Beyond the basics in The City by the Bay

Electrical Apparatus, May 2003 by McMahon, Erik S

What EASA Show delegates can see (and eat) in San Francisco, including some off-the-beaten-path attractions

FISHERMAN'S WHARF. ALCAtraz. Chinatown. Pier 39. Nob Hill. Golden Gate Park.

Sound familiar? Sure: half a dozen unavoidable destinations on everyone's tour of San Francisco. If you join the crowds, you won't be disappointed (don't miss the lonesome herd of bison in the Park, and the belligerent colony of sea lions at the Pier).

Often neglected, though, are other, off-the-beaten-oath attractions all around the City by the Bay-every bi as spectacular, unexpected, and unique as S.F. itself.

First, how about those views? Two spots can absolutely be guaranteed to elicit gasps. Take Market Street, the city's main thoroughfare, southwest, away from the Ferry Building. After three or four miles, culminating in numerous twists and turns, signs will direct you to Twin Peaks (the towering television transmitter's a helpful guidepost). Even on a foggy day, dramatic vistas are worth your (free) trip; if it's sunny, you get the Castro, Mission, Pacific Heights, Oakland, Berkeley, and Ocean Beach.

A journey across the Golden Gate Bridge-whether driving, on foot, or riding a bicycle-is, of course, obligatory.

Don't retreat, however, after pausing at that "Scenic Overlook" on the north (Marin) side. Next exit allows you to double back, tunnel beneath the freeway (101), and ascend the Headlands. Save film for an unmatched photo opportunity: vast urban panoramas, taken from the span's Pacific side.

Other classic views (accompanied by cocktails and snacks) await below the Camelian Room at the Bank of America Building, the View Lounge at the "jukebox" Marriott, and the venerable Top of the Mark at the Mark Hopkins Hotel (whose view is pictured at left).

There's a perfectly good reason why San Francisco's oddest, oldest footrace/costume party was named the "Bay to Breakers." Water remains elemental to the region's appeal.

A Bay cruise, even a humble ferry crossing-next stop Sausalito, Angel Island. Tiburon, Oakland's Jack London Square-is an inexpensive and exhilarating ride. Take your choice from two ferry lines: the Blue & Gold Fleet and the Alameda/Oakland Ferry.

Fort Point, a decommissioned military facility (now historic site) under the southern tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, will be familiar to anyone who's watched Alfred Hitchcock's movie "Vertigo." You won't see James Stewart rescue Kim Novak, but you will observe skillful, wet-suit-clad surfers and, inside, Civil War-era relics.

Defining our western frontier, the Great Highway is home to a long-shuttered V.F.W. meeting hall, reborn as The Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant. Note octopus-ornamented staircases and vintage murals. Just uphill looms the latest incarnation of The Cliff member, your table must have an ocean view.

Further south, near Lake Merced, Great Highway becomes Skyline Boulevard. The Fort Funston arrow lures you to a popular jumping-off point for hang-gliders. When winds blow properly, nylon-winged aerobatic daredevils launch themselves from craggy bluffs, soaring and circling above the waves.

Expect more mainstream sporting displays (81 home games) from the reigning National League champions, the San Francisco Giants. Record-setter Barry Bonds bats clean-up at what many have rated baseball's most sparkling diamond, Pacific Bell Park (below). In the days leading up to the EASA Show (June 29-July 2 at the Moscone Convention Center), the Giants will be hosting their cross-Bay rivals, the Oakland A's, with a night game (dress warmly!) on Friday, June 27 (7:15 p.m. start), and day games on Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29 (1:05 p.m. starts). EASAns in need of more baseball after that will have to cross the Bay; the Giants will be on the road the week of June 30, but the A's will be hosting Seattle and the world champion Anaheim Angels at Network Associates Coliseum.

Indoor diversions also abound in San Francisco. Design and settings of several museums are striking enough to deserve a visit, even if you never venture inside. A hands-on science experience, especially fascinating for kids, The Exploratorium abuts the Palace of Fine Arts, 1915's Panama-Pacific International Exposition centerpiece. The skylit Museum of Modern Art and adjoining Yerba Buena Center for the Arts-a block north of Moscone-spurred a South-of-Market district renaissance. The California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Paris-meets-Pacific, has an impressive collection of Rodin sculptures.

San Francisco revels in its rich musical reputation, and a live performance is seldom far away-symphony or salsa, rock or reggae, big-band or blues.

Selections from a diverse array of nightclubs: Slim's, Bimbo's 365 Club, John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom Room, and The Great American Music Hall.

Equally eclectic are San Francisco's dining options, including restaurants cooking up Szechuan, Sicilian, and Siamese specialties, as you might expect, but also Ethiopian, Brazilian, Indian, Russian, Korean, Greek, Basque, Tibetan, and Nicaraguan.