Going to San Fransisco in November for the first time - not sure what the weather will be like and what opportunities I may have for landscapes, nature scenics, etc.
Any suggestions ?
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Going to San Fransisco in November for the first time - not sure what the weather will be like and what opportunities I may have for landscapes, nature scenics, etc.
Any suggestions ?
The weather might be overcast and rainy. Golden Gate park might have landscape possibilities as will the fortout near the GG bridge.
steve simmons
The weather may be absolutely glorious. A little cool, ideal for spending time under the darkcloth. The rainy season doesn't really start until January.
I recently read there may be a small "El Nino" effect this winter, which may affect when rainy season starts. Generally, November is relatively nice though. (compared to my old digs in the snow-belt in PA, and New England winters in MA)
Jack,
November is usually pretty nice in SF especially if its an Indian Summer. I was there last month and the road to Ft. Point was closed. If thats due to 9-11 security or earthquake retro fitting I don't know.
Be aware of tripod ordinances which seem to be selectively enforced.
If you want to shoot architecture and industrial type landscapes I'd recommend an afternoon at Mare Island in Vallejo---you can take a ferry there from SF. Contact the Mare Island Historical Society for a tour guide in advance(the island is "off limits" and regularly patrolled for tresspassers due to vandalism and theft because of all the tempting artifacts laying awound) Lots of cool waterfront.
All the SF Icons like Coit Tower, The Mission San Francisco, The Presidio, China Town, Lands End, Cliff House, Old St. Mary's, Ft. Mason, Golden Gate Park etc... are all worth visiting. Treasure Island offers a quintessential(or is that cliched?) waterfront view of SF.
Out in the 'burbs try exploring Alum Rock Road between San Jose and the Observatory, Muir Redwoods, and the necropolis of Colma if you've got the time and a car.
Try Scoma's at Fisherman's Wharf for seafood and Sinbad's for lunch for a great up close view of the Bay Bridge! Lou's House of Blues(again Fisherman"s Wharf) for music. These are well established tourist meccas and are easy to find, for more good places get the low down from a native as there are lots of great restraunts ticked away in quiet neighborhoods tourists never see(Bernal Heigths area comes to mind.)
Have fun!
If you have the time, drive 2 hours south to Monterey and Pt. Lobos.
Or north to Point Reyes (about an hour and a half from S.F.) Angel island is also very cool, with a bunch of interesting old military fortifications in various states of decay; fantastic views of the city from there too. Also, try Grand View park in the sunset district for terrific overviews; it's a lot less known than up at Coit tower, but the views are spectacular.
Weather-wise, it's always hard to say, but November is one of my favorite times to shoot around here; if it's clear, it seems to be REALLY clear...
I'd go north over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. There you find great beaches on Point Reyes, redwood forests in Muir Woods and Mt. Tamalpais and lots of other neat stuff. Point Reyes is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area which is considered a national park so you might be able to contact the national park service and get some maps and brochures of it.
- Dan.
October/November is the best time of year to visit San Francisco and points nearby. Weather is traditionally the best in terms of fog, temperature and beautiful days (Summer being the worst) and the rainy season (what there is of it) doesn't usually start till December at the earliest (even with any El Nino effects).
As others have said, Monterey/Carmel/Point Lobos are a couple hours south, Pt. Reyes is an hour north, and there is lots in between. the Marin Headlands (just across the Golden Gate Bridge) is spectacular for vistas of the City and Bridge, and has some interesting military ruins. Angel Island has some nice areas, as does Alcatraz (check for Tripod restrictions on Alcatraz). If you can finagle entry to Filoli (www.filoli.org) during an "artists' access evening" it's well worth it. I also like to go our trolling for photographs along the small roads that twist through the Sacramento Delta regions (anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours east depending on explorations).
Good luck and have a great trip! D.
> Be aware of tripod ordinances which seem to be selectively enforced.
John, where did you run into this? I'm not aware of tripod ordinances anywhere in the SF Bay Area. A few places (Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower) do prohibit tripods, but the prohibitions are clearly indicated (I've heard that sometimes the tripod rules at the Tea Garden are ignored. Never have been for me, though ...).
Every suggested location is a good one. A few more: Conzelman Rd. in the Marin Headlands affords a good (if a bit distant) sunset view of the SF skyline; Municipal Pier offers a closer view. Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park is nice if that sort of thing is to your liking.
The weather can be great or miserable (more likley the former), and it can change rather quickly. The weather also can vary considerably throughout the City: it can be a sunny 75 deg in the Financial District and a foggy 50 in the western parts of the City. But that's part of the fun ...