The Anchor Steam Brewery Tour
Located in Potrero Hill, the Anchor Brewing Company offers an amazing 45-minute long tour of its brewery. You'll see the huge copper pots, the amazing views of the San Francisco skyline from the hilly vantage point, and the whole bottling operation. Oh, and of course, enjoy some amazing beer samples after your tour!
This is all free of charge, by the way.
Here's some insider information for those who want to participate in this very popular tour:
- Guided tours are available at 10 AM or 1 PM, Monday through Friday.
- Tours are by reservation only. To make a reservation, call 415-863-8350, extension 0, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM Pacific Time.
- The tours are booked months in advance, so if you know you want to join the tour, call as soon as possible, up to six months in advance.
- Alternatively, if you have a small group (just one or two people), you can test your luck and call to see if there are any last minute cancellations.
- Friday and afternoon tours tend to be the most popular, so consider other days and morning tours. Flexibility is your best friend.
Click here for more information about the tours.
Anchor Brewing is located at:
1705 Mariposa Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
You can get there by public transportation with ease. At Market Street & 8th Street (near Civic Center), hop on the 19 Bus (towards Galvez Avenue & Horne Avenue). Get off at the intersection of Rhode Island Street & Mariposa Street.
San Francisco and the Internet
While San Francisco still does not have free city-wide wireless Internet just yet, we do, however, have a ton of resources online that will help you plan an amazing trip and also find out about the events around town once you're here. So here they are, some of my favorite websites and online resources that even as a local I use regularly:
For all my navigational needs, I happily use Google Maps. It's generally very reliable and accurate, providing not only driving, walking, bicycling directions, but also public transit information (oftentimes with multiple options, times, and fare information). I should note that sometimes there are special events going on in the city (e.g., marathons, parades) that causes Muni changes not reflected on Google Maps, so if you're taking public transit in San Francisco, be sure to consult the Next Muni website as well.
What do I use Google Maps for, besides directions? I love using it to orient myself with new neighborhoods and get an electronic feel of the lay of the land. I also love the Street View to see what the neighborhood looks like "in person". It's an amazing tool that will give you an instant understanding of how the neighborhoods are laid out and their navigational relationship to one another.
A lot of people use Yelp, which is what makes it an oftentimes handy tool for finding a delicious restaurant or reliable service provider. Yelp is basically a directory of businesses with real user reviews. I love that you can "Find Reviews" with great filters in place to narrow down your search! My favorite filters, especially for finding great restaurants, is first by cuisine, the neighborhood it's located in, the price ($ = cheap, $$$$ = whoa! lots of money!), and especially whether it's "open now". That last one is very convenient, especially for late night meals when you're hungry and exhausted, thus too lazy to think coherently. Plus, Yelp lists local events for your going-out pleasure.
A word of advice, though: The reviews are most likely from real people and the opinions stated are their genuine thoughts on the place of business, but at the end of the day it is just a bunch of people's opinions. What I mean by this is that I have absolutely loved some 2- or 3-star restaurants and sometimes hated the 5-star places. It's all a matter of opinion, but it's nice that Yelp organizes all this information and presents it simply.
San Francisco is not a cheap city to live in or to visit, which is why I love the FunCheapSF website so much. They simply list all the local events, but with a focus on events that are either entirely free or are a great bargain (cheap!). From free alcohol tastings to free museum entrance, book signings and fun, free gatherings, FunCheapSF absolutely delivers! I can't recommend this website enough.
Finally, the Internet and its seemingly infinite resources are a great way to get an understanding of what the city is like and what's going on. But don't spend too much time on the computer on your vacation. Get all the information that you need and then get yourself out there to see, taste, hear, touch, and generally experience the city for yourself. And if you're lost and Google Maps is nowhere to be found, or if you're hungry and don't know where to eat or don't know what to do, don't be afraid to do the most high-tech thing of all: ask someone in person.
