I have toured the USS Nautilus, the nuclear-powered submarine in Groton, Connecticut, and the USS…read morePampanito was much smaller. But walking through the Pampanito while listening to the audio narration gave me an entirely new level of respect and admiration for the men who served aboard submarines--especially during wartime. A few helpful tips before you go: * Try to visit at a less busy time. Much of the submarine is essentially single-file, so having people immediately in front of and behind you can make it feel even more confined. * If you are claustrophobic this may not be a good tour for you. * You need to be able to **climb up and down a metal ladder** to enter and exit. * Moving between compartments requires stepping through high, narrow hatchways, so you need to be able to lift your leg and foot fairly high. * Pick up the free audio-guide device, or plan to stream the tour on your phone and bring your own earbuds. The narration doesn't just explain the different compartments--you also hear the voices and stories of submariners describing what it was actually like to live aboard. * Take a picture of the 11-step audio-tour sign at the ticket/audio-guide booth before you enter. It begins with No. 1, outside facing Alcatraz: "Let's remember...Pearl Harbor."* Having a photo of the list makes it much easier to know where you are in the submarine and when to start the next narration. The Aft Torpedo Room made an immediate impression on me. There were bunks for submariners right there among the torpedoes. Imagine not simply working beside the weapons but sleeping beside them. Regarding the Crew's Berthing area, after also touring Alcatraz, I found myself thinking that some of the prisoners there seemed to have more personal sleeping space than these submariners did. Even a bunk wasn't necessarily your own; submariners on different shifts could share sleeping space as one man went on duty and another came off. The Mess Hall and Galley were among my favorite areas to see. The mess hall was impressively small for a place that had to serve as both an eating area and one of the crew's few common spaces for relaxing and playing games. I was amazed that the cook could prepare so many meals in such a tiny galley--and that provisions stored beneath the floor had to be retrieved as they were needed. The Radio Room and other workstation areas seemed to provide barely enough space to pull a chair away from a tiny desk. If you've ever complained about working in a cubicle, touring the Pampanito may make that cubicle seem positively spacious. I've now toured the USS Nautilus, the USS Midway aircraft carrier ship in San Diego, and the USS Pampanito, three very different vessels from different periods of naval history. Seeing the working and living conditions aboard them has taught me something about myself as well: I know I don't have what it takes to serve in the Navy. And knowing that has only deepened my profound respect and admiration for the people who do--and especially for the submariners who went to war inside vessels like the Pampanito, living and working for weeks in conditions that are difficult to fully appreciate until you actually climb down that ladder and walk through those narrow hatchways yourself.

My first time touring a submarine! What an eye-opening, instructive and unique experience. The…read moreaudio tour, full of facts and personal stories, brought the whole thing to life. I expected the physical space to be cramped, but was shocked at how unbelievably small the crew kitchen was. When the USS Pampanito was commissioned in 1943 she represented the state of the art in submarine design and construction. She made six patrols in the Pacific during WWII--sank six imperial ships and damaged four others. Did you know: Museum ships are the only museum artifacts that are regularly stored in a corrosive environment (salt water.) So every seven years the Pampanito must be dry-docked in order to inspect, paint and complete vital repairs to her hull. A costly undertaking. Now I understand the steep admission fee! If you can swing the $25, I highly recommend this experience.

This is one of the coolest car-related things I've ever done…read more The Cobra Experience (which is a non-profit) periodically has an event called "What's That Third Pedal For?" This event which happens bi-monthly provides an eclectic group of cars with a variety of transmissions to learn on. I had not driven a manual transmission car for at least 9 years (when I had parked a vintage Porsche 911 during a previous job - BOY that had a heavy clutch) and for $30.50 ($15.50 if you're between 15-20), this was an absolute no brainer! The cars provided today were a Nissan Pathfinder Northwest Edition, 2005 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z51 package, 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 289 HiPo, and a Superformance Shelby Cobra reproduction - not just any reproduction but the one that was used on-screen in Ford Vs. Ferrari(!!!). The course is designed to have participants get the chance to drive each car around a designated area surrounding the museum for 2 laps after receiving an initial ride-along lap with the instructor beforehand and parking in the designated 'pit' area to swap seats. This included multiple stop/starts to practice clutch release, upshifting and downshifting. All the cars appeared to be well-cared for and the instructors were super patient and helpful. My goal for this was to see if I could get through it without stalling. Not only did I manage this goal even with the GT350 and Cobra having no power brakes/power steering and super-heavy clutches, but all 4 instructors gave me high marks. What an absolute treat, and on top of that they gave each participant schwag bags filled to the brim and even a poster! WOW! I highly recommend this event alone as if you are looking to practice stick-shift. It's a fantastic way to do so in a safe, controlled environment as well as potentially drive special cars as a bonus for a very reasonable price. I'll definitely go back to the museum soon for a visit. Thank you to everyone the Cobra Experience, this was AWESOME!

Really amazing place, amazing cars, and truly amazing staff. Don't miss out on this place…read moreseriously. Don't listen to that guy Grigor with the bad review he sounds like a real loser. I will be back to the Cobra Experience forsure!

Hosted by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, the CA International Antiquarian…read moreBook Fair was a joy to attend this past weekend. Parking at Pier 27, on the Embarcadero, was free and easy on Saturday afternoon. There was no line to get in, and the event seemed to be well organized. It was spacious inside with plenty of visitors. But with two floors of vendor booths and displays, it never felt crowded. Exhibitors came from various countries including Argentina, Denmark, and the UK. Speaker sessions on the schedule offered ample seating in a separate space from the vendor booths. There was also a dining area on the first level selling food and drinks, with tables and seating available as well. Sure there were antique book collectors and researchers at this event. However, there were also visitors like me and my bf who probably couldn't afford to purchase anything on site and simply enjoyed exploring this museum of rare works, not just books, but maps, photographs, and various art pieces too. Some of the interesting items we came across were the book of Ancient and Oriental Music, the first american edition (second printing) of the diary of Anne Frank, On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, 18th century Aesop's Fables in rich contemporary hand-color and engravings, old comic books like Weird Tales and Wonder Stories, Yoshitoshi's Dramatic Portraits of 47 Ronin (woodblock prints, Tokyo 1869), uncorrected proofs for the first three books in J.K Rowling's Harry Potter series, an 18th century playing card recycled as a funeral notice, elaborate vintage pop-up books, and one of my faves, 18th and 19th century paper peep shows (3D tunnel books), featuring unique and amazing artworks I found delightful.

The Shell Alumni Museum is a volunteer effort run by the retirees (and family) of the nearby…read morerefinery. It is located at the far end of the parking lot (off Pacheco) that also serves the Shell Clubhouse. It is a nicely appointed building that contains a conference room and a lot of neat Shell memorabilia. What I admire the most is the certain equality, community service, and fun that retirement brings for these hard working alumni. Many former supervisor, manager, and employee work relationships come together in the form of trips, the annual Christmas lighting at the Clubhouse, activities for children of Shell employees, and other community-based activities.

2026 Lakefest! 7th annual. Nice, cool day in Oakland. Great mix of people having a chill time. This…read moreyear the main stage is at the bandstand. I think this is a better location for it. Great set by DJ Red Corvette. I'm always thrilled by women who DJ as it tends to be a man thing. All the live music at the main stage was excellent! A lot of great vendors. Per their website "Join us in Oakland for a full day of music, culture, food, and community at the 7th Annual LakeFest Oakland." https://lakefestoakland.com

There was no water for sale. No artist schedule. Limited pay options. Portable restrooms were at…read morethe front and rear.

Stopped by to look around for some gifts. I lucked out and…read morefound parking in the free parking lot. Good start to the day. It was crowded,but not crazy. You had time and room to look at all the vendors. We ended up picking up some unique pottery vases and mugs. It was nice to find different home made items to give as Xmas gifts. Also J.Street chocolate was there. She has some of the best tasting chocolates in San Francisco. She doesn't have a brick and mortar shop. So when do see her pop ups . I like to stock up.

Very cool craft fair. Tons of vendors with items for all to enjoy. It was indeed crowded for a…read moreSunday afternoon which was a great sign. Probably needed an AC with all the body heat but nevertheless the event exceeded my expectations. I walked away with 2 candles at $35 each...not bad! They also featured salsas, honey, essential oils and more. Hope to be back soon or even become a vendor there!

The museum is only open Wednesday and Saturday 10 am - 5 pm. For July/August 2026, there was a…read moresmall room exhibit about the Chinese laundry and the prejudice Chinese faced. The Bruce Lee exhibit took most of the space. Even though I have only watched one or two Bruce Lee movies, I enjoyed the exhibit very much learning about the discrimination, poor salary and other inequalities even the famous Bruce Lee faced during his career, how he refused roles that would portray him in a negative, stereotypical Asian way, and then in his marriage to a Caucasian woman. The Supreme court, Loving vs Virginia case of 1967 making it unconstitutional for states to ban marriage between people of different races was mentioned. With visiting this exhibit, I became thankful for people like the Chinese immigrants, Bruce Lee, Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, and so many others who have stood tall against discrimination and made it possible for us to have the rights and respect we do today. Downstairs, there were some miniature rooms of Chinese scenes such as a Chinese laundry, Chinese New Year, and a Chinese bachelor apartment.

We came on a Wednesday. We were blessed to join the docent led tour of Bruce Lee. It was very…read moreinteresting and informative. Jeff was a great guide and gave us so much information! They don't have the tours every day so I would call to check on the tour dates. The Bruce Lee exhibit is available till April 2027 from what I understand. This is a small museum and exhibits are intimate.

This event use to be held in the lower level garage of Japantown. The event has moved to Fort…read moreMason as the crowd gets bigger and there are more and more car fanatic attending this event. This event is mostly of the younger crowd, people who want to show their car(s) and the time and effort that went into each car. There are models modeling some of the cars, DJ's mixing up some good music. The event is a one day event this year. February 19th, 2012 Begins at 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fort Mason Festival & Herbst Pavilions 38 Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Last year this place was packed, if you got there late there are long lines. Take muni, parking is tough. Have a blast!!