It's Raining, It's Pouring

Two Non-Boring Ways To Pass a Wet San Francisco Day:

1. Japantown Center-The Japan Town Center, located on Post between Buchanan and Webster, is a good place to wander around when it is wet outside. Here you will find dozens of cute little stores selling japanese items, as well as a sword shop, a bookstore with a huge collection of Manga, and a place where you can get your picture taken at an array of little photo-booths. There are also plenty of places to eat and most of them are good. On a cold and rainy day my favorite way to warm up is through consuming a steaming bowl of miso ramen topped with japanese mountain vegetables from Mifune, located in the area of the center called the Kintetsu Mall.

Attached to the Japantown Center at Fillmore and Geary Streets is the Kabuki Spa, which is also a great place to kill a few hours. Kabuki is not cheap at $25, but for this price you can enjoy their dry sauna, wet sauna, cold pool, and hot tub for as long as you like. They also offer tea, magazines, and lounge chairs which makes it easy to put in some serious hours. If it is still raining when you finish the Sundance Kabuki Cinema is just around the corner.

2. Exploratorium-This wild and wacky museum is not just for kids! (Although it is a good place to keep them entertained if you happen to have some). Located at 3601 Lyon at Jefferson in the Marina District this science extravaganza is the perfect place to head towards if your Crissy Field outing starts to get a bit wet. And no worries if it happens to turn ugly while you are in a different area. Directly outside the Exploratorium the parking is free and the spots are a-plenty

Unlike other museums that tend to have a look-but-don't-touch policy, the Exploratorium encourages its patrons to man-handle the exhibits. A few of the cool things you can do here: Stand in a giant bubble, suspend a ball on a stream of air, make a full body contact photo on a huge screen, and teach a computer to talk. For an extra $5 you can also visit the Tactile Dome, which is a pitch-black space that you must walk, crawl, and slide through relying only on your non-seeing senses. While not for the claustrophobic or faint of heart, making your way through the Tactile Dome is a completely unique sensation that must be experienced to be truly understood.

This place does draw a rather kid-heavy crowd so if the thought of sharing the fun with a bunch of rug rats sounds unappealing, check out the adults-only "Exploratorium After Dark" series on the first thursday of each month from 6-10pm. With special adult themed exhibitions and booze, it is worth the trip even in the nicest weather. You can find more info on the Exploratorium here.