While events like Folsom Street Fair, Pride, Up Your Alley, and San Francisco’s vibrant gay community and history bring many people to the bay, there are plenty of other things to discover in the city.

A top tourist destination is Fisherman’s Wharf. Easy to reach by transit or by hopping one of the legendary cable cars, it’s jam-packed with things to do. Start down at Ghiradelli Square; the former headquarters to Ghiradelli chocolate, the historical site boasts restaurants, boutiques and an upscale Fairmont hotel. There are three different Ghiradelli shops offering chocolate, sundaes, and shakes that are rich enough to make you diabetic.

A stroll down the Wharf offers a lot of beautiful scenery – both of the bay and those walking around – and many great shopping opportunities. While there are many touristy places there are also some real gems. Street entertainers are busking for money, so bring some spare cash if you are really wowed - I was quite impressed by a six-piece kettledrum band. Pier 39 is a must-stop place to stop and get a bite to eat, with 12 bay view restaurants and 110 stores. It was here that I had some fresh San Francisco seafood: delicious crab cakes and salmon, leaving me wanting more. The pier is also where hundreds of Sea Lions congregate. While loud and with a distinct odor, the sea lions are a famous part of San Francisco, free to see, and possessing quite a bit of charm.

Located on the pier is the Aquarium of the Bay. Focusing on sea life found in the San Francisco Bay, the aquarium allows you to get up close and personal with sharks, giant sea bass, rays and octopus without having to don scuba gear. 300 feet of underwater tunnels offer complete views of animals found in the area. There are several species of sharks and rays including nurse sharks, spiny dogfish, and seven-gill sharks. For an additional $6 you can take a behind the scenes tour of the facility, which lets you see how the aquarium works. Part of the tour is walking the catwalks above the water and looking down. While the seven-gill sharks look large in the tunnel, it isn’t until you see them from above that you grasp how massive the largest one is: 8 feet, 250 pounds. There is also a touch tank with sharks and rays and a lab focusing on climate change. While the aquarium isn’t large, it has some cool things to experience at a reasonable price.

A little farther along the pier came one of the biggest highlights of our trip, and a must visit if you are in San Francisco. While many tour boats will take you around Alcatraz Island, Alcatraz Tours takes you into the facility itself. They offer several tours daily but I would suggest you take the night tour, which comes with a bonus of a narrated tour around the island, guided tour up to the prison, and special events throughout the night. You also get to see the sun setting over the bay. While Alcatraz would be amazing to experience at any time, seeing it at night adds a whole new dimension, blending creepy and cool. Make sure you pay attention to the audio tour, included in the trip, as so many small details are brought up that you wouldn’t catch if you just walked around the prison. It is a surreal experience walking into the dark chambers used for solitary confinement, seeing the hospital cell of “The Birdman of Alcatraz” Robert Stroud, and imagining what it would have been like to live on Alcatraz as a prisoner, staff, or family member of staff.

Fisherman’s Wharf is a major draw in San Francisco, but there is plenty to do elsewhere in the city. Golden Gate Park has many attractions, including a beautiful and relaxing Japanese Tea Garden. A few steps away from the garden is the de Young Museum which hosts Tutankhamun And The Golden Age of Pharohs until March 28th, 2010. It is very difficult to wrap your head around at the fact that these artifacts are over 3200 years old - everything is exactly as Howard Carter found it in 1922, yet the craftsmanship is amazing! These artifacts have one stop left in New York City before they return to Egypt, so this may be your only opportunity to see the artifacts of King Tut up close and in person. Plan to go in the evening, as days are frequently packed with 1500 to 3000 attendees daily; we were fortunate in going on a Monday night and having the place to ourselves. The guides located throughout the exhibit are very knowledgeable and eager to answer your questions. It is such a rare opportunity to see something so ancient – perhaps a once in a lifetime occurrence.

One thing I try to do whenever I am on holidays in another city is visit their major aquarium and/or zoo. Since 1929 the San Francisco Zoo has been introducing people to animals. It was one of the first zoos to have barless enclosures which can still be seen at the bear grotto, where over 260 animal species are housed. While lions, tigers, giraffes and zebras aren’t new to Calgary Zoo goers, they also have some unique animals that I hadn’t seen before including chimpanzees, Sumatran tigers, rhinoceros, and howler monkeys. The zoo had its first baby gorilla in a decade this year, Hasani who is on display with the rest of the troop. The little fellow is adorable, but I do have a bias that forces me to say the Calgary Zoo’s gorilla is cuter. It is easy to lose yourself, whether checking out the insect zoo or watching the lemurs frolic in their massive enclosure. Be sure to set aside lots of time.

This article just scratches the surface of everything there is to do in San Francisco. Four days was definitely not enough, we didn’t even make it to Castro, and I look forward to going back. From day trips to Monterey Bay to checking out Wicked to visiting bars, San Francisco is a different experience for every person, and undeniably a city worth visiting.