Treasure Island. What image pops into your head? Swashbuckling pirates? Buried gold and precious gems? If you’ve been living in San Francisco, you probably know it as “that island” seen between the city and the East Bay as you’re driving across the Bay Bridge. Recently though, Treasure Island has become a mecca for bargain hunters and entrepreneurs. The last weekend of every month, the Treasure Island Flea Market arrives, bringing vendors that sell everything from vintage furniture to jewelry made out of old computer parts. It’s definitely worth perusing each row of tents because there are treasures to be found where you least expect them. The market also features a number of food tents and trucks, selling their freshly prepared foods with amazing views of the city as a backdrop. The best way to get to the Treasure Island Flea Market is by driving or taking the 108 bus from the Transbay Terminal. Entrance fee is $3, Kids 12 and under are free. Parking is free. |Treasure Island Flea|

Last Weekend of Every Month:
Sat & Sun: 10am – 5pm

Designed by architect A. Page Brown, the steel-framed Ferry Building originally opened  in 1898 and was a main transportation access point for travel to and from the city. Built atop a 660 feet concrete and pilings foundation, the building was the largest such foundation for a building over water in the world. The 245-foot clock tower was modeled after a 12th century bell tower at the cathedral in Seville, Spain, and the interior contained ornate mosaic floors and dramatic brick and ceramic arches. At it’s peak nearly 50,000 commuters walked through the building every day. With the expansion of automobile use along with the openings of the Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, ferryboat travel decreased dramatically. The Ferry Building was converted to office space in the 1950s, and the construction of the unsightly Embarcadero freeway in 1957 caused the once iconic structure to sit partially obstructed for nearly 35 years. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the double-decker freeway that sat in front of the building, the Ferry Building and central waterfront were once again opened up with the freeway’s demolition in 1991.

After undergoing a significant re-developement to bring the building back to it’s original splendor, the Ferry Building re-opened in 2003 as a mixed-use office space on the upper floors and a marketplace on the ground floor. The marketplace has a nice variety of high-end specialty food purveyors such as |Frog Hollow Farm|, |Cowgirl Creamery|, |Blue Bottle Coffee Co.|, and |Acme Bread Company|, along with upscale eateries |Boulette’s Larder|, |Hog Island Oyster Co.|, |Gott’s Roadside|, |Il Cane Rosso|, and |Boccalone Salumeria| just to name a few. High end Vietnamese restaurant |Slanted Door| also calls the Ferry Building home. Many of the restaurants located at the rear of the building offer al fresco dining with unobstructed views of the waterfront and Bay Bridge. |Market Bar| and Gott’s Roadside, which are located at opposite sides of the building along the Embarcadero both have expansive patios for outdoor dining with views of downtown. The Farmers Market is held at Ferry Plaza three days per week and is a popular place to pick up farm fresh produce, artisan products and gourmet street food. |Ferry Plaza|

Minimum Hours of Operation:
Mon – Fri: 10am – 6pm
Sat: 9am – 6pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm

Farmers Market Hours:
Tues: 10am – 2pm
Thurs: 10am – 2pm
Sat: 8am – 2pm

Standing at 210 feet, the art deco, reinforced concrete tower sits atop Telegraph Hill and was erected in 1933. Designed by architects Arthur Brown Jr. and Henry Howard, Coit Tower was commissioned by the estate of Lillie Hitchcock Coit for the purpose of adding beauty to the city she lived in and loved. Rescued from a severe fire as a child, Coit wanted to pay tribute to the city’s firefighters, which could help explain the fire hose-like shape of the structure. Murals by 26 artists can be found inside the tower and were completed during the Public Works of Art Project, the first Federally funded employment program for artists during the New Deal.

Open Daily:
Mon-Sun: 10am – 5pm

Named after the |Spanish Mission| down the street, Dolores Park is one of the city’s best places to relax in the sun and take in the beautiful views of downtown. Nestled between the Mission and Castro districts, the park always attracts a very diverse mix of people. Public facilities include tennis courts, a basketball court, two soccer fields, and a playground. Unfortunately, the park will be closing some time in the Summer of 2010 to undergo a $3.5 million re-development of the playground and surrounding landscaping.  The work is not scheduled to be completed until 2011, renderings look more like a theme park than the charming neighborhood park of today. More information on the project can be found here: |Friends of Dolores Park.org|

With one of the most iconic views of the |Golden Gate Bridge|, it’s no surprise that |Baker Beach| is a very popular destination year-round for locals and visitors alike. Located on the western shores of the |Presidio|, this mile-long stretch of beachfront is a romantic locale for a walk along the shore or a relaxing place to enjoy a good book. On warm days, the beach is very popular for sunbathers (the northern section of the beach is favored by the clothing-optional type). There’s even a picnic area near the parking lot with tables and grills perfect for a warm weather barbeque.

Upon parking, one may think the hilly terrain at the right of the entrance is merely a sanctuary for wild plants, but it’s actually the site of a former military gun installation built in 1904 to protect the harbor. Baker Beach was also the site of the first five |Burning Man| Festivals from 1986 to 1990. The festival has since moved on to Black Rock Desert, Nevada due to campfire size restrictions that prohibited the burning of large wooden structures. Though Burning Man would have had to be much smaller at Baker Beach, it must have been an amazing event with such a dramatic backdrop.