San Francisco: 5 Days, $500
If Los Angeles is like a leggy bleached blonde who can’t help but command a room’s attention, then you can think of San Francisco as her quirky cousin – probably sampling the hors d’oeuvres in the corner and trying to spark an intellectual conversation with the room’s resident hipsters and geeks.
You see, LA may be a city that attract hordes of tourists like moths to a glitzy, neon flame – but San Fran is a destination that has way more to offer than first meets the eye.
Yes, there are the icons you’d expect – the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the cable cars, and the stunning views of the bay – but there’s also the San Francisco you may not know: a foodie’s delight with the nation’s largest Chinatown (a fabulously priced dim sum dinner at Wing Lee Bakery is a must), it offers not just a great cultural scene but also access to California’s stunning wine country.
Stay close to Union Square at the three-star King George Hotel for only $69 a night (usually $150) or at the newly opened (and très chic) Crescent San Francisco, which for a limited time is only $99 a night. Then branch out – see a play (how ’bout Wicked for only 50 bucks?), check out the Zoo, go on a $56 Wine Tour of Napa Valley, or just walk around San Fran’s hilly, artsy neighborhoods.
The off-peak season makes it easier than ever to experience this incredible American city on a budget. And, thankfully, it’s easier than ever to get there:Â Jet Blue is offering $99 tickets (each way) from NYC to San Francisco as part of its Winter Sale. Â Yup, now’s just about the perfect time to escape the deep freeze of the East and experience everything this city by the bay has to offer.
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