, i would fully expect it to be 80 degrees then. it’s the summers that are often cold. (My father is very fond of telling me that when he was in the Army, the Presidio was the only conus base that never switched from winter uniforms.).

And yes, you can tell the tourists because they are wearing shorts and souvenir sweatshirts and shivering. Layers are good because the temperature swings from one micro-climate to another are pretty dramatic—locations just 20 minutes apart may be 20 degrees different in temperature.

I think Lars has you covered -- if you don't want to spend that much time on 101 along the Oregon Coast, you can take I-5 down and cut over at Grants Pass to the coast and the Redwoods National Park -- then take Highway 1 down -- warning this is highly scenic but can be slow going and a bit car-sickness inducing. Make sure you allow time and perhaps break it up with a stay in Mendecino and/or near Pt. Reyes. Two nights along the way might be ideal. An alternative path would take you over the Siskyous to Mt. Shasta and then a cut over.

Once in SF, I tend to recommend staying somewhere near Union Square (Westin St. Francis, Kimpton Sir Francis Drake) or or on/just off Market between 5th and the Embarcadero (Marriott, Hyatt, Four Seasons) or near Moscone (the W, St. Regis). Now these are pretty pricey so I can make more moderate suggestions. This makes public transit much easier -- in fact, it's often easier to ditch the car, if you are able. Note Uber/Lyft also work quite well. Certain properties in the Financial District will drop in price during the weekends.

If you do go to the Marin Headlands and Muir Woods, Mt Tam or Pt. Reyes do it during the mid week. Weekends will be much more crowded.

I never heard the term microclimate until I moved to California. But when I was in grad school in San Diego, my walk to campus took me through an arroyo where the temperature was 5 degrees colder than anywhere else on the walk. I think it funneled cold air up from the ocean.

And it could be warm in June; at the very least it should clear up for at least a few hours a day. Just be prepared.

No joke about the microclimates! I could leave my house sleeveless and need a sweater by the time I got to the TOP of the street! I am not kidding! It was a steep hill.

I agree, Alcatraz and a baseball game are must-do's! You should be able to get tickets no problem if they are not on a road trip.

Have breakfast at Sears Fine Food in Union Square.

We like to stay in a cute boutique hotel, The Golden Gate, but it doesn't really seem to work too well for families vs. more than 2 people in a room. It is somewhat adjacent to Union Square and close to Chinatown. http://www.goldengatehotel.com/hotel

One of my favorite tours was the Victorian Walking Tour. http://www.victorianhomewalk.com/VictorianHomeWalk/Welcome.html

See if any concerts are going on at Oracle Arena. Maybe NBA finals will still be on? It is an easy train ride to Oakland. When I was there for my major conference early June a couple of years ago, Van Halen played on my birthday. Other live music venues include Mountainview amphitheatre (San Jose), or the Warfield or Fillmore.

Great suggestions above.

Just an FYI -- I think I read that you now need reservations to go to Muir Woods. It's definitely a great walk. We hiked one of the trails, up to the top of a ridge, out of the woods, with a great ocean view; then, back down again.

If you go across the bay, there are coastal walking trails, with free parking, between Berkeley and Richmond. Point Isabel, for one, is a great walk that gives you views of SF.

If you like walking and some history and don't want to go too far, take the ferry to Angel Island. It's a wonderful vantage point on the entire Bay and you can easily walk around the island or take shorter paths.

I go to several Giants games each year. In June it can be surprisingly toasty in AT&T. I recommend sitting up high and along the 1st base line so you have the sun at your back for most of the day. Go Giants!!

Re Reservations at Muir Woods. One does not need a reservation to visit Muir Woods. One does need a reservation if using the parking lot or shuttle.

I agree with the suggestion to take I-5 from Portland to Grants Pass, take 199 to Crescent City (please wave to my aunt and uncle when you go through Hiouchi, pop 301), then take 101 through Eureka until past Garberville when you can go west and take hwy 1. That south of Eureka to Leggit stretch is some gorgeous country that very few people see. You'll have to stop to see Babe the Blue Ox of course just outside Crescent City.

You could take 101 all the way down the Oregon coast which is spectacular, but I'm not sure how much coastal road you are down for.

If you are city folk, I love Union Square and agree that the classic city hotels are worth it. But know that parking your car is like $60 a day. We stayed at the Mark Hopkins a couple years ago which is on Nob Hill and loved that. Great walking to Coit Tower and the China Town. I prefer to be up in the city than down on the warf.

Giants games are amazing (and I'm not really a Giants fan). We finally did Alcatraz after going to the city a billion times, loved it! Totally worth it.

Just writing all this makes me want to get down to the City and plan a trip!

Thank you all for the advice and tips. There is so much to look into doing, I'm sure we'll find a good mix to keep everyone happy. We probably won't have time for Yosemite, and you're right about busy in June. Too late to plan anything there I'm sure. We drove most of the Oregon Coast two years ago, so DS will probably be thankful if we can skip all that driving this time around.

I am very excited to start planning!

Ok I will offer a different perspective. I have driven both California north coast and I-5 a few times and I think of the coastal route as more of a "couples" drive than something to do with kids (probably a reflection of my kids, but that drive can be long, exhausting and trigger car-sickness as Gooster noted -- your DS might be different). Personally I would fly from Portland to SF or if driving take I-5 and visit Lava Beds NM and Lassen NP on the way down.

Have a great trip!

Well since you drive the Oregon Coast already, consider the California coast. Pass it by your son and see if it interests him. Some sights: Get tickets for Alcatraz, walk to Coit tower and climb it, visit the Golden Gate Park, Ghiaradellli Square, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Muir Woods for sure, If you do drive the coast road: 17 mile drive, Hearst Castle, Solveign. June IS cold and breezy, which caught me by surprise on our first visit to SF. Have fun planning!

To clarify, 17 Mile Drive is part of the Monterey Peninsula, Pebble Beach. And both Hearst Castle and Solvang are considerably farther south of Monterey, another 3 or 4 hours.

We did a California trip last July -- San Francisco, Yosemite, Santa Cruz, and LA. I am going to be the dissenting voice and say that if you can get to Yosemite, I would recommend it. We did it on our way out of San Francisco - did an overnight in Yosemite, and then drove to LA the next day. Yosemite was stunning -- I am not even that much of a nature buff and I loved it. You know how you see photos of things your whole life and then when you finally see them in person, you are like "Oh -- that's it????" (This is how I felt about the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls). Yosemite was way more majestic than I ever imagined from the photos. You really should see if if you can. Yes it was crowded but not horrifically so. We stayed in one of the cabins in Half Dome campground and made a reservation for the open top tour so we could see all the sights in a few hours. If you look for lodging in the park and there isn't any, keep checking back -- you can make as many reservations as you want and then cancel them up to a week before, so people tend to change things around a lot as new vacancies appear. We switched our reservation a few times - first because we changed dates and then because we wanted an upgraded place in a different area.

In SF, we stayed in one of the cheaper "motor lodges" along Columbus Avenue. They are not luxurious rooms (think low end Motel 6 kind of room - clean but very basic) but they offered free parking and reasonable room rates (I think we paid ~200/night which is a BARGAIN in San Francisco -- and did I mention that included parking??????.) And we could walk to Fisherman's Wharf or Lombard Street or catch the bus to anywhere else we wanted to go. We didn't spend much time in the room so we weren't bothered by the basic room. We were in the Columbus Motor Inn, but there are several - Coventry, Cow Hollow, Lombard are a few others we considered.

It was cold though. Daytime highs were in the 50s. In July.

Also, tickets for Alcatraz sell out way early. I think they open up like 3 months in advance. I recommend buying tickets as soon as they open your date -- or if not, definitely at least a month before your trip. If you wait til you get there, odds of you getting tickets are slim.

I lived in SF for many years, and miss it mightily! Lots of great suggestions here, although I've never honestly understood the Alcatraz thing, LOL. A couple of things I'm not sure I saw mentioned: The Ferry Building is a bit like Fanuel Hall in Boston, with lots of amazing food vendors, and lots of fun. Spending a few hours walking through/taking the cable car through SF Chinatown is a must. It's such a fun, vibrant part of the city, with great food and shops, and views.

The last couple of times we've visited new cities, we've taken a cue from our young adult children, scrapped the rental car, and used Uber the enter time. I quickly became a convert. I don't think I've ever waiting more than five minutes, the money is all handled via the app so you don't have to worry about cash, and it completely eliminates the problem of parking. I've found the rates to be exceedingly reasonable, although I have not used Uber in SF.

Finally, look at VRBO or Airbnb and see if there is an apt. rental that might work for you. I so much prefer this to hotels. There is space for people to spread out (without everyone sitting on the beds), and you can save a bit of money by eating breakfast and the occasional meal in. Understandably, you don't know which neighborhoods might be best, but if you find a few that look doable, just post back here and I'm sure people will weigh in. It's been quite awhile since I lived there, so my input won't be as valuable. This is going to be a GREAT trip!!!

I am a huge fan of Yosemite and when younger even went a few times spur of the moment as a day trip from the SF peninsula, so if it is something you really want to do it is possible (check road conditions) but not desirable for most. If you decide against going during this trip, and enjoy hiking, maybe consider another time coming back to see Yosemite in later summer when Tioga Road and the backcountry huts are open, Kings Canyon/Sequoia, Devil's Postpile and the eastern side of the Sierra.

Still planning:) DS thinks he would like to drive down the coast for photo ops. He's hoping for great photos, possibly some during sunrise and sunset for the lighting and would love to fly his drone out over the ocean for some good pictures of the coast. Any tips on special places? I'm hoping we can leave Portland early Tuesday morning and get to San Fran Wednesday evening. Possible? Any suggestions on where to spend the night in the middle? If it helps, DS is 16.

I would stop in Eureka, which is a nice town and should take you about eight hours from Portland - longer if you make stops, but it's still drivable. This would also allow you to take the coast route to SF. Eureka should have sufficient accommodations in the middle of the week, but the earlier you make reservations, the more choices you will have.

Forget planning for morning views along the coast, that's when you are most likely to have fog. And the sun sets in the west, so the sunrises are not what you get dramatic photos of.

Wow - it takes a long time to drive the Pacific Coast Highway! It looks amazing, but everything looks amazing, so we area going to have to prioritize. Good point on the fog at sunrise. Will remind DS about the fog.

And the fog can roll in at sunset, as well. ;-)

Yes, when we lived on the east side of the Presidio, the fog typically burned off around 10 and rolled back in around 4. When we lived on the beach on the Presidio there were many summer days where the fog never completely left. I don’t know what it’s like along the coast to the north though I never spent enough time there to get a feel for the pattern

(SF has named the fog Karl, btw.)

Have you considered taking the train? Travel & Leisure article

It is easily an eleven hour drive from Portland to San Francisco- if you go I5 all the way. Just remembering one of my fonder memories is driving home on the GGB: the fog was so thick on the south tower that you couldn't see two feet ahead of you, cleared some toward mid span, and was bright sunshine at the north tower- there was a tour bus driving along side me, and I was so happy for the tourists! I hope you have a similar experience; this is not unusual at all in San Francisco.

I've taken the train from Portland to Oakland (it does not go to SF), and half of the ride was at night. I took the train from Oakland to Vancouver BC once as well. From Oakland there is a shuttle bus to take you to the Ferry Terminal in SF.

I think the important thing to see is the coastal redwoods, even if it is foggy. You can experience "May Gray" in May, and it can rain in SF as late as Memorial Day.

If anyone is still reading;)

i am looking at the Palace Hotel in the financial district. Seems to get good reviews- is that an ok area to stay?

We are now leaving from Eugene instead of Portland for the drive. DH wants to wing it as far as driving and where to stay along the way. Will hotel rooms be available last minute. Would be maybe Monday, Tuesday and maybe Wednesday night? I was looking at eureka, but now I might even be able to drive some from Eugene Monday night, so I'm thinking maybe there would be other stops that would work better now?

Decided to add on a few days and found a 2 night camping type tour of Yosemite we're adding on at the end. I'm desperate to see Yosemite, obviously, if I'm agreeing to camp! But it was really the only way to get into the park so I went for it.

Thanks for all the tips! So many logistics.

The Palace Hotel is a great place to stay. Try to have tea in their beautiful courtyard.

PS And specifically the location is good. Nice access to Chinatown and Union Square.

The smaller the town along your drive, the less chance of finding a room. The small coastal towns will usually have nothing or only very expensive romantic B&B rooms. I'd say to check out AAA Guide books, but those are somewhat passe. You can check online, probably not the big travel sites for the small towns, tho.

Get the TripAdvisor App or Kayak so you can book a day ahead while you travel, or at least get a sense of availability. Going mid-week will help with availability, but you may not get your final choice of community.

The Palace is quite central -- you'll have a great selection of restaurants in that area, if you don't want to venture far. (More recommendations after you get settled on a plan) Park the car and walk or take Uber/Lyft everywhere.

If you are not used to two lane curvy roads, the drive from Eugene to Eureka might be a bit longer than expected. I think it is a still a good middle stop. If you want to add on some time, I'd probably suggest going to Fort Bragg for the night which is a couple hours further away. I do believe some people have found charm in Ferndale but I'm too prejudiced to get there (high school rivals).

I would think that mid week if you aren't picky, you will find hotels in the little podunk towns down the coast without a reservation.

Thanks so much for all the tips. We drove down over 2 days and saw some amazing redwoods and cliff views. It did take a long time:) but now that we're done, we think it was worth it.

So far we've done the 6 hour 20 mile electric bike tour, seen a giants game, 3 museums and some great Italian food. Today we head to Alcatraz, union square and Chinatown.

If anyone knows of local not to miss events this weekend, let me know! Especially ones a teen boy traveling alone with his parents might find fun

Our hotel is on the route for the Pride parade tomorrow, and we hear that should not be missed, so we do have that plan too.

And the weather is perfect!!

The Pride Parade route might be completely packed all day. Don't expect easy in-out at your hotel on Sunday. It's an experience!

The Sunday Chronicle is available today. Find a copy and see the section on things to do. There will be plenty!

Have a great time!

Have you done the Exploratorium? It's a science museum but different from any other I've ever been to. Very hands on and more to do for all ages. We thought we'd spend an hour or two there and ended up spending most of the day.

Also, the musee mecanique is an arcade down near one of the piers filled with antique coin-op game machines - many dating to the 1920s and even earlier. It's free to get in - it only costs the quarters that you spend on the machines. My 13 year old loved it -- it was the one thing he asked to go back to. Several times! http://museemecaniquesf.com/

Just to be aware, today and Sunday the area around the Civic Center will be blocked. That's the main area for the pre and post parade events (speeches, booths, performers). It will be very busy all weekend but your hotel should be clearing up by early afternoon as the parade winds down and things shift to the City Hall area. The BART line will be especially crowded.

How was the parade?

The parade was great. Lots of joy and fun. It was great to see the celebration. It was so long though! We watched for about an hour and then started walking the city again.

SF was wonderful. A great city with truly nice people everywhere we went. Yosemite was amazing! Im glad we decided to add it on. Thanks for all your advice and tips. The weather ended up being warm and perfect but we were prepared!

Yosemite is hard to capture- it is so vast!

We stayed at sea ranch on our way down the coast- mostly for the views for DS to photograph. I don't have his pics yet, but it was a great stop!

We used to vacation at Sea Ranch when my littles were little. I can remember how much they loved it, running on the beaches, hiking through the meadows. And we found the best bakery for scones. We would buy a ton of them frozen and take them home to San Jose with us. Great memories.

so glad you enjoyed your visit.

Beautiful pictures! Now I'm homesick!

I'm glad you had a great time, the weather worked out, and were able to take some great pictures.

We looked at getting a place in Sea Ranch a long time ago -- should of done it, amiright? I hoped you stopped at TwoFish, a great bakery/cafe for lunch, it moved to nearby Stewarts Point.

We did not stop there - we drove some and stopped at a wonderful place along the coast though called Estero Cafe. All the food we had was wonderful! It was so fresh.