THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016

l if e st yleT R A V E L

Some things in San Francisco never change. The GoldenGate Bridge is still, in fact, orange; Lombard Street still haseight hairpin turns in one block. But if it’s been awhile

since you were here, you’ll be wowed by the Ferry Building’stransformation.

Here’s a rundown on attractions old, new and refurbished inone of the country’s most vibrant, beautiful and exciting cities.

What’s newThe Exploratorium, the city’s hands-on science museum, has

moved to spiffy new headquarters on the waterfront at Pier 15.Featuring indoor and outdoor exhibits, this museum is great forkids but there’s plenty for adults, too. Learn about plankton pop-ulations, crawl through the pitch-black tactile dome or step intothe mobile camera obscura and view the world upside down.On Thursday nights, the museum shows an edgier side withadult-only events.

SOMA - the area south of Market Street - has boomed andbusted with the tech economy, but right now it’s all about theboom. Tweet from the street (after all Twitter HQ is just aroundthe corner), stop for a bite at a food truck, or take in the sunsetfrom the View Lounge at the Marriott Marquis, where the viewincludes Moscone Center, which will host the interactive NFLExperience for the Super Bowl in February, and AT&T Ballpark,home of the San Francisco Giants.

Classic attractionsThe Golden Gate Bridge is only 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers)

long, but its appeal spans the world. You can drive, bike or walkacross to the Marin Headlands. Ride the cable cars from down-town to Chinatown or the waterfront. Tickets are $7 and can bepurchased at the end-of-the-line turnarounds or online.

The former federal prison of Alcatraz, once home to AlCapone, used to be a place people tried to escape; now it can betough to get in. Book well in advance if you want to go; theAlcatraz Cruises ferries leave from Pier 33. Fisherman’s Wharfand Pier 39 are must-sees for many. Get crab and shrimp cock-tails from one of the many vendors lining the sidewalks, walkaround the Musee Mecanique for some old-school arcade fun atPier 45, pick up that tacky T-shirt you’ve been yearning for. Don’tforget Boudin’s Bakery, which has turned the city’s famous sour-dough bread into an art form.

Lombard Street is a fun place to visit, not a great place todrive. The section of eight hairpin turns, one way, downhill,starts at Hyde Street. Best place to take a picture is at the bot-tom of the block on Leavenworth Street. In the mood for sea air?Head out to the ruined Sutro Baths at Ocean Beach, once anindoor swimming pool complex, now an interesting place towalk around. The Cliff House nearby serves everything from acup of clam chowder at the bar to high-end fare at Sutro’s, arestaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows offering amazing viewsof the coastline.

TipsTickets to most attractions can be purchased online. Wear

comfortable shoes - the hills really do go halfway to the stars -and dress in layers. Days can swing from chilly to balmy inminutes.

Hanging outLike most great cities, San Francisco is a good place to wan-

der. A neighborhood worth exploring is North Beach, whichdoes not have a beach but does have sidewalk cafes, shops andthe landmark Church of Saints Peter and Paul.

Coit Tower at the top of Telegraph Hill is a good photo point.Inside you’ll find floor-to-ceiling murals showing scenes of earlySan Francisco. Buy a ticket at the gift shop, $6 for adults, to ridethe elevator and get 360-degree views of the city. Another goodplace to find sustenance is the Ferry Building on Embarcadero,now home to cafes, stores, a thriving farmers market three daysa week and, yes, even ferry rides.

If you want to shop until your credit rating drops, head forUnion Square, home to Neiman Marcus, high-end boutiquesand a huge Macy’s. If you walk past the Sir Francis Drake hotelon Powell Street, look for the doorman: It might be TomSweeney, a familiar city sight in his beefeater suit, who’s beenwhistling for cabs for 40 years.

More into culture than couture? The city is home to severalmuseums, including the SFMOMA, closed right now for renova-tions but set for a grand reopening in May. The CaliforniaAcademy of Sciences, with its living roof, is a good place for allages, and The Walt Disney Family Museum, offers a seriouslyentertaining look at the life of one of America’s great innovators.

And there’s no better place to get your tiki on than TheTonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel, a former indoor swimmingpool now featuring nightly rainstorms, tropical drinks and theIsland Groove Band. It’s the sort of experience that has to beseen to be appreciated. Kind of like San Francisco itself. — AFP

Essentials for a San Franciscotrip: Classics to what’s new

The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline from the Marin Headlands above Sausalito, Calif.

A woman and boy walk past the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. — AP photos

People sit by windows in The View lounge as the sun sets in San Francisco.

A couple stands by the pool at the Tonga Room in San Francisco.

A row of felucca fishing boats docked together at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

Chief doorman Tom Sweeney whistles for acab outside the Sir Francis Drake hotel in SanFrancisco.

A pair of cable cars go past each other on Powell Street atop Nob Hill in San Francisco.

The sun sets on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco.