Not as celebrated, as big or as central as San Francisco's Chinatown, Japan Town is still definitely one of the coolest places to visit in one of the world's coolest cities. Strung either side of Post St for a few blocks between Pacific Heights and the Fillmore, on the outside it is a largely unattractive, concrete-clad, easy to miss place, save for a few Japanese plants and the Japan Centre tower. However, enter the subterranean mall and you are transported into a kitsch Japanese fantasy world. Alongside numerous sushi houses and other restaurants (many of which do charge more than the city's huge range of other fantastic Japanese eateries) are supermarkets, gift shops, art and design stores, bookshops. All with a unique, quirky, Japanese flair (one stationery shop had a hilarious line of animal-innuendo notebooks). The kitsch pastiche decor only adds to the whole charm of the place, and despite it being obviously tourist-orientated, Japan Town remains fun and not overrun, perhaps by nature of its location. Definitely remember to sample some of the bobo drinks, they're one of the cheapest things there, and fantastic.

Post St, San Francisco, CA. Civic Center BART is maybe 20 minutes walk, or the 2, 3 and 4 muni buses run a block up on Sutter to downtown.

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Amoeba Records is quite possibly the best music and video store in the whole wide world.

As you enter the shop by its dingy front door in the hippy Haight Ashbury district of Cisco you will not believe your eyes. It’s vast - almost football-pitch sized, and it's full of used CDs, cassettes, LPs (including 12"s and 45"s) and DVDlLaser/beta/VHS.

Most of the sections are labelled - mainly the new and mint (used) - but there are sections which you can search through for hours on end lusting over those hidden gems. If you persevere you will find long lost tunes that you've been yearning for since being a geeky collector. I spent a few hours in there but had to go as a whiney mate was bored. You could easily spend a day or two in there and I reckon it's worth a trip to San Francisco alone for this one shop.

Prices are exceptionally good but beware! Do not take plastic with you as you will max it.

1855 Haight Street, San Francisco;
tel: (415) 831 1200;
www.amoebamusic.com

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Walk around the Mission District, the heart of the Latino district. Eat at any place (I miss the food so much), and go into a few supermarkets for special treats. At night there are many good bars (Divas for their mojitos), movie theatres and clubs. Check out the area during the day first to familiar yourself with the streets if you are the easily-scared type. Some people think the area is a bit unsafe. This petite female never had any problems.

Around Valencia, 16th and 24th streets;
www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/mission.shtml

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City Lights Books, in North Beach, is sacred ground for fans of the beat movement. Still run by the octogenarian poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, it retains something of the bohemian charm of its heyday. When you've finished browsing its impressive array of titles why not head next door to Vesuvios - Jack Kerouac's watering hole of choice - for the authentic beat experience?

261 Columbus Avenue;
tel: (415) 362 8193; fax: (415) 362 4921;
www.citylights.com;
Open daily, 10am - midnight.

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This street is an easier environment than Chinatown with comparable Asian markets and restaurants, as well as orthodox Russian residents and a scattering of lovely small bistros like Clémentine. A great flat street for walking, shopping and eating.

Clémentine: 126 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94118;
tel: (415) 387-0408

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This is a small and perfectly formed pirate supplies shop down in the Mission District. More installation than retail, though you can buy glass eyes, wooden legs, doubloons, flags, eye patches, loaded dice and, er, lard. Treasure troves hide under the floorboards, there's an aquarium theatre and funny writings on the walls. You can barter drawings and poems for treasure, and buy the books of bartered drawings. It's actually the front for a literacy project and is the dreamchild of writer Dave Eggers. It's SO cool I could hardly breathe...

826 Valencia St (between 19th and 20th Sts) in the Mission District;
tel: (415) 642-5905;
www.826valencia.org

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Last summer (August) we were in SF and were taken by surprise with how cold it was. We bought good waterproof and warm anoraks for about $20. They're great for here in the UK.

Lots of souvenir shops on Pier 39 and around Fisherman's Wharf. Available in many colours.

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Take the ferry across the bay (passing Alcatraz on the way!) to the pleasant town of Sausalito, which, with its restaurants, antique shops and galleries, seems to be the place where San Francisco's artists end up when they find the city too hectic. Then if you can, hike past the bridge to the Marin Headlands on the Pacific - it's great for walking or dirt-biking, and has a nature reserve and a small museum dedicated to the Portuguese fishing community that used to live there, and even an abandoned nuclear missile silo!

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The Ferry Building farmers market must be the best way to spend a Saturday morning in San Francisco. The produce looks and tastes amazing and there are plenty of try-before-you-buy opportunities – and you will buy! Sit at the outdoor tables to consume your purchases while you listen to live music and admire the Bay Bridge.

1 Ferry Building
San Francisco, California 94111;
tel: (415) 693-0996;
www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

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City Lights is a great bookshop in North Beach, founded and owned still by beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti – quite rightly it is a literary landmark, stocking some real gems.

261 Columbus Ave (between Pacific Avenue and Broadway Street)
San Francisco, CA 94133-4519

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Great morning out - lovely, fresh and in-season fruit and veg (the peaches and corn are especially good in the summer). So much good stuff!

Oh and the fresh pasta is delicious - gorgonzola and walnut. Yum!

At the ferry building; For directions on how to get there see www.ferryplazafarmersmarket.com/markets/transport.php

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What isn't there to do here? Take the cable car on the Powell/Hyde line. Get off, walk through Ghiradelli Square to try and blag free choccy samples, take lots of pics of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate, grab some clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, maybe some crab too, trek over to Pier 39, shop and wave at the sea lions. Find a bench and watch the perfect sunset over the bay.

www.fishermanswharf.org

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So, you arrive in California by plane but you really want to get out of the city and visit some of the state’s amazing national parks, go trekking in the mountains and camp under the stars.

My top tip would be to hire your camping gear from this fantastic little shop in Berkley - you can get there on the BART or easily by car. They have everything you need at decent prices - tents, sleep mats, bear boxes(!), stoves, sleeping bags. So there’s no need to lug all of that gear over to the USA.

www.marmotmountain.com/rental-rates-gear-ca.htm

3049 Adeline Street, Berkley

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A collectively owned and operated progressive bookstore in the Mission District. It has a great selection of books on politics, media, anti-racism, globalisation, and Latina/o history and culture, as well as constant lectures, readings and courses.

888 Valencia Street (between 19th and 20th), BART: 16th Street or 24th Street;
tel: 415 282 9246;
www.mtbs.com

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