My Grandma Ruth grew up on Fillmore Street in San Francisco during The Depression. She had three sisters and a single mom who struggled to provide for them all. At times they were so poor that my Great Grandma Hulda had to put a few children in the orphanage so they’d get fed and then retrieve them when she got paid. Despite these hard times, Grandma spoke of San Francisco in reverent tones. It was always “The City,” as if there were nowhere else in the world that could measure up. We’d visit frequently, trying whenever possible to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Grandma would sing. “San Francisco, open your golden gate, don’t let no stranger wait, outside your door. San Francisco, I’m coming home again, never to roam again, roaming no more.”

Once in The City, we would roam. Grandma’s favorite past-time was to grab a few of us kids and walk aimlessly, from the shore, through North Beach and Chinatown, to Union Square. Sometimes, we’d walk the coast, starting at Louis’ Restaurant or Sutro Baths, hiking the beach via the Musée Mécanique in the basement of the Cliff House. Or we’d explore Golden Gate Park, always stopping at the Japanese Tea Garden for tea, cookies, and a little rest. These wanderings gave me a blueprint for travel and life. Grab a good pair of walking shoes and a few of your favorite people and go—wherever those shoes might take you, following the scent of dim sum or the sea, getting lost in the crowd or choosing the road less taken. Here are ten things Grandma Ruth loved to do, in no particular order. I hope you enjoy them as much as she did.

Hiking & Photos at Sutro Baths

When my Grandma was a child, Sutro Baths was still a “bath”—really a huge saltwater pool fed by the ocean. She liked to remember those times while walking the ruins. The bird and sea life, the views…even without the pool, it is a unique and beautiful place. Scroll through your landscape shots over grilled cheese sandwiches at Louis’ Restaurant in Sutro Heights.

Pizza in North Beach

Find the longest line and wait for it. This is especially delicious after a very long walk, from wherever to wherever. Yum.

Lunch and $10-Limit Shopping in Chinatown

We never really had a favorite restaurant, instead following our guts and noses to new places, eating family style, trying as many dishes as possible, enjoying endless pots of tea. Each kid gets $10 to shop. It goes a LONG way in Chinatown. Consider forbidding the stink bombs if you have a boy cousin in the 5- to 10-year range. Or get ready for a long ride home.

Ride the Cable Car

Anytime to anywhere, for people watching, eavesdropping and endlessly changing views.

Check Out the Street Performers at Fisherman’s Wharf

Watch the musicians, artists, human statues, and buskers at Fisherman’s Wharf, handing out change where earned before feasting on fish-and-chips. Check out the Musée Mécanique and its wonderful collection of old arcade games, which used to be located near Sutro Baths at the Cliff House (which is where I fell in love with it with my Grandma).

Cross the Golden Gate Bridge

Drive, walk, bike or roller skate the Golden Gate Bridge. (Grandma favored roller skates.)

Explore Golden Gate Park

The newly-renovated California Academy of Sciences is a must-see. Don’t forget to get tea and cookies at the Japanese Tea Garden.

Ferry to Alcatraz

The ferry ride will give you a new view of The City, while Alcatraz will give you an intriguing bit of history as you explore one of the most infamous penitentiaries.

The Mission (Impossible): Find the Best Burrito

Sample burritos in The Mission until you find the very best one. (This may require you moving to The City, and the burritos are so good you may be tempted…)

Walk Down Lombard Street

Walk down Lombard Street all the way to Ghirardelli Square. Reward yourself with a milkshake or hot fudge sundae.

To visit Happy Cabin during your trip to North Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Vista / Kings Beach, click here.