Sightseeing with Teenage Boys in San Francisco

This was the second time Rob’s nephews have come to visit us in San Francisco! We’ve become experts at finding activities that entertain and don’t embarrass teenage boys. This summer, the boys were 14 and 16 years old. For all these activities, taking the subway, busses, trollies and taxis to get around was an added bit of fun.

Sporty

• Rent bikes and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. You can either ride back or take the ferry back from Sausalito. 
• Play a round of mini golf with a distinctively San Francisco flair at Urban Putt.
• Visit the Stowe Lake Boathouse in Golden Gate Park. Rent funky low bikes and ride around the park. 
• Hike up to the Seward Street slides.

Culture & History

• Give each teen $10 to spend in any of Chinatown’s hundreds of stores. Foam nunchucks, wooden snakes, scorpions preserved in clear plastic, fireworks…boy heaven. 
• Japantown is another fun place to explore San Francisco’s diverse cultures. Get ramen for lunch or splurge on the “show” at Benihana. 
• The Mechanic’s Institute Library downtown puts on summer chess camps for kids and teens. The historic building is a bonus.
• If you’re in Fisherman’s Wharf (maybe after taking the ferry back from Sausalito) stop at Musee Mechanique with a handful of quarters for their collection of antique arcade games. 

Tech & Science

• Zooming through outer space at the California Academy of Sciences‘ planetarium is worth the price of admission alone. Go first thing in the morning to check out penguins, sharks and albino crocodiles. 
• The Exploratorium is perfect science and technology fun for any age. 

Good Eats

• Each person can pick their favorite thing to eat at the Westfield basement. Catch a movie in the mall after eating.
• Fill up at an all-you-can-eat lunch at Brazilian steakhouse Espetus. Boys will love 7 kinds of meat carved up to order from traditional swords. 
• Adventurous eaters can try salt & pepper fried frog legs and tofu in hot chili oil at Z&Y in Chinatown. 
• Plan your own impromptu progressive dinner in any neighborhood. Pick up slices of pizza, tacos, gyros and dessert for a feast back at home.
• Get a round of afternoon Roy Rodgers on top of The View or Top of the Mark. 

What’s your favorite thing to do with teens in San Francisco?