Frearless (and anyone), some thoughts on visiting San Francisco:
I don't know where you are staying, so this is just a big picture.
1) San Francisco isn't great to drive in, but some places are better than others. The west side of the City (Golden Gate Park and the Presidio/Palace of the Legion of Honor) is more driveable, and far enough from other things that you'll want a car. More downtown, you might think about leaving the car behind and just taking transit, or picking a well-placed parking garage and doing as much walking as you can take.
2) Views: The Palace of the Legion of Honor has a walk that includes views of the Golden Gate that are pretty special. There's also a beach right underneath the Golden Gate (Baker Beach) that gives great views, but...the northern portion of Baker Beach is a nude beach, so... If you are into art museums, the Palace of the Legion of Honor is a good one, currently exhibiting an American impressionist's work (Mary Cassatt).
Another place for those views is on the Marin side, in the "Headlands." The walk to or near the Point Bonita lighthouse gives great views of the Golden Gate (assuming no or little fog). Some people really like walking or riding (rental) bikes over the GG, but I don't think you need it.
3) Heading down the west side of the City takes you to Golden Gate Park, built with NY's Central Park in mind, but (a) not central, and (b) much, much bigger. GGP has Dutch windmills, a bison paddock, a great Japanese Tea Garden (paid admission), the De Young art museum (probably the City's best museum--American Art, costume and textiles, modern art, and others...), and the California Academy of Sciences, which is a bit like the aquarium (it has a small one), but it also has a pretty cool earthquake exhibit, if you want to feel what an earthquake feels like. GGP is a near must for visiting SF.
4) The Haight Ashbury is near GGP--that's the home of 60s counterculture, and to the extent it is still alive in SF, that's mostly where it is.
5) The Castro is the City's gay district. Don't go there to gawk at gay people (that sounds patronizing, but people do it and the locals don't appreciate it). But maybe drive through it to get a sense for its flavor on your way to...
6) get a burrito at la Taqueria at 24th and Mission (in the Mission District). Allegedly the burrito was invented in San Francisco. Take it to go, and walk/drive over to Dolores Park, for views of downtown, a bunch of painted ladies (Victorian houses of the kind you see in the intros to TV shows set in SF), and Mission Dolores, the original Spanish mission in San Francisco. If you like ice cream, head to Mitchell's at 29th and San Jose after you've walked off that burrito. Even this time of year there is likely to be a line. It's worth it. Mexican Chocolate is my favorite, Peanut Butter Indulgence is...an indulgence. And if you wants something off the wall, they have that, too. Random bit of Mission trivia, despite the Spanish going up and down the coast of California for well more than a century, and having a significant outpost on the Monterey Bay, they "discovered" San Francisco in 1776.
7) This time of year, the Cable car from Powell and Embarcadero over to the Hyde Street Pier/Fisherman's Wharf should not have too long of a line. The views of the bay coming down towards the Wharf (again, assuming the fog isn't in the way) should be spectacular, and worth the line. On the other hand, if you don't want to wait in a line, but want to experience a cable car (because they are pretty cool just by themselves), you can take the California line from the Embarcadero up to Van Ness. But seriously, take the Powell one. It's worth it. Also, the Cable Car Museum is right off of the Powell Line, if you're interested. It's interesting from an engineering perspective, and isn't a real long visit.
8) I really like City Hall. It's modeled after the U.S. Capitol, and is pretty impressive. There will be people getting married, kids celebrating their quinceaneras, all fighting for space to get their photos taken on the impressive staircase. Across Civic Center Plaza is the Asian Art Museum, which some people call the crown jewel of SF's art scene. For the real art junkies, there is also the SF Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) nearby. People really like it, but I'm not in to art enough to suggest you visit that many art museums.
SIDE NOTE: Civic Center is one of the City's rougher spots. It's plenty safe, particularly during the day, but when national news media wants to show the doom spiral, this is largely where they go to film. Lots of homelessness in and around there.
9) Walking along the Embarcadero near the Bay Bridge is lovely, and strolling through the Ferry Building is a near must. Gott's Roadside Diner is there, and offers some good, if slightly pricey, burgers. There's lots of other good food in and around there.
10) I'm not a huge Fisherman's Wharf guy--it's very touristy, but clam chowder in a sourdough breadbowl is a good idea, the mechanical game museum is fun, and if you are into ships, there are some cool ones out there to visit (a whaling ship, a Liberty Ship (WWII), and the Pomponio WWII submarine).
11) Near the GG Bridge is the Presidio, which has a lovely beach area (Crissy Field), near the old Fort Point, which guarded the entrance to the Bay and I loved visiting when I was younger. Not sure if you and your adult daughters will be that interested in an old 19th century fort. There is a Walt Disney Museum that I think is kind of mediocre, but it tells Walt's personal story (and isn't a long visit). It is not a Disneyland-esque sort of a place. Near there is the Palace of Fine Arts, a beautiful building built for the 1915 World's Fair. There's not much there, other than a stroll around it, but it's lovely, and one of the City's landmarks.
12) Chinatown and North Beach. Bad places to drive (but there are parking lots nearby). Chinatown has the cool gate at Grant and Bush, and is a good stroll through an area that is still a throwback. House of Nanking is a classic for a restaurant, and City View is well-liked for dim sum. Next to Chinatown is North Beach (little Italy). That's the home of City Lights Bookstore, which was part of Jack Kerouac's visit to the City (from
On the Road). Here is a recommendation regarding food there:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/best-day-ever/north-beach-restaurants/13) Alcatraz: it's better than it has a right to be. Yes, it's a tourist trap, but it's also really cool. If you want to spend an afternoon or evening on it, you won't regret it.
14) Random food and drink recommendations:
For a fancy drink that is worth paying for (just one), the Top of the Mark is a bar at the top of the Mark Hopkins hotel on California at Mason. Another good bar for a drink with a view: Rise Over Run, at Turk and Market, top of the Line Hotel--not the greatest neighborhood, but a good place for a drink). Another fancy pbar is Bar Sprezzatura at the maritime Plaza at Clay and Front Street. Dive bars on the water: Red's Java House or the Hi Dive, both near/under the Bay Bridge.
Blue Bottle Coffee is the coffee drinker's coffee shop. They are sprinkled around.
There are lots of great, expensive restaurants. Fog City Diner is a solid option. Kokkarri is one of my favorites (if you like mediteranean), and an old classic is Boulevard, great food (American). The latter two, particularly, will put a dent in your wallet, though. I think of them as expense account meals.
The Ghiradelli ice cream shop at Ghiradelli Square is fun, if you decide Mitchell's is too far out of your way. (And if you are staying near Pier 39.)
Tommy's Joynt is an old SF classic if you're looking for a quick, low-key experience (that won't break the bank).
15) Transportation (less for Fearless, more for anyone visiting): as noted at the outset, SF is a hard city to drive in. Lots of congestion, one way streets, and thoroughfairs you can't use (or turn on). Fortunately, it's pretty small (basically a 7 mile square) it also has really good transit. MUNI, the bus and street car system (that also runs the Cable Cars) can get you anywhere. Per our discussion elsewhere, you'll get some people watching on MUNI that won't always impress you, but it's convenient, and you can get a pass--probably for a few days or a week--that will get you all over. BART will get you out to farther reaches of the Mission and southern part of the City, and it will get you to the key locations in the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, etc.). It will also take you to and from the airport. Would a cab be faster? Sure, but BART will get you there pretty quickly, for 1/4 the price (assuming you're traveling with companions), and if you're staying downtownish. you don't have to pay for parking ($35-50/day) for a car that will be a pain in the ass to use if you're actually staying/visiting in downtown SF. Finally, CalTrain (which has a brand new electric fleet of trains) is great for getting down the Peninsula, whether it's to Stanford (in Palo Alto), or down to San Jose. Don't take it to a 49ers game, though--that is a pain in the arse. Instead, reserve space on one of the shuttles that goes from SF down to Santa Clara. That will be much better, and will cost less than the Uber/Lyft to get down there.
