Name: In a pandemic, an SF tourist trap becomes a local's vacation spot
Brand: sfgate.com
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In a pandemic, an SF tourist trap becomes a local's vacation spot

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Last Sunday, I took my 7-year-old daughter to Pier 39, and the outdoor mall that's often snubbed by locals as a tourist trap surprised us both with its summer delights and relaxing setting.We hadn't left our San Francisco block in weeks, and the two hours we spent strolling the sun-drenched pier, taking in the salty air and sweeping bay views, offered an escape even though we had only traveled 15 minutes from home.The environment felt safe and clean with hand-sanitizing stations and social-distancing markers. What's more, the pier that is typically packed with tourists in the summer was pleasantly empty.If ever there was a good time for a local to be a tourist in their own city, it's now, and I recommend stopping by Pier 39. Go early, if you want the place almost to yourself. We left the area at about noon, and more visitors were beginning to show up.Pier 39 closed when San Francisco issued a shelter-in-place order in mid-March and reopened last month with safety measures in place. Many stores are open and five restaurants are offering outdoor dining."We have more outdoor seating than we have ever had before," said Pier 39 spokesperson Sue Muzzin.To control crowds, all but the main entrance is closed off and staff remind people to put on masks before entering. They're also manually counting visitors so they know to close the entrance when capacity reaches a point that makes social distancing difficult."There aren’t a lot of tourists in town so you have the wonderful opportunity to be there in summer when it’s not as crowded," said Muzzin.My daughter had been to Pier 39 before, but she was maybe 4 or 5 years old at the time and doesn't remember.As we approached the jumble of shops and restaurants that sit on a pier jutting into the bay, Julia was seeing it as if it were her first time.I couldn't see the smile that I'm certain crossed her face, as it was covered with a mask, but I saw her eyes grow wide — and they gave me a look of utter disbelief."Mom, I didn't know there was this cute little village right here in San Francisco," Julia said. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this place? It's amazing!"The world always looks better through the eyes of a 7-year-old, and in that moment I loved my daughter for showing the same sort of enthusiasm for Pier 39 that famed traveler Rick Steves exhibits for cobblestone villages in Europe."Mom, this is unbelievable! This must be the cutest place in San Francisco."Julia was delighted by the colorful flags waving in the breeze, the plentiful flowers and mostly the puffs of cotton candy that hung from countless hot dog stands and candy shops."Please, can I have cotton candy," she asked me at least a dozen times.It was 10:30 a.m. so we settled on a corn dog, a food she had never tried."This is the most delicious food I have ever eaten," she said.Watching my daughter eat a corn dog, I finally felt like it was summer (even if the carousel in the background sat closed under a big plastic tent).By 11 a.m., the sweet smell of fresh-baked waffle cones wafted through the air and Julia's nose instantly caught the scent."What's that smell Mom?"Like any mom in the age of COVID-19, my first thought was one of relief: "She can smell! She must not have COVID-19." My next was, "Let's celebrate." She got a waffle cone with an enormous scoop of bubble gum ice cream.Next stop: a trinket shop where Julia spent a good 15 minutes looking at all the key chains and mini plastic license plates to see if any were emblazoned with her name. Finally, we found a necklace that read "Julia." It was as if she had won the lottery.Final stop: the sea lions. Hardly a soul was on the boardwalk overlooking the docks — and there also weren't many animals. A pair of sea lions lounged in the sun and were snuggled in a way that made them look as if it was one animal with two heads. Julia couldn't stop laughing.We read a sign saying the sea lions often swim south in summer, traveling as far as Mexico."They're so lucky! They get to go on vacation," I said."But we're on vacation right here," Julia said.Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.

Last Sunday, I took my 7-year-old daughter to Pier 39, and the outdoor mall that's often snubbed by locals as a tourist trap surprised us both with its summer delights and relaxing setting.We hadn't left our San Francisco block in weeks, and the two hours we spent strolling the sun-drenched pier, taking in the salty air and sweeping bay views, offered an escape even though we had only traveled 15 minutes from home.The environment felt safe and clean with hand-sanitizing stations and social-distancing markers. What's more, the pier that is typically packed with tourists in the summer was...

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Amy Graff

News. Culture. Sports. Opinion. All the journalism that matters from San Francisco & the Bay Area. Newsletters: http://sfgate.com/newsletters IG: http://instagram.com/sfgate

In a pandemic, an SF tourist trap becomes a local's vacation spot

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