From Pier 41’s spectacular views of Alcatraz and Angel Islands, and Ghirardelli Square’s mouth watering desserts; there is no wonder why millions of tourists travel to Downtown San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf each year.  What makes this location so popular is its unique and diverse culture.   In the early part of the century, Fisherman’s Wharf was an industrial area made up of shipping ports, canneries, and processing plants.  Today, it is home to some of the finest shopping and cuisine in the entire city.  Aside from this being the location to catch the ferry to Alcatraz Island, Fisherman’s Wharf also offers tourists a glimpse into the life of Sea Lions at Pier 39, and a chance to taste some of the world’s finest chocolates in Ghirardelli Square.  As if this was not enough to do, travelers can stroll The Cannery for unique one of kind trinkets, or stop and enjoy a relaxing afternoon at one of the many local cafes.  Finally, weather permitting, tourists can cool off at the Aquatic Park, which offers some of the calmest waters in the San Francisco area.

Whatever your tastes might be, the diverse culture of Downtown San Francisco and Fisherman’s Wharf is sure to please travelers from all parts of the world.  Perhaps this is why Downtown San Francisco is one of the most visited places in the Nation.

The nice thing about living in the San Francisco bay area is that you are surrounded by great talks and conferences that are just around the corner.  The problem is that you still need to do your other work. 
A really great conference for web developers and Internet-based companies is the Web 2.0 Expo, which will be in San Francisco the middle of next week.  Web 2.0 has become a bit of an overused term.  I think of it as a new phase in the Internet.  In Web 1.0, web sites tended to dictate to users what content they could have with a small amount of user feedback.  Web 2.0 might be called “The Revenge of the Users” in that the users are creating and contributing their own content to the web sites.  Basically, users can now generate their own niche specific content without having to worry about the potential marketing opportunities, as the web sites do.
I will try to attend the Web 2.0 Expo, but I am not sure if I will be able to make it.  If you attend the conference, please let me know what you thought about the conference.  

Technorati Tags: Web2.0, Web2.0 Expo, San Francisco, Moscone Center

This weekend, San Francisco suffered a tragedy of epic proportions.  No, it was not Barry Bonds.  No, it was not another affair of the mayor’s.  It was the theft of the Maltese Falcon.

To remind everyone who has not taken the Geogad Mobile Tour of San Francisco Union Square, the Maltese Falcon is a detective book written by San Francisco’s own Dashiell Hammett.  The book was later transformed into a major motion picture with Humphrey Bogart playing the tough, clever private detective, Sam Spade.  The story revolves around a group of murders and con artists looking for the Maltese Falcon, a priceless treasure. 

A Maltese Falcon that had been used to advertise the movie was located in John’s Grill, along with several rare Dashiell Hammett books. For those of you who do walk the Geogad Union Square Tour, you will pass John’s Grill on your right after you walk north from Hallidie Plaza (Tour Stop 1) to get to the St. Francis Hotel (Tour Stop 2).  Over the weekend, as reported by the SF Chronicle, someone jimmied the lock on a display case and walked off with the bird and books.  There is currently a $25K reward for the return of the valuables.  No questions asked.

I am sure that Sam Spade would be able to find the Maltese Falcon for $25K.

What do you bet that they wind up on eBay after the heat dies down? Keep your eyes peeled.   

Technorati tags: San Francisco, Maltese Falcon, rare books, theft, John’s Grill, Geogad Mobile Tour, Dashiell Hammett