Erika Mailman

Although it’s tempting to only indulge in Mexican food while in the Mission (and you should: the offerings are superb and even feature two taquerias that claim to have invented the Mission-style burrito), you should also try some Michelin-starred New American cuisine, tasty dim sum, Peruvian tapas, Italian housemade pasta and French fare. And if dinner and a movie are in your plans, there’s a place where you can get both in one shot. The Mission is robustly varied, and you and your palate can find nearly anything you’re after. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to The Mission, San Francisco

This time of year, we start baking, wrapping presents, eyeing the décor we’ll add to our collection and humming carols in the car. Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah really are special times of year, and San Francisco knows how to create holiday magic both with earnestness and with a little tongue-in-cheek playfulness. There won’t be snowfall (although Tahoe’s not that far) but sleigh bells can still ring nonetheless. Gorge on fantastical desserts and deck your halls, San Francisco style, at these standout Christmas and holiday events.

The Mission District—usually just called the Mission, for short—is a vibrant, active neighborhood with a character all its own. Long the Latino hub of the city, it boasts many Spanish-speaking businesses, colorful murals on buildings, Latin music drifting out from stores and a plethora of absolutely incredible Mexican food. For any out-of-town visitors, they’ll leave craving the offerings of their new favorite taqueria and prioritize it for a visit when they return to San Francisco. The city officially designated the Mission a Latino Cultural District (the city has 10 such districts of differing heritages), and there’s no end of eateries, breweries, music venues and bespoke shops. In fact, there are more than 400 businesses along Mission Street to make for a happy afternoon into the evening. As with many large cities, the crisis of homelessness means that you may encounter situations that may not feel comfortable, but the treasures of the Mission can still be experienced by staying alert. How do I get to the Mission? You can take BART to the 16th Street or 24th Street Mission stop or ride Muni bus routes 9, 12, 14, 22, 27, 33, 48, 49 or 67 into the Mission. MUNI bus lines on Mission Street are the 14, 14R and 49. The neighborhood is generally located from 22nd Street south to Cesar Chavez along Mission Street, continuing eastward down Calle 24. What are the most fun things to do in the Mission? You’ll want to gorge on succulent, authentic Mexican food and then turn your atten

Here in the City by the Bay, there’s always something cooking, whether it’s a jaunt across the elevated playspace of the 14-acre Presidio Tunnel Tops, taking an urban hike across the Golden Gate Bridge, celebrating gay culture in the Castro neighborhood, dancing yourself into a frenzy or chilling to incredible music. There’s always a festival of some sort unfolding, and one of the best things is that many of these events are free. We’ve put together our picks for the best things to do in San Francisco this weekend (you can check the website for each event for further details). Now: Grab that weekend by the horns! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in San Francisco

San Francisco’s such an iconic city that images of it are instantly recognizable: our beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars winding their way up steep streets, the hilltop Coit Tower, the cityscape crowned with the Transamerica Pyramid, the tie-dyed remembrances of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, the red lanterns of Chinatown… alright, you get the point. Everywhere you look, neighborhoods bustle with their own identity and history. Add in the blue waters that form a picturesque border around three sides of the city, atmospheric fog that drenches photos in a moody blur, elaborately painted Victorian row houses and an incredible food scene, and you have just a sliver of an idea of how bountiful and rich the City by the Bay is. So get out there (always make sure to pay attention to your surroundings, of course) and enjoy these top things to do in San Francisco for colorful moments you won’t find elsewhere. RECOMMENDED: 🎨 The best museums in San Francisco🛏️ The best Airbnbs in San Francisco🏨 The best hotels in San Francisco

When you live in one of the best cities on earth, it’s hard to think about leaving, even if just for a day trip. But San Francisco is excitingly close to some incredible destinations that also draw visitors from all over the world, from the wine country of Napa and Sonoma to national parks, giant redwood forests and that long beautiful stretch of coastline. Aim your car any direction except west to find yourself somewhere awesome within just an hour or two. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🌮 The best restaurants in San Francisco🚗 The best day trips from San Francisco🏨 The best hotels in San Francisco

San Francisco is a food haven, with so much to offer people curious to try a cuisine that’s new to them or for those who love their tried-and-true restaurants that have been around since the early days. Surrounded by water, we have incredible fresh seafood fished right off our shores, and we’re proud to offer California-grown fruits and vegetables from our sun-dappled agricultural fields nearby. It’s no wonder that San Francisco has roughly one Michelin-starred restaurant per every 1.7 miles… 28 of them to be precise, with three new ones added this year and one adding a second star. But beyond the Michelin-starred experiences, we also love the hole-in-the-wall dumpling spots and the street tacos and the pub grub in beautifully authentic spots. It’s all so very San Francisco—and delicious to boot! Maybe we all eat early and head home sooner, but that’s because our stomachs and palates are happy beyond belief. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🥑 The best brunch in San Francisco🍸 The best rooftop bars in San Francisco🛍️ The best thrift stores in San Francisco🎨 The best galleries in San Francisco

A spooky city with great Halloween vibes? That’s San Francisco, which offers a ton of fun things to do this October—and they run the gamut from hardcore haunted houses with creatures leaping out at you to lightly eerie candlelit concerts. Get your beverage on with a pub crawl or take a haunted walking tour with paranormal equipment so you can track down your own ghosts. Enter an immersive haunted dollhouse or just have some fun dressing your dog up to trick or treat for dog treats. It’s all here and waiting for you to participate in your most creative costume! RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🥑 The best restaurants in San Francisco🍸 The best rooftop bars in San Francisco

Arby’s is one of those fast food chains that is a little murky to define. It’s not really a hamburger place, nor is it a deli or sandwich shop in the traditional sense. Its tagline is “We have the meats,” and the company website says it is “known for the slow roasted roast beef, turkey and premium Angus beef sandwiches, sliced fresh every day.” Its best-known dish is the classic beef and cheddar, which we’ll discuss below. Two unique menu elements make it most desirable for this writer, and sadly, one is no longer offered. I’m talking about the horsey sauce (yay! except neigh!) and the potato cakes. The potato cakes were taken off the menu in 2021, although they may occasionally return, as they did this July for a limited run. For those that missed out, they are large, thick, triangle-shaped hashbrowns. Thankfully, the playfully-named horsey sauce is still available in a serve-yourself pump along with ketchup, Arby’s sauce, honey Dijon mustard, and spicy three-pepper sauce—where else can you have so much autonomy regarding your sauce choices? The horsey sauce is a creamy horseradish condiment that you can spread on your roast beef sandwich or use as a dip for your curly fries (or, if you’re dramatically lucky, your potato cakes). Other menu items are...and we say this with love in our voice...a selection of themeless foods that seemed geared towards tipsy, crave-based selections. This is the place to grab happiness at the drive-through and then pair at home with your favorite

Although we’ll always say yes to a multi-course meal with artistically plated elements, sometimes we just want to march up to a counter and get something immediately: fresh, hot and delicious despite its speed. And San Francisco delivers on that promise. Maybe post-pandemic we can’t get something for under $10 like we used to be able to, but budget-conscious choices that are still succulent and authentic can be found (we either rounded up or rounded down the prices in these listing to the nearest full dollar, not going above $15). Whether you find your happy cheap dish at a hole-in-the-wall spot, a food truck or a humble sit-down restaurant, these bites are worth more than their price—made with love and skill. Check hours before setting forth; some of these spots are only open for certain meals—and check to see if you can order ahead and circumvent the line. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in San Francisco

San Francisco’s shopping scene can be dizzying with so many choices. Threading through the neighborhoods to find that utterly unexpected shop making something you didn’t even know you wanted (until you saw it and bought it!) is one of the true pleasures of our walkable city. Union Square has long been a stronghold of some upscale brands, but you may wish to instead wend your way towards some more artisanal boutiques selling bespoke items. If you’re new to the city and its shifting temperatures, you may need to purchase an extra sweatshirt or beanie if you’re spending time outside, and getting a stylish one that’ll be a souvenir of your trip is better than just getting an everyday one. Of course, don’t forget the many thrift stores, flea markets and consignment stores that add sustainability to our fast fashion culture. Speaking of which, bring your reusable shopping bag unless if you want to get a fun printed bag with one of these stores’ logos.

A haunted house frightens us because home is supposed to be the place where we find refuge from the rest of the world... and so to hear that floorboard creak when no one’s there or to sense a shape out of the corner of your eye, feels like a betrayal. The idea that we’re not alone and that we’re being watched—maybe even malevolently—is a truly scary idea. Here in the U.S., there are plenty of haunted houses we can visit or even spend the night (shudder), and often, they’re places where horrific murders took place. From the LaLaurie House in New Orleans, where enslaved people were tortured, to the Massachusetts home where Lizzie Borden may have taken an ax to family members—and everything in between—you can definitely indulge in paranormal tourism if that is your jam. And the next time you walk past a certain kind of a house, its lights out and leaves rattling across its lawn, you’ll get that little shiver thinking that someone’s still inside, caught between two worlds: a ghost that can’t leave. RECOMMENDED: The most haunted Airbnbs in AmericaAmerica's most haunted hotels

This recurring event series comes to a neighborhood shopping district near you, with backyard party vibes, live music, DJs and family-friendly activities. On October 26, it starts at noon at Faxon and Ocean Avenues; check the website for the next happening. Free.

The Function, San Francisco's brand new Black-owned comedy club, spotlights the Bay Area’s top Indian, Pakistani and South Asian comics every Sunday (and on Saturdays check out the "Crazy Funny Asians" shows). Many other themed nights happen, and there’s always a full bar, dance floor and comedy. Tiered tickets range from free to $18. 

We realize an hour isn’t very long, but if you embrace the calm and tranquility, an hour at the Japanese Tea Garden can reward you for the rest of the day. Each Friday from 9 to 10am, you can enter the garden with its arched bridge, pagodas, stone ornaments, koi ponds and, of course, gardens. San Franciscans can enter for free anytime (with ID), but visitors can have a free hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10am. The teahouse, with tea and light snacks, is open for purchases at that time as well. Admission outside the magic hour is currently $19 for adults.

History buffs, come out for a video installation, Fort Point: A Bastion of Memory, created by artist Ben Wood in collaboration with the Fort Point National Historic Site. The 45-minute work consisting of historical photographs will be projected onto the interior walls of San Francisco’s Civil War fort to interpret area history, such as the lighthouse that once operated here, the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and more. Free (as is admission to the fort).

Every day at 4pm, gather at the campfire circle to hear a free talk by a National Park Service ranger, covering the stories of the Presidio: indigenous history, military stories including the Buffalo Soldiers’ connection to the Presidio, and the story of the Presidio’s role in the WWII Japanese American internment camps. Having a view of the Golden Gate Bridge during the talk isn’t too shabby. Free.

San Francisco City Guides offers walking tours of the Ferry Building, once the second busiest transit hub in the world at its peak in the 1930s (construction of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge created a devastating blow to ferry service). Tours are on Tuesdays at noon and Saturdays at 10am. Free, but a $20 donation is encouraged; guides can’t accept tips.

Meet Loren Rhoads, the author of 222 Cemeteries to Visit Before You Die, along with writers Emerian Rich and Francesca Maria, who’ll be discussing cemeteries and horror stories. This SFinSF event takes place at 7pm at the San Francisco Columbarium. Rich and Maria were contributors to the anthology Death's Garden Revisited. $10 at the door. 

Visit the redwood park tucked in beside the Transamerica Pyramid daily from sunrise to sunset to view 20 major sculptures of Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, inspired by flora and fauna. Les Lalanne is the collective name used by these artists. These sculptures constitute the first public installation of Pyramid Arts, which will rotate twice a year. Free.

Attend the CinemaLit film series for a 6pm showing of a different vintage film each Friday. The café opens at 5:30pm with wine, beer, sparkling water, juice and fresh-popped popcorn for sale, and the movie begins at 6. The Mechanics’ Institute was built in 1906 to house the 1854 organization providing classes, a library and a chess room for residents (some say, “out of work gold miners”). Today it’s a cultural center as well as a library. The film series is curated by author Matthew Kennedy who has written several books on film. 

Every Sunday there’s a free event at the Great Highway Park, from chair or mat yoga to tai chi and live music performances through the Second Sunday Serenades. You can’t really say you’ve reached nirvana until you’ve done yoga in the middle of a former highway. Free.

With a history as a simple coffee shop and now expanded to multiple locations as a resort hotel, the Peppermill is an upscale, kitschy, Italian-inspired resort. If you love marble columns, gambling under golden ceilings, and walking past the benevolent view of old-world statuary, you’re in for a fun stay. The Reno resort sprawls with two towers and two wings, with its entry lobby a nod to the Duomo in Florence with its Gothic dome. The AAA Four Diamond resort treats guests well, with an 82,000-square-foot casino and a playful outdoor pool (swimmable in winter) with a cascading waterfall descending from the top of a round, columned structure and the chance to swim in a circle around a statue of a fabulous mermaid. Heavy on fantasy and architecture that places the modern next to the ancient-seeming, the Peppermill is a quick eight-minute drive from downtown Reno and its Riverwalk, world-class art museum, casinos and hiking trails. Photograph: Erika MailmanThe Caldarium at the Spa Toscana The best part, however, has to be the Spa Toscana, rated the third best hotel spa in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. We highly recommend getting a day pass to experience the three-story spa, where you travel by elevator to the exquisite Caldarium. Originally, a Caldarium was a Roman space with a hot plunge bath and steam room heated by a fire-fueled furnace. The Peppermill’s version is a beautiful space with a vaulted ceiling, an indoor pool with beautiful mosaic tiles

When the workday is over and we settle down for the evening, it is an American right to have that ahhhhhh moment with a cocktail or beer to wind down. But, money! We are in the middle of a boozeflation, some say, and we are paying more for that transitional beverage than we should. Luckily, the event technology service Giggster has come up with a study that examines our cities to come up with the ones that offer the cheapest night out. Their term for this study is the “party capitals of the U.S.,” so we are going with that. The study looked at average cocktail and beer prices, as well as rideshare prices for that safe drive home and even—we love this— the price of a three-star hotel in case things get hot and bothered. Here, without further comment, are the 10 most affordable U.S. cities for drinking, along with the average cost for a cocktail or beer. If you find it’s more expensive than this, pull up this article on your phone, show it to the bartender and demand price matching. 😜 1. Memphis, Tennessee average cocktail: $10average beer: $4.43 2. Milwaukee, Wisconsin average cocktail: $10average beer: $4.89 3. Jacksonville, Florida average cocktail: $11average beer: $4.61 4. Omaha, Nebraska average cocktail: $11average beer: $4.80 5. Albuquerque, New Mexico average cocktail: $10average beer: $6 6. Fort Worth, Texas average cocktail: $11average beer: $5.26 7. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma average cocktail: $11average beer: $5.88 8. Louisville, Kentucky average cocktail: $11average

For skiiers and riders, it’s the dream: after your morning coffee, you glide right out the door to the slopes. And when you’re done for the day, you don’t have a long drive—or, in some cases, any drive at all. A ski-in, ski-out rental is the way to go, and Airbnb recently compiled a list of guest favorites in this category for its Winter Travel Trends Report. From Park City to Steamboat Springs and from cute rustic cabins to glassy luxe villas, you’ll have a great choice of places to stay. We’ve pulled out a few from the list to spotlight here. Photograph: Courtesy Airbnb Community Five mins to Breck Village & Ski, Hot Tub, Views | Breckenridge, Colorado With this Airbnb nestled in the Breckenridge mountains, you’ll stay at your own cabin called...wait and gather yourself for the cuteness… the Forget-Me-Not Chalet. While the cabin is adorably classic on the outside, it’s modern on the inside. Take a seat on the back deck with unobstructed mountain views or slide into the hot tub. The three-bedroom home sleeps eight guests in charming rooms, one of which has woodland wallpaper and two bunkbeds so your kids get a memorable stay (one guest saw a bear wandering around in the moonlight from the top bunk through the window) and one of which has a private sunrise-display balcony. Best of all, the trail is right outside your door and downtown Breckenridge is just five minutes away by car. If you can’t leave work behind, there’s a dedicated workspace. The cabin at the top of this ar

Trying to determine the world’s best cities can be a monumental task. There are so many, each with individual characters, that seem desirable to visit or even move to. Each year, marketing and branding company Resonance does its best to do that heavy lifting with its World’s Best Cities list. The list looks at areas with a population of 1 million or more and determines the top 100 cities with data from Google, Tripadvisor and Instagram to measure “quality of place when it comes to experiential factors.” Those factors include things that attract people aged 25 to 44 to come spend money and possibly start up a business. These were things like the percentage of tree cover (trees at least 16 feet tall with a canopy of greater than 50 percent), the cost to rent a typical one-bedroom, and the mileage of biking trails. Besides simple statistical metrics, and in an effort to capture picks that weren’t restricted to the study’s list, participants were also asked open-ended questions like, “What three towns would you want to live in someday?” or “Which do you think offer the best job opportunities?” Russian cities have been omitted from this list since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The top U.S. city on this list is New York, which comes in No. 2 worldwide, right after London and beating out Paris. It surprises few since it’s an epic city many fantasize about visiting or living in. New York has bounced back from the pandemic, has tons of Broadway shows and sporting events, and rece

One of the most popular fast food brands is partnering with Delta to serve its burgers on flights—Shake Shack burgers will now be available on flights going out of Boston starting December 1. Soon, other U.S. markets will be able to devour the tasty burgers, too. Cue happy rejoicing in the E terminal! RECOMMENDED: The best fast food restaurants in America Burgers have always been one of the top things passengers order, says Delta’s managing director of onboard service, Stephanie Laster. Now, with the collaboration with Shake Shack, the burger in flight will be much more craveable. The burger will be a 100 percent Angus beef patty topped with cheese and served on a toasted potato bun. Passengers can customize it with lettuce, tomato and the fabulous ShackSauce, all on the side. The ShackSauce is a slightly spicy combination of ketchup and mayonnaise with Dijon, pickle juice and cayenne pepper—or so say those on the internet trying to recreate it at home. When you order the burger on Delta, it comes in a meal that includes potato chips, a Caesar salad and a dark chocolate brownie for dessert. Passengers can order it via pre-select on the Delta app or through a link in the flight confirmation email and edit their selection up to 24 hours in advance. You can order the meal seven days before your departure and start thinking about it all week. Other happy thoughts? Delta is updating its seasonal wine offerings and adding new snacks. It is always fun to peruse the menu and make the

If you had to name three things that are distinctive about San Francisco, cable cars would almost certainly be on that list. So the failure of Proposition L in this most recent election has a lot of people worried—namely, Muni. San Francisco’s public transportation agency is facing a serious budget issue: an annual shortfall of $239–$322 million, according to the Chronicle. While Prop L would have generated $25 million each year by taxing rideshare services, that loss of potential income, paired with the possibility that the incoming president will bring no federal relief funds, may spell the end of jumping on the trolley. Though Muni has yet to announce any cuts, a recent staff presentation contemplates cutting the iconic cable cars as one possibility. Suspending the three cable car lines as well as the vintage F streetcars that go down Market could save the transit company $33 million a year, but would be a bummer for tourists who expect the traditional ride. Muni’s considering other cost-cutting measures like reducing frequency for certain buses (a possible $71 million) and outright canceling little-used routes ($32 million), ones in hilly neighborhoods ($31 million) and nighttime buses ($14 million). Even crunching all those numbers, there will still be a shortfall. Currently, a single ride on the cable car costs $8. According to San Francisco Travel, 9.7 million people ride the cable cars each year. So if we at Time Out had a seat on the transit board, what would we prop

According to Burger King, it’s the most Whopper-ful time of year, and while traditional advent calendars may feature snowy villages, children skating or depictions of the Nativity, the hamburger empire’s version shows most of that— but with a fast food edge. This advent calendar has a snowy village, yes, but snow clings to the main structure in town: the Burger King restaurant, with french fries implausibly sprouting from its roof. There is a skating pond, but it seems to be the lid of a fountain drink cup. There’s no crêche but we can spy tomato slices standing in for bushes, snowmen tobogganing on curled-up bacon, Christmas wreaths formed out of onion rings, and even an open fire that should be for people enjoying hot cocoa, but it’s currently the grilling spot for a single 1/4-pound beef patty… a Whopper in the making. RECOMMENDED: These are the best holiday desserts in the U.S. It’s cute! The calendar only covers the 12 days of Christmas, not the typical 24, and its 12 drawers will open to reveal surprises that are based on past and present menu items and memorable moments from the brand’s 70-year history. We’re betting on a tiny “Where’s the Beef?” Clara Peller figurine. This limited edition advent calendar will be $19.54 while supplies last, priced to pay homage to the company’s 1954 founding. The retail value of all items inside is $100, so this seems like a fun bit of memorabilia to drop a twenty on. If you text the word Advent to 251-251, you’ll be first in line (not

On a whale-watching adventure last month in Newport Beach with Newport Coastal Adventures, I was stunned by the hundreds of dolphins surrounding our boat and the one humpback whale that showed us its tail several times (not always guaranteed! Many whales surface and roll back down without doing the beautiful tail display). When the whale dove and surfaced further away, we motored over, as did two other boats, but stayed a respectful distance away. Another whale watcher in my boat mused, “What must it feel like to come up for a breath of air, and everyone zooms over to you?” RECOMMENDED: The best spots for whale watching in the U.S. That’s why it’s so important that whale-watching companies have ethical protocols in place, such as using low speeds around sea life, making sure no one throws trash into the water (that one seems silly to have to say, but I’m sure it happens) that could harm marine creatures and keeping a safe distance from them so they can live their normal lives—you know, while being scrutinized through binoculars and hearing whoops of joy from the boats. A USA Today 10Best article focuses on five ethically responsible whale-watching tours that protect the whales while giving visitors that exhilarating time on the water watching them. And just as the Sharktivity app tracks sharks to help scientists (and those of us who don’t want to recreate Jaws as unwilling character actors), the Whale Alert app does the same for our large underwater mammal friends, preventing

Are you a basketball lover? Are you offended we even asked? The NBA Cup is happening now, giving players and teams another championship to pursue and fans another chance to get all riled up and possibly happy. Officially called the Emirates NBA Cup, the series of games started yesterday with Group Play, and matchups for the Knockout Round will be revealed on December 3. Need to know how to access the games so you can have the gang over for nachos? We’ve got you covered. Where is the NBA Cup being played? The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. What is Group Play? That’s when 30 teams are divided into groups of five, each playing four Group Play games against each opponent in their subgroup. What are Knockout Rounds?  After the Group Play, eight teams advance to this level. Six of them are brought forward because of winning in Group Play, and two teams are wild cards with the best record but placing second in their groups. What's the NBA Cup schedule? The Group Play started yesterday, November 12, and will happen again on November 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 and December 3. Once the Knockout Round teams are determined on December 3, there will be single-elimination games with quarterfinals on December 10 and 11, semifinals on December 14 and finals on December 17. Where can you watch the NBA Cup? It’s nationally televised on TNT, ESPN and NBA TV. How can you watch the NBA Cup online? You can stream games via DirecTV, Hulu and Live TV, Sling, Fubo and NBA League Pass. Some of these offer free

A judge ruled yesterday that Oakland’s airport must immediately stop using the name “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport,” which it adopted earlier this year, and revert back to the name “Oakland International Airport,” according to NBC News. It was pretty ballsy of Oakland to tuck the wording “San Francisco Bay” in front of its long-existing name. Of course, it hopes to benefit from association with the more well-known city and capture more passengers who want to get to the Bay Area. In some ways, it makes sense: When you check Google Flights for New York City, you’re given three options (LaGuardia, JFK and Newark, although Newark is actually in New Jersey) and when you fly into Chicago, you may mean O’Hare or Midway. Large cities can support more than one airport. But there’s concern that travelers could be confused and book a flight into Oakland, thinking it’s San Francisco (rather than the San Francisco Bay Area) and then have a stressful time working their way across the bay to the city. To be fair, depending on traffic, it’s basically “six of one, half dozen of another” getting to San Francisco’s downtown from either OAK or SFO. Recently, I plugged in the estimated travel time by car from both airports to downtown’s Civic Center. Although it’s 19.8 miles from OAK and 13.7 from SFO, Oakland’s drive time only added one minute over San Francisco’s 43 minutes on a Thursday early evening (plus you would get to enjoy the beautiful upper deck of the Bay Bridge). Th

As the old song goes, for Thanksgiving, you’re supposed to go “over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house,”… but maybe there are other destinations you should be checking out (and Grandma can join you there)! Key metrics used by personal finance website WalletHub to form its list of the 10 best places to go for Thanksgiving include the cost of the traditional dinner ingredients, the occurrence of delayed flights from this destination, what the weather will be like and the abundance of restaurants in case you’re going to relax and let someone else do the cooking. RECOMMENDED: The best Thanksgiving parades in the U.S. Given all this, San Diego wins out as the best place to spend your Thanksgiving this year. That’s thanks to a ton of restaurants and holiday decoration shops. Interestingly, San Diego residents performed online searches about Thanksgiving more than folks in most other cities, so you know you’ll be around people who are already thinking about the holiday. San Diego has the 11th most charities per capita, so if giving back is in your plans, this is a good city to do it. Finally: very little precipitation. Atlanta is in second place, also with restaurants, décor shops and charities. It's got a good record of on-time flights, so you can rely on getting out or in with ease. San Francisco’s in third place with affordable hotels (as low as $60 for a three-star hotel room, the report says, which is frankly...not what we thought hotel rooms in San Francisc

Last week, we shared that SFO is the fifth worst airport in the U.S. for canceled flights, and the sixth worst airport for delayed ones. Well, the bad news continues (sorry, SFO, and we do really like your airport art and your brigade of soft animals that we can pet to ease our travel stress): A new study says that San Francisco’s airport ranks fifth in the nation specifically for holiday travel, according to travel guide LocalsInsider.com. “Holiday travel” for this study includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. We all know holiday travel is iffy. So when we book a flight, we cross our fingers and hope for the best (and consider ways to kill time if we’re stuck on a layover). Ice coats the runways making takeoff and landing unsafe. Once in the air, snowfall can cause a problematic amount of ice to accumulate on the body of the aircraft. De-icing the plane can rob time from airlines trying desperately to get passengers parked in front of a fireplace in another state for their schnapps and stockings moment. Of course, these snowy issues aren’t really a thing in San Francisco itself—but the fog and generally variable weather that time of year can certainly adversely affect visibility. So when the study looked at last year’s holiday flight data for 50 of the country’s busiest airports, it concluded that 23.1 percent of SFO’s flights over the holidays were delayed or canceled. Ouch. (In fact, a similar study found SFO was the very worst airport for weather delays specifica

Diwali has been celebrated in San Francisco countless times, but this is the first year the city will host an official celebration, as announced by Mayor London Breed. Held in conjunction with the quarterly Bhangra & Beats Night Market, this downtown Diwali celebration on Friday night will include the chance to watch artists creating rangoli, an ancient Indian art form where floral designs, religious symbols and geometric patterns combine to create an intricate floor design. These are usually made with chalk, colorful powders like those used for Holi, sand or rice. There will also be giveaways of diya, the small oil-filled clay lamps that are lit to symbolize prosperity in the new year and to drive away darkness and bring light. Participants, who are encouraged to wear Indian attire, can visit booths to learn to tie saris, join in a drum circle and learn more about Diwali traditions. There will be glow-in-the-dark surprises, dancing and an all-Indian lineup of musicians on two stages, including DJ Frenzy, a well-known Bhangra performer, and Non Stop Bhangra, which will bring a Punjabi dance party to the streets. This will include dance and dhol (a double-sided barrel drum) performances, DJ sets and dance lessons so everyone can jump in. In a nice coincidence, this is also Non Stop Bhangra’s 20th anniversary. You can find gifts at the bazaar with goods from more than 30 local artisans and vendors. Expect to find delicious snacks, cocktails and Indian products, jewelry, clothin