Who knows San Francisco area?

My brother is getting married in Menlo Park in early October.

If I'm going to haul my ass waaaaay out west, I'm not going to just go for the weekend! So, I'm beginning to formulate travel plans. However, as you all may know, I'm rather po'.

He seems to have picked THE most expensive hotel in the area for his "preferred" one for guests, so there is no way I'm staying there for a week. Yes for the actual nights of rehearsal dinner and wedding, so that the shuttle can haul my silly drunken ass back from the winery where the actual wedding is. But I am looking into other options for associated fun.

I'm considering 3 days to play tourist (staying in a cheeper place) and one night/day to drive up to Sacramento to visit Da Capster. This taking place either before or after the weddingness.

Any recommendations for:

• Stuff I MUST see in SF


• I hear the Public transit system is not very helpful. Is this true? Can a Chicagoan actually manage to drive in CA and park near stuff she'd like to see?


• Cheap non-scary areas to stay (I'll be flying in and out of Orange County airport because I will have a free flight on Southwest by then)

Any other advice would be welcome. I've not been west of IA since the age of 2.

UPDATE - I am informed that I really meant OAKLAND, not ORANGE airport. See why I need help?

chips anyone?

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Making progress

Have found that Brother's "preferred hotel" is $189 night. (Its $250 for everyone else).
Hotel across the street is $55/night. (Guess where I'm staying....)

Have ordered city kit from Visitor's bureau and MUNI map.
Have friendly native guide for sofa space and tree-visiting.

Still need to find inexpensive motel near BART station for touristy stuff, and make final date choices and actual reservations.

Go me!

For the Whiskey fans among you

Johnny Walker is having another series of free evening tasting events.

Now, I'm not much for blended whiskies, but this is not a bad one, and you get the opportunity to taste several of the single-malts that go into the Black Label blend.

So go here to find out if they are having one near you. Now.