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Amoeba records is a destination in itself, and every music lover will want to head there. But, turning your attention from the music to the people is also a worthwhile pursuit. Very, very fascinating! Young Cyndi Laupers and John Lennon wannabes, drift past punk rockers and cowboy booted country lovers. All united in their love for music.

Bell Jar is a great shop near 16th and Mission, selling a range of vintage and new designer clothing as well as accessories, notebooks, and bath products. The selection and display show a very considered approach, reflecting the lifestyle of an independent young woman.

As you walk towards the Bay down California Street, Chinatown sits to your left. Take a right; instead, on Powell and within a few minutes you’ll be at Union Square. This small, one-block plaza’s name comes from the fact that rallies in support of the Union Army were held here in the years leading up to and during the Civil War, but today the area is most famous as the center of high-end shopping in San Francisco. You’ll find familiar national department store’s San Francisco locations—Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, and Nordstrom, for example—as well as boutiques from international brands including Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. There are also some only in San Francisco stores worth seeking out. Gump’s has long been the city’s most famous luxury retailer and it continues that tradition at its Post Street location, where a giant Qing Dynasty gilded wood Buddha gazes down on the sales floor. The Xanadu Gallery on Maiden Lane specializes in Asian art and is notable as one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most important buildings in California. Here, he worked through many design concepts that would later appear in the Guggenheim in New York. Photo by Benson Kua/Flickr.

Formerly called ‘Jammin’ on Haight,’ the beloved tie-dye boutique rebranded and reopened in 2017 as Love on Haight in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. It’s still a hippie fashion emporium and the place to pick up colorful clothing for men, women, and kids, as well as necessities like jewelry, glitter, sunglasses, hats, books, and all things tie-dye. Love on Haight is one of the few artisan shops on the street, bringing customers psychedelic creations made by locals and friends of the owners. One thing that hasn’t change at all: It’s still all about love. Check out the “peace, love, and kindness” wall, that lets buyers know that a portion of all sales is donated to a charity devoted to homeless youth, Taking It to the Streets.

They say that this vintage shop is a favorite stop for retro pin-up girl Dita Von Teese when she’s in San Francisco. Need we say more? For any man or woman with seriously nostalgic style, La Rosa Vintage Boutique on Haight Street is the place to shop, where you can find everything from a vintage Chanel clutch to classic leather pumps. You can find less expensive pieces there, but also keep your eye out for some classic couture. The stock is well-kept and organized, so spend as much time in the shop as you’d like and you’re sure to find something good. La Rosa is open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 7 pm.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill has three locations throughout the Bay Area and one in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but the grill in the Lower Haight is Rosamunde’s original. Since 1998, they’ve been serving their simple menu: choose your sausage (they have everything from Nuernberger bratwurst to spicy merguez to vegan kielbasa) and they’ll serve it to you grilled on a French roll with two free toppings—sauerkraut, grilled onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, or beef chili. These sausages are perfectly paired with craft beer, and luckily for you, Toronado Pub is right next door, and you’re more than welcome to take your food from Rosamunde’s inside. Stop by Sundays through Wednesdays from 11:30 am to 10 pm and Thursdays through Saturdays from 11:30 am to 11 pm.

In the center and western part of San Francisco is Golden Gate Park, 1,017 acres of natural beauty within the city. Along with miles of trails for running, biking, and walking, you’ll find lakes, botanical gardens, museums, windmills, and dozens of picnic areas within the park. On the eastern side you’ll find Hippie Hill, located between the Conservatory of Flowers and Haight Street. A popular meeting spot during the 1960s (hence the name), Hippie Hill is often full of people taking part in drum circles, smoking, and lazing around with friends, a book, or a frisbee.

Built in 1883, the Parsonage is a Victorian time capsule and historic landmark in the Lower Haight. Owners Joan Hull and John Phillips lived and raised their kids in the mansion before converting it to a bed and breakfast in the late ‘90s. The self-described “neurotically hospitable” couple takes a hands-on approach to running the inn. From checking in guests to preparing breakfast, they take care of nearly everything.

Sticking with the historical theme, the five guestrooms are named after such famous female San Franciscans as Lily Coit and Alma Spreckles. All accommodations feature a private bathroom with a marble shower and a handcrafted made-in-San-Francisco mattress. Hull and Phillips carefully curated the European and American antiques that decorate the residence’s rooms, two of which have working fireplaces. Thoughtful touches like fresh flowers and locally sourced breakfast ingredients make the Parsonage feel more like a cozy home than an inn.

Papa November coffee truck at 15th and Kansas Street in San Francisco‘s design district serves excellent coffee drinks in a very unique truck. The espresso machine runs on propane and serves Stumptown coffee and home baked goodies like cookies and brownies. They experiment with different drinks including a very unique one called a 190-Kit which is an espresso with simple syrup and sparkling water - sounds strange, but it is really refreshing! If you are looking for an afternoon pick up this is a great food truck to check out.

The Victorian-era glass and wood structure, which looks like a sugar-coated castle atop a grassy slope, is Golden Gate Park’s oldest building. It’s also one of San Francisco’s most splendid historic sites. Wander through five different galleries housing 1,700 species of aquatic and tropical plants along with the world’s largest public collection of high-altitude orchids. The potted plant gallery features rare flowering plants and an assortment of decorative urns and containers from all over the world, including a leftover from San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Keep your eyes open for special exhibits, including the annual Butterflies and Blooms, which transforms the conservatory into a magical garden aflutter with hundreds of butterflies.

Since it was constructed at the top of Telegraph Hill in 1933, Coit Tower has been an integral part of San Francisco’s downtown skyline. Named after a 1920s patron to the city’s firefighters—but not designed to resemble a firehose, as the urban legend goes—Coit Tower’s observation deck will give you 360-degree views out over San Francisco, including the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Entrance fees range from free (children four and under) to $7 (adult non-residents); visit the website for all prices. Coit Tower is open from 10 am to 6 pm May through October and 10 am to 5 pm from November through April.

Golden Gate Park was formed out of an expanse of sand dunes to the west of the city in the nineteenth century—a history that is still discernible in the rolling topography of much of the park’s more than 1,000 acres. Over 13 million people visit the array of gardens, lakes, trails, museums, and monuments each year. Some of the most popular attractions are clustered to the east, including the de Young art museum, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Japanese Tea Garden. A little farther on is Stow Lake, the largest body of water in the park and a good spot for boating and strolling. Just past Spreckels Lake is a bizarre sight: a herd of American bison. Generations of these iconic beasts have been kept in the park since 1892; they mostly stand around the paddock like idling, hairy bulldozers. Children enjoy seeing the Dutch Windmill at the west edge; they may not be so fussed about the nearby Tulip Garden, but they’ll like the waterfowl pond in the Botanical Garden and the carnivorous plants in the Conservatory of Flowers. There are three playgrounds, too; the Koret contains a colorful working carousel from 1914. Active visitors can tour the park by Segway or check out the golf course, the disc golf course, or the archery field. Festivals take place throughout the year, and the Music Concourse hosts free concerts on Sundays in the summer.

The radical philosophy at this friendly Haight Street place is that good barbecue is not about the sauce. You read that correctly. If you’ve been smothering your meat in barbecue sauce, you’ve been doing it all wrong. Real Southern-style barbecue, the pitmasters at Memphis Minnie’s will tell you, gets its flavor from seasoning and the smoke generated during the low-and-slow cooking over burning logs or coals. That’s why at Memphis Minnie’s the on-site meat smoker works 24/7, and the delicious smoky aroma hits you before you open the front door. The menu reads like a finger-licking road map around the country’s barbecue hot spots: Texas-style beef brisket cooked 18 hours, smoked fried chicken, smoked pastrami, St. Louis–style ribs, and Cajun andouille sausage. The pulled pork is so tender and flavorful, you’ll be amazed you ever ate it any other way or dared to cover it with sauce. Pair your meat with a few homemade sides such as coleslaw, mac ‘n’ cheese, and pit-smoked beans, and you’ll see Memphis Minnie’s is a change-the-way-you-think-about-barbecue experience.