Each and every summer the vendors that operate in San Francisco's Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf do very well for themselves indeed. Not be selling extra bowls of chowder or steaming bowls of dumplings although they do well on those too, but buying selling inexpensive sweatshirts. Why is that? Because so many visitors to San Francisco forget one important consideration when visiting the city, the unpredictable weather.

Not that they can be blamed. The weather is boring when it comes to travel planning, especially when you are headed to sunny California. There are so many other things to consider when planning a trip to San Francisco. Where are the best art galleries? When does crab season start and where can I get a great restaurant meal?

Lots to do, but less fun if you find yourself shivering atop of Nob Hill in a skimpy T shirt when on the Bay's bone chillingly cold winds whip its way across the city. So many people hurry themselves off to Chinatown to wrap themselves in a bright yellow Golden Gate Bridge sweatshirt so that they continue their explorations in a little more comfort.

After years of growth, San Francisco can proudly boast that it is home to the only moving National Historical Landmark (the cable cars of course). It is the place where the fortune cookie was invented, by a Japanese family in typical San Francisco multicultural fashion) and plays host to almost 16 million visitors each year.

San Francisco is very much a melting pot. The charm of San Francisco lies really in the sum of its parts: each neighborhood has its own very unique personality, and they all make San Francisco a great place to wander around. It is a fairly small city and easily explored on foot in just a few days.

Locals tend to avoid what they consider the tourist trap that is Fisherman's Wharf, but it does afford one of the best views you can find of the bay, the famous Golden Gate Bridge and the infamous Alcatraz. You can always skip the overpriced restaurants and grab yourself a great steaming plate of crab from one the street vendors then grab an empty bench and just enjoy the view.

If you walk toward the Golden Gate Bridge from here, and across Van Ness Avenue you will find one of the city's best shopping districts, the rather swanky Marina District where you can find designer duds, gourmet foods and expensive but interesting imported liquor.

Chinatown is a million miles away in tone however. It is like a maze of mystery waiting to be explored, with secret alleyways and underground stores that turn out to be a great find.

The Fillmore District is the musical hub of San Francisco, with the famous venue playing host to a different superstar every night. Japan Town is comprised of a number of buildings all connected by a network of ornate traditional Japanese bridges, each building containing a variety of Japanese restaurants, bars and shops.