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Please check back once in a while as we will be adding anything else we think may help people coming from outside the Bay Area.

Weather:
San Francisco's weather is unpredictable with cloudy, cool and foggy conditions commonplace, and yet, the next day can be sunny with temperatures in the 70s. Coastal cities are cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Because the ceremony will be very close to the coast, wind and fog can and will keep the location cool.  Also, the reception will be downtown under the shade and protection of the tall buildings. Although it might look like summer, be prepared for the cold.  Average temperature for July is only 72 degrees.  But without any wind or fog, the sun can feel quite warm.

Where to stay:
Hotels in and around the city are expensive and the first thing we learned about the "block" situation is that they really do not offer us any sizeable discount.  So feel free to do your own research through Hotels.com and other websites that offer hotel rates.  Most hotels will probably be asking for a 2 night minimum.  Before you book online, be sure to call the hotel itself because you can sometimes get the same rate minus the website service charge.  There are affordable hotels, but they are not always in a very good location. We are more then happy to answer questions about any hotels or locations.

Take into account parking can run from an extra $10 a night all the way up to $40 a night (although for that much it is usually valet parking).  If you are staying in the city, public transportation should be able to get you around, and most everything should be walking distance or at most a $15 cab ride.  So you may not need to rent a car.

The block is under the Limoges-Dorr wedding and rooms must be booked before May 30th.
  • Francisco Bay Motel is located in the Marina district close to the bay and Golden Gate Bridge.  We have blocked 10 rooms here at a rate of $79 weekdays and $99 Friday and Saturday. 415-474-3030 
  • Executive Hotel Vintage Court is in the same neighborhood as Union Square and very close to China Town and fairly close to the reception facilities. All rooms are non-smoking. We have blocked 10 singles at $139 and 2 doubles at $149. 415-392-4666 
  • Crowne Plaza Union Square is where Lisa and I will be staying the night of the wedding.  We have blocked 10 single/doubles at $149. 888-218-0808 The letter had the wrong information - this is the correct number.
  • Heritage Marina Hotel where Lisa and I have stayed before, is close to the Francisco Bay Motel.  It has limited free parking and decent rooms.  We have not blocked anything, but if you reserve early enough you should be able to get rates around $99. 415-776-7500.


Activities in the Area:
 Too many to list here.  We have compiled a brief list of some of our favorites:
  • Alcatraz  $
  • Ferry Rides to Angle Island, Tiburon, or Sausalito $
  • Koit Tower
  • Lombard Street
  • Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 (see, smell, and hear the playfull sea lions)
  • Golden Gate Park
    • Stow Lake (paddle boat optional, with a nice hike around it)
    • Bison herd
    • Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
  • Ghiradeli Square
  • Union Square
  • Cliff House Visitor Center
    • gift shop
    • great views
    • good food at Cliff House Restaurant $
  • Lands End Coastal Trail
    • The Details
      Length: 3.5 miles round-trip (can be longer) Difficulty: Easy Best Season: Best in fall, winter, and spring for clearest weather Highlights: Coastal views Map: Golden Gate National Recreation Area map (free at Cliff House Visitor Center)
      Trail Guide: 101 Great Hikes of the San Francisco Bay Area (Foghorn Outdoors) Park Information: GGNRA/Presidio Visitor Center, (415) 561-4323. Or GGNRA/Cliff House Visitor Center, (415) 556-8642 Website: www.nps.gov/goga
      Getting There: Take MUNI bus #38 or #38L to Point Lobos and 48th Avenue. Walk west on Point Lobos for a short distance to the Merrie Way parking lot, just above Louis’ Restaurant. The trail leads from the north side of the parking lot.
  • Haight & Ashbury - looking at the crazy shops and crazy people
  • Napa Valley (haven't done any official tours, but the train looks like fun - One of Josh's favorites is the Niebaum Coppola Estate)
  • Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) $
  • San Francisco Zoo $
  • Twin peaks
  • Crissy Field
  • Palace of Fine Arts
  • Giants ball park (whatever its called this year)
  • Metreon ( shopping, food, and movies )
  • Market Street ( A San Francisco original)
  • Rent a ride ( unique personal scooters with navigation systems.  We have never personally done this, but we have seen them cruising around town a lot and have always wanted to try it )
Once you are here:
 We have several activities planned for different locations around the city, and we hope to see you at as many of them as possible.  San Francisco does have some decent public transportation, what would you have expected?  Their bus stops and routes are usually very visible.  There are MUNI busses, as well as MUNI subway trains.  And for those of you going across the bay there is the BART subway system as well.  However, there will still be times that you may want or need to hail a cab.  Lisa and I have had countless positive experiences with the San Francisco cabbies.  And there have been a few white knuckle experiences in there as well. :)  They are usually pretty friendly and some have some great stories of driving people around.  If you are in a busy area of town, there are usually plenty of cabs driving by.  Spot one with their light on, and raise your hand or get their attention the best way you know how.  If you dont see any cabs driving by, they are usually really responsive when you place a call to the dispatch.  There are 53 different cab dispatch phone numbers in the city, but here are a few that we have found reliable.
  • Bay Cab (415) 206-1908
  • Desoto Cab Co (415) 970-1300
  • Yellow Cab (415) 469-9940
  • National Cab Co (415) 648-4444

 Directions:
 For specific driving directions to the ceremony or reception please see the Details page.  Here is a general lay of the land:
San Francisco sits on the tip of a peninsula, connected to Oakland on the East via the Bay Bride, and connected to Marin and other north bay cities via the Golden Gate Bridge.  The San Francisco airport is approximately 12 miles from downtown San Francisco.  The Oakland airport is about 18 miles driving distance from downtown San Francisco.  The San Jose airport is roughly 47 miles south down at the southern tip of the bay but is not really connected with downtown San Francisco via public transportation while the other two airports are served by BART. All of these airports can serve as options for flights.

How to reach us:
 Email Josh and Lisa at joshdorr@gmail.com and llimoges@gmail.com