| Rating |
Date Attended [^] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
|
Haight-Ashbury Flower Power Walking Tour
|
| Sat, Jun 3, 06 9:30 AM |
LaurenWilken |
Female |
40-49 |
International Tourist(s) |
Other |
| I found the tour to be thoughtfully researched and enthusiastically delivered; the tour brilliantly captured the sense of exhilaration, and heady excitement of life during the Summer of Love and beyond.
This area was home to Jimi, Janis, Jerry, (as in Hendrix, Joplin and Garcia) and scads of other musicians and artists during the psychelidelic 60's.
Our guide, Izu, was extremely animated and knowledgeable, generally fun to be around. Sprinkled between her humorous antidotes were interesting historical facts of times gone by, enhanced by laminated photographs, produced from a trusty carry all.
She enlightened us to an endearing history of the area explaining the various influences that have transformed the neighborhood over the years.
For my daughter the highlight was Jerry’s (Garcia) House, and where the obligatory photo was taken, her interest in architecture was sparked by Izu’s keen eye for detail.
And the Clock…she loved the clock; though, I won’t give away any secrets here.
For me the highlight was a stop at the 60's Psychedelic Museum, located in
the dining room of a lovely Victorian home, which is also the home to the Herb’n Inn,and the Hippy Gourmet!
Pam Brennan the museums’ owner, was a veritable wealth of knowledge about the area and the time, in addition she kindly offered first hand knowledge of icons like Jerry Rubin, Abby Hoffman, and Eldridge Cleaver.
Then it was on to the evolution of Hemp as a sustainable crop and then more about the music. Fascinating!
The museum proved to conger up past memories of another much neglected time in American History. The area made an enormous contribution to the music industry, but in a symbiotic way and perhaps more importantly the many social and political foundations that were born during that time.
Things that once were considered to be anti-establishment beliefs have evolved into integral parts of our mainstream society.
Odd as it is I think they could easily up the price, the cost alone is well
worth the invaluable knowledge gleaned.
A very groovy way to spend the morning!
Peace...
|
|
Grat tour
|
| Sat, Jun 10, 06 9:30 AM |
konstanze70 |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Individual |
| I thoroughly enjoyed the tour with Izu as the guide. She made the neighborhood history come alive and gave a perspective on the whole flower power revolution and the feel of those amazing times.
Thanks, Izu! I recommend this tour to everbody visiting SF.
Anna |
|
|
The best tour in town
|
| Sat, Jun 10, 06 9:30 AM |
damianv8 |
Male |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Couple on a Date |
| My wife and I came to San Francisco on our honeymoon for about a week and a half. In that time, we packed in every activity possible. I rented a Harley and rode through the wine country of Napa and Sonoma, and also down to Monterey and Carmel. We toured Alcatraz, went on a boat tour under the Golden Gate Bridge, and explored many of the area's neighborhoods and parks and other various attractions. We loved every minute of our vacation, but the true highlight of the trip was the Haight Ashbury Flower Power Walking Tour.
Whether you're a fan of the music scene and counterculture movement that made this area famous in the 60s, interested in the beautiful architecture that San Francisco is noted for, or are just looking for a fun way to spend a couple of hours in one of the city's most interesting and eclectic neighborhoods, this tour should be an absolute must on your itinerary.
Our tour guide, Izu, was not only extremely knowledgeable, but also a true entertainer. Her personality and enthusiasm in describing the sights and stops on the walk are simply not something you can read in a book, and make for a truly enjoyable and fascinating experience. Izu's not your typical hired-gun tour guide who’s been given a crash course in the subject. She's a real long-time resident of the neighborhood and knows the real stories behind the things that you may have read, heard, or thought about this historic area. I guarantee that you will not get this kind of first-hand knowledge or passion from any other guide in the city.
So if you're in the area, please do not miss this rare opportunity at a peek behind the scenes of one the greatest neighborhoods in one of the greatest cities in the USA. It’s an amazing bargain that you’ll absolutely love.
Thanks again Izu!!
Damian & Kristi Vaccaro
Pittsburgh, PA
|
|
|
I Knew I Was a Flower Child in Another Life!!
|
| Sat, Jun 17, 06 9:30 AM |
homegrown |
Female |
20-29 |
International Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| First of all I want to thank Izu (and Benny) for a fabulous tour! Even though it was just me, she took me to the streets with a smile and wow, man...I loved every minute of it! She chatted with me as if I were one of her girlfriends, telling me stories about her experiences in the Haight as a genuine flower child...the communes, concerts, human be-ins...I could totally feel what it must have been like to be a part of the movement and to live in the Haight/Ashbury district in the 60's! Seeing the Grateful Dead's house was wicked cool...in fact, all of the architecture was amazingly beautiful. As wonderful as the tour was, there were a few things left out of the tour that were listed in the tour description, namely the Psychedelic History Museum and the inside of a restored Victorian B&B. The omission of these things was most likely b/c I was the only one in the tour group, but I was still disappointed nonetheless. All-in-all though, it was a groovy tour and my guide deserves all the credit...had it not been for her charismatic quirkiness, I'd have missed out on the real Peace and Love energy of the Haight! This tour is a must for any old-school hippy wanting to relive the glory days or any wannabe flower child like me who dreams of being there! |
|
|
A Groovabulous Time!
|
| Sat, Jun 24, 06 9:30 AM |
jillberg78 |
Female |
20-29 |
Local |
Family With Children |
| We had a super time walking through the neighborhood learning about the history and architecture. Our guide was entertaining, knowledgeable, funny, and very accomodating to all our questions. We loved hearing all her personal anecdotes. It was nice to have a short rest about half way through while looking at more pictures and artifacts from those groovy days on Haight Street. Even our two and a half year old enjoyed it - but it was a good thing she didn't have to walk.
This tour is highly recommended if you have even the slightest curiousity about the history of Haight-Ashbury, even if you're a local! |
|
|
Must See
|
| Sat, Jul 1, 06 9:30 AM |
cencomp |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
| Probably the best way to experience the area is with people that were there during the 60's and 70's. Izu (our guide) and Pam (our host) made the experience. |
|
|
Very informative from a guide who lived through it
|
| Sat, Jul 1, 06 9:30 AM |
misscls28 |
Female |
20-29 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Couple on a Date |
| My tour through Haight was very unique. Our tour guide Izu was a true hippie who was there for the summer of love in 1967 and has been living in Haight for a good part of her life. She new the area and the history very well. There was a lot to see and do and I thought the walking tour was a great way to really experience this first hand. Haight has always been a unique area with interesting people and ideas and Izu was definitely the perfect person to show you around town. I would recommend this tour to anyone visting the San Francisco area, and definitely check out Amobea records, that place is amazing. I think anyone will like this tour, unless of course your really straight edge. |
|
|
well worth the time and money!
|
| Sat, Jul 15, 06 9:30 AM |
sweetness33 |
Male |
30-39 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| izu was a great guide - enthusiastic, first hand knowledge, humorous. |
|
|
Flower Power is the best tour I've EVER taken!
|
| Sat, Jul 15, 06 9:30 AM |
annthomas |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| My husband and I loved the Flower Power walking tour. Isu was so great and talk about a lady who LIVED the 60’s and 70’s!! Loved the visit to Pam’s Bed and Breakfast too. Isu recommended that we go to the Magnolia for lunch, and her recommendation did not disappoint. We would highly recommend this tour to any one. Music buffs will be in heaven!!
Lisa and Rudy Luna
|
|
|
Extremely entertaining and informative!
|
| Sat, Jul 15, 06 9:30 AM |
juliefer |
Female |
20-29 |
International Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| We found this tour mentioned in a Frommer's guide and it was much better than we'd expected. It was great to have a tour guide like Izu who had actually been in Haight Ashbury during the times she was telling us about. Not only did we get the historic information, but lots of great personal stories that really made it real. Izu tells it like it is and it's a very informal tour, very colourful. We recommended it to everyone we talked to for the rest of our trip! |
