I had an interesting and beautiful tour of the Thorsen house. The level of knowledge and history of…read morethe 2 guides, Collin and Charlie was impressive. The architecture was so precise and well done it would take billions to replicate. I love real estate and the architecture that goes in it. Certainly made me appreciate and respect the little tools they had but the skill used to compensate for it. Grateful I decided to see it.

The people who stay there were knowledgeable about the home. Enjoyed learning about the history of…read moremy mother in law's grandparents.

STUNNING, STUNNING, STUNNING!…read more This stunning French chateau is a must see . . . IF you're lucky enough to be selected from their lottery. Check their official website, there were four weeks displayed and I was fortunate to get the week of my birthday. Wednesdays only from 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. We were divided into two groups. The docent led us indoors and we were able to see the "downstairs" (staff area). We proceeded throughout the first floor and saw a variety of rooms: library, dining area, lacquer room, loggia, and ended at the backside of the mansion (must see pool). The docent was knowledgeable, humorous and passionate sharing stores about the owners of the mansion, the history, furnishings and such. I HIGHLY recommend.

This is the best kept secret in California - A Docent lead 2+ hour tour into one of the grandest…read moreand most beautiful historic mansion and it is absolutely free! It doesn't even have a gift shop for you to buy anything! The downside - the tours are conducted only once a week on Wednesday - and due to high demand, it is by lottery only. Consider yourself winning the jackpot if you got selected to go on the tour. Allen, the Curator personally lead us to a wonderful tour. They are all volunteers, doing it because they love the house and nothing else! Allen is witty, funny, extremely knowledgeable and absolutely the best. The house is beautiful, the grounds are well kept, everything is authentic as if you are going back in time to the turn of the 20th century. Highly recommend visiting this wondeful mansion- absolutely the best value you can ever get from a tour!

The Emperor's tour is informative, fun, funny, and memorable…read more He is a delightful, knowledgeable gentleman.

All hail Emperor Norton and his Fantastic Time Machine! One of the best things I've ever done in…read moreSan Francisco -- and the way I came across this tour was by total chance! I happened to be walking through Union Square one weekend morning and saw a gentleman dressed as Emperor Norton. I thought he was a street performer, but boy was I surprised to find out he was about to lead a walking tour! Being a history nerd and someone who was already familiar with the Emperor, I bought a ticket for the downtown tour on the spot, and had such a good experience the next day I bought a ticket for the waterfront tour. It's an enjoyable, leisurely stroll through San Francisco -- full of fun facts and trivia about the city, and Joseph is a delightful host and guide. I feel he lives up to the ideals and sentiments of both Emperor Norton and the city of San Francisco itself, and this is my #1 recommendation whenever a friend tells me they're going to visit SF (although, of course, I'm always sure to NEVER refer to it as "Frisco").

The Pardee Home Museum has been on my radar for a while as one of the few places in the East Bay to…read moreget afternoon tea. I ended up finally booking the garden for a large party this month and was impressed by the experience from start to finish. It's hard to believe that it's entirely volunteer-led! Everyone I met was clearly knowledgeable and passionate about the house, its history, and its preservation. Making a reservation was easy and the coordinators were kind and courteous during the whole process. The day-of place settings were beautiful and the food was some of the best I've had for tea in addition to being generous and variable in servings. There were even some kid-friendly items (including some non-caffeinated beverages) as I had a few young guests in attendance. The tour we had following our tea service was detailed and informative without being boring. The house itself is incredibly preserved and in immaculate condition. It was great learning about the history of the Pardee family and their influence in the Bay Area, California, and beyond. There were some interactive parts too including getting to touch some antique items and listen to some hand-cranked music players. I will undoubtedly be back sometime and highly encourage anyone who likes good food and vibes or learning about local history to book a visit themselves. If you have people from out-of-town visiting, the Pardee Home is an excellent first choice for doing something low-key and private but still touristy.

What a blast my partner Mark and I had on this 4th of July at the 2nd year mark since we crashed…read morethe totally tubular historical tea party at Pardee Museum in Oakland, Ca! Huge thanks to Mr. Isaiah for the wildly entertaining tour of Mayor George Pardee's ridiculously awesome Victorian pad turned museum, where we scored major bonus points for meeting your hilarious Mom Debbie and getting the dirt on your family's roots. Can't wait to meet you again - we'll try to become members soon and maybe even plan a meetup to kick off events at your fantastic establishment... at least let us know if we can volunteer, because Mark and I are total volunteering rockstars.

Such a unique experience. I've lived in Pacifica for years and always wondered the history of this…read morecastle and what was inside. Now I know! Definitely worth a visit for anyone who likes unique history, movie buffs, and grand decor. Plus, delicious lemonade.

Who knew there was a castle in Pacifica? A nice visit if you're into history, architecture and want…read moreto see some views. Built in 1908 by the San Francisco rail magnate Henry Harrison McCloskey by the sea as a safe haven after his San Francisco home was severely damaged in the 1906 earthquake. It was later sold by his wife after her husband's death in 1914 Up until 1959, it had a reputation as a speakeasy, an illegal abortion clinic, a brothel and Coast Guard barracks during World War II. The castle was purchased and restored in 1959 by the late Sam Mazza, commercial painter and real estate magnate filled it with items from old theaters (fixtures, props) and items he purchased at garage sales...so a lot of kitschy items can be found. Place was never used as a residence but hosting parties and used as an event space. The place isn't as grand as I had imagined but definitely back in the day when Pacifica wasn't quite developed. A bit worn on the outside with no greenery and can see it providing a creepy backdrop at night. The docents (dressed as Mr and Mrs McCloskey) and Jeanette Cool, Executive Director of the Sam Mazza Foundation provided rich history that made it interesting and fun. The tour is 1.5 hours with a 10min video from 2000 of Sam Mazza at age 94...energetic and a bit quirky, eccentric with unique taste. All his real estate holdings, including the castle, and his art was left to his foundation after he passed in 2002. So now the castle provides tours, afternoon tea, holiday events and even a Halloween event with a medium...yeah friend bought tickets for that! An enjoyable visit with light refreshments after so grab a bite to eat before or after your tour

driving from Union Square in San Francisco through Highway 1 to Big Sur, this was our first stop…read more The light house itself was under restoration. The lodging area and whalers cove is worth a stop along Highway 1 Perched dramatically on a cliffside on Highway 1 , the Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park is home to one of the tallest lighthouses in America. Tied as the tallest on the West Coast at 115 feet, it has been guiding mariners along the rugged Pacific coast since 1872. The site gets its unique name from the Carrier Pigeon, a Gold Rush-era clipper ship that famously ran aground on the foggy, jagged rocks just 500 feet from shore on its maiden voyage in 1853. While the historic white masonry tower itself is currently closed to the public for a major structural restoration project, the park grounds remain completely open and offer plenty to explore. Be sure to check out Whalers Cove which is a scenic, secluded beach nestled directly below the south side of the Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park. Piece of history: In the mid-1800s, it served as a bustling hub for shore whaling operations, where Portuguese whalers would spot migrating whales from the bluffs, row out in small boats to hunt them, and bring them back to the cove to process the blubber. Today, the cove is a protected, peaceful sanctuary where nature has reclaimed the shoreline. Lodgings at the Cove: HI Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel If you are looking to stay overnight right on the edge of the cove, the primary lodging option is the HI Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel. The accommodation is unique because it sits directly on the state park grounds, offering an incredible, budget-friendly coastal experience that feels like your own private estate. The Accommodations: The hostel is comprised of four historic, white-picket-fenced houses that originally served as the homes for the lighthouse keepers and their families. Guests can book affordable, straightforward shared dorm beds, or opt for private rooms within the houses. below. Note: Because of its unparalleled location right on the Highway 1 coastline and its highly affordable rates, rooms and beds at the hostel tend to book out many months in advance, especially for weekend stays.

This is a very nice location to stop and stretch your legs, not to mention an awesome place for…read morephoto opportunities!! There is some construction going on near the light house but you can still walk around it and enjoy all the wonderful views. There are walking paths that you can go on and walk down to the beach area when the tide is low as well there are also paths that you can take along the cliff area. Don't worry about parking as there is plenty and there is no parking fee to park your car. Overall this is a must stop to just walk around, take some pictures and take in Gods coastal creation, soooooo beautiful and peaceful.

On the plane exiting at SFO and the girl in front of us was talking about the blue painted lady…read moretour by George Horsfall. It is his private residence and tours are given everyday he is home at 4:00 for $30. George is an notable figure in the area walking his 2 golden retrievers daily. His family has owned the house for years and he hosts charity events, music recitals, movie set cast parties and dinner parties for his friend in his historical home. The decor downstairs is a blast from the past with in tact stenciling, wall paper, and turn off the century original detail. He freely shares so much history and detail of the area, historical development and decline in the area. The wealth of knowledge here is abundant. If you want to be enchanted by really good stories told by an interesting educator and learn historical information of the area, invest time in the 90 minutes with George and the magical stories about the blue painted ladies. It is time really well spent. A GREAT TOUR!

My experience was the same as K H. It's great to see such a beautiful work of art and George is…read morevery generous to share his home and time. (He shared that tours help with cost of maintenance.) It is however mostly a tour of his life and not a lot of information on the house. Since it's his home and guided, your time in each room depends on how long his story is.

Lots of details about this interesting corner of the Bay Area provided by our guide Dan G. He was a…read morewealth of information, pretty funny and as a local was able to share a lot of perspective on the islands changes. Great day trip and I wish we had more time to poke around.

Wonderful tour led by Jim. History + nature! A great morning spent on the island…read more For people who are looking to visit the Naval Museum on the island, it is no longer open, but this tour is operative and you get to see the naval chapel and walk around the area. I was originally looking for information about the museum and arrived at this page: https://www.mihpf.org/tours. I hope this will help you find their tour options and dates! All digitalized, no fuss. And it turns out I was the only who signed up for today's tour, and they did not cancel on me because of that. I really really appreciated it. One last thing, the money you spend on the tour goes into helping this foundation : ) Yay!