If Levi Stadium and the Super Bowl 50 are part of your 2016 travel plans, you should allow yourself a few extra days …

It is practically a given that you will visit Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf, ride a cable car, and drive, if not walk, across the Golden Gate Bridge. However, here are nine things you should include in your itinerary: 

North Beach – North Beach is one of the more “old school” and eclectic areas of the city and has been named as one of the top ten neighborhoods in America. North Beach was at one point the main Italian area of San Francisco and also served as the main area of for the growing beatnik culture. While the population is now a mix of cultures, the Italian influence is still very strong. Even though the beatnik culture has long been replaced by other fads, the influence is likewise still strong in the area.

Italian is the predominate cuisine, but Fior d’Italia stands out for several reasons. It is the oldest Italian restaurant in the city, although it has frequently changed locations. The food is no nonsense Italian cuisine that remains unscathed by the latest trends. Fior d’Italia is also home to the Tony Bennett room, filled with memorabilia from the “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” singer that dates back to his earliest days.

The beatnik culture’s main landmark in North Beach is the City Lights bookstore which is owned by beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. City Lights is one of the more impressive bookstores in America. The shelves are filled with current and hard to find works and it has a poetry section that is without rival.

Alcatraz – To be honest, I lived in San Francisco for over a decade without visiting Alcatraz. The Rock holds an interesting place in American History and folklore. During its life time, Alcatraz was home to Al Capone, “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud, “The Birdman of Alcatraz”. In 1969 the island was occupied by a small group of Native American’s who claimed that existing treaties called for the island be returned to the tribes once the prison was closed. (Graffiti from the occupation is still visible.) The night tour is actually slightly more interesting than the daytime ones. Alcatraz has also been featured in numerous movies. 

Movie Tours - San Francisco is one of the top movie locations in America and served as the setting for classics like Bullitt and Vertigo, and other like Mrs. Doubtfire, Milk, The Rock and of course the Dirty Harry films. With a little research it is fairly easy to set up your own movie tour of the city, but the easiest way is by taking one of the commercial tours.

Haight-Ashbury – The hippie movement is long past, but some remnants of the original counter culture mecca remain. The food choices cover a wide range of ethnic cuisines and range from the casual to the upscale. Vintage and second-hand clothing stores and shops cater to those interested in mysticism, organic diets and other eclectic disciplines. The bookstores cater to those that avoid the mass-market booksellers. The music shops, especially Amoeba Music, have the widest collections of interesting and hard-to-find titles in the US.

Casinos – The Bay Area is home to a very healthy and competitive poker scene. Bay 101 and Lucky Chances are located close to Levi Stadium as is the M8trix - a very popular new cardroom. Antonio Esfandiari, one of poker’s all-time top money winners, got his start in the Bay Area, as did his long running rivalry and Palo Alto resident Phil Hellmuth. Sightings of well-known pros are fairly common as pros like Daniel Negreanu and Barry Greenstein, as well as Hellmuth, Esfandiari and other are regulars in tournaments held in the area. Local celebrities, including members of the 49’ers cheerleading squad, are frequently spotted at the tables as well.

The Buena Vista – Since you are going to ride a cable car anyway, you should at least make it count. At the end of the Powell street line is the Buena Vista Café. The small café is world famous for inventing Irish Coffee. While the concept sounds easy, perfecting the recipe for Irish Coffee was the result of considerable trial and error. You can read about it here, but the best place to read about the history of Irish Coffee is at the Buena Vista while enjoying one.

Lombard Street – For reasons that still surprise many San Franciscans, Lombard Street is one of the most popular tourists’ stops in the city. Lombard Street is billed as the “Most Crooked Street in the World” and you are likely to spend more time waiting to turn down the street than actually driving down it. Walking down the street is actually more enjoyable, or you can get the general idea here.

Muir Woods – Located just over the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County is the largest urban National Park in the US, Muir Woods. The park was founded in 1908 and is home to the iconic Giant Redwoods. Hiking through the park amid some of the oldest and largest trees on the planet is a one of the most peaceful escapes imaginable and a perfect break from the Super Bowl activities. Muir Woods is also home to dozens of species of bats, birds and the occasional family of river otters.

Exploratorium – For over 40 years, the Exploratorium, located near Pier 15, has provided an interactive environment that allows visitors to discover how the world works. All of the exhibits are designed to encourage human interaction, which is a refreshing change from museums with “Please Do Not Touch” signs on every exhibit. Visitors are also part of the exhibit as well as social scientists who frequently study guest behaviors and interactions in their quest to better understand human learning patterns and behavior.