January 2012 Hotel Manager's Picks | Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel

While the rest of the country is focused on slogging thru the snow and cold, San Francisco's mild weather continues to delight and makes our temperate location a joy to visit year-round. A trip to our famous city this month will also allow visits to the city's major attractions without dealing with the crowds that are common during the summer, without much difference in the temperature.

One of the busiest and well known attractions in North America, Fisherman's Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 39, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Cannery, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, Forbes Island and restaurants and stands that serve fresh seafood, most notably Dungeness crab and clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl.

Some of our restaurants, like Pompeii's and Alioto's #8, go back for three generations of the same family ownership. Nearby Pier 45 has a chapel in memory of the "Lost Fishermen" of San Francisco and Northern California.

To help plan your stay, visit our Local Events page on our website for details of some of the more interesting events that are happening in San Francisco this month. Regardless of what you have planned, enjoy visiting our beautiful city.

What's your favorite spot in San Francisco? Let us know at sheratonsf@ihrco.com or Share on Facebook.

Happy Travels ... Craig Schwan, General Manager

Artistic San Francisco
Visit the picturesque Palace of the Legion of Honor in the nearby Presidio and enjoy this unique exhibit that includes an installation of prints, drawings, photographs and paintings from the permanent collection of the Fine Arts Museums that pays tribute to the unique sites, scenery and topography of the Bay Area.

This display of 30 works in the Wattis Gallery is presented in conjunction with the release of Artistic San Francisco, a museum publication featuring works of art from the mid-1800s to the present.

At the Palace of the Legion of Honor through January 22, 2012. For further information call: (415) 750-3600.

Dine About Town
Dine About Town San Francisco returns for the eleventh year January 15 - 31, 2012, providing both locals and visitors with an incentive to experience San Francisco's finest restaurants at a fraction of the price. Diners may select from more than 100 participating restaurants offering a two-course lunch menu for $17.95 and/or a three-course dinner menu for $34.95, up to a 25 percent savings off regularly priced a la carte items. The complete restaurant list for Dine About Town San Francisco is posted on San Francisco's official visitor website www.dineabouttown.com.

Now in its eleventh year, the city is proud to recognize 10 restaurants that have participated in Dine About Town since its inception in 2002.

Reservations are encouraged and may be made online through a partnership with OpenTable.com. Information is also available by calling 415-391-2000.

San Francisco Symphony Turns 100!
The world renowned San Francisco Symphony celebrates its 100th anniversary with an ambitious season featuring unique concerts with world renowned conductors, visiting orchestras, and guest soloists as well as multimedia projects and education programs.

On the Symphony stage, the groundbreaking American Mavericks Festival returns with adventurous music, extraordinary musicians, and world premiere commissions.

Off the stage, SFS is planning special exhibits celebrating the Orchestra's colorful history, and multimedia projects including a Centennial book, a documentary film, and newly available historical recordings. In the community, the Symphony is expanding its music education programs, making instrument training more easily available for public school students and helping amateur musicians and singers to get involved in making music.

Located at the Civic Center at Symphony Hall, for further information and tickets call: (415) 861-1942.

Japanese Tea Garden
San Francisco's Japanese Tea Garden was originally developed for the 1894 World's Fair in San Francisco and through the years the Garden has grown into a landmark of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

The Japanese Tea Gardens were designed to have a very romanticized look of a traditional Japanese garden. As a result, entering the Garden is like stepping into the world that you see in Asian paintings; a world that exists both inside and outside the hustle and bustle of life.

It is a peaceful, complex place many paths, ponds and a teahouse that features native Japanese and Chinese plants. Also hidden throughout its five acres are sculptures and bridges. About the only sound you hear are cameras clicking. Not only do the gardens have beautiful plants, but they also house many interesting animals as well. Every pond you pass (and there are many), you will find teeming with koi fish, and there are also many exotic birds.

Bring It On - The Musical
Enjoy the explosive new musical comedy that raises the stakes on over-the-top high school rivalries. Set against the world of competitive cheerleading, this powerhouse new show hilariously proves that winning isn't everything when it means losing something - or someone - you really care about.

Bring It On unites some of the freshest and funniest creative minds on Broadway, including Tony Award-winning writer Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q).

This new musical comedy combines an exciting fresh sound, gravity-defying choreography, and a thrilling story to create a show worth cheering for. It's "guaranteed to be everything you wished for, nothing like you expected, but exactly what you will love." -AOL.com

At the Orpheum Theatre now thru January 7, 2012. For tickets and more information on the show call (888) SHN-1799.

Walt Disney Family Museum
Celebrating their second anniversary, the Walt Disney Family Museum's three historic buildings within the nearby Presidio houses 10 galleries devoted to the inspiring story of Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Disneyland and the global yet distinctly American company that bears his name.

Disney's story is impressively portrayed through drawings, storyboards, the narrow-gauge train built for Disneyland along with film clips, concept art, scripts, musical scores and cameras used by Disney and his staff.

Using a mix of historic materials and artifacts, Disney's achievements really comes to life through innovative displays that include listening stations, interactive media, and more than 200 video monitors. Much of the material is being generously lent by the Walt Disney Company and private collectors.

Located at the nearby Presidio. For information and tickets call (415) 345-6893.