Your travel4seniors.com editor’s experiences with the city go back to World War 2 Navy days. It was a sparkling clean city way back then, with bright streets, cable cars, theaters, hotels, restaurants and fantastic scenery.

Then, when I visited several decades later, San Francisco was becoming a haven for hippies, many aimless young people living on the streets who refused to conform to traditional behaviors. That attitude has continued and spread, making the formerly beautiful city today a haven for thousands of homeless, clueless wanderers of all ages.   

If your travel plans include San Francisco, be aware of areas where crime, filth and poverty make days and nights out dangerous. Also, you’ll encounter grossly inflated prices for hotels. Keep checking the internet for reasonable rates. For example, instead of paying $400 a night for a dinky hotel room, try Airbnb or other private house renting site. It can be much less expensive, especially if you’re traveling with a group of four or more.