Wanting to see as much as possible during our week in San Francisco, our group of 3 women decided to check out the "guy with the Mini Cooper". We planned 2 trips with him: a 3 hour city tour on our first full day in the city and an all day (8 hours) visit to Muir Woods and some wineries in Sonoma Valley. We realized after our city tour that we really made the right decision in planning these tours with Reed.
The Mini Cooper pulled up outside of our hotel, right on time. Reed got us settled into the car, gave us blankets as it was cool outside, and we set off to see the city. Reed has a headset he uses to ensure everyone can hear all of his stories about the history of San Francisco during the ride. Our tour included anything we wanted to see with plenty of suggestions from Reed, the expert. After seeing much more than we could have possibly seen had we used a large tour bus group or headed out on our own, we felt a better sense of our surroundings and had a better idea of what we might like to see again, later on our trip. Reed is extremely engaging, knowledgeable, and genuine about wanting his guests to fall in love with San Francisco just as much as he is!
Several days later, we, again, were back in the Cooper, heading off to Muir Woods and Sonoma wineries. Finding myself a little overwhelmed when trying to choose wineries to visit prior to the trip, Reed came to the rescue. We visited several, upon his recommendation, throughout the day, and stopped for lunch at a quaint deli. Again, Reed's ability to share the history of the area with his guests and keep the conversation lively is, for sure, his forte. The day was fantastic - I can't imagine we could have had a better time attempting to drive on our own or taking a tour bus.
This is not where our interaction with Reed ended. If you check out his website, you will get the sense that he wants everyone to enjoy their stay in San Francisco. When our tour ended, he encouraged us to text him during the remainder of our trip with any questions. So...subsequent to our tours with Reed, we texted him to ask for directions and suggestions. I can't tell you how helpful he was! We used public transportation (which, in San Francisco, is excellent, BTW) and often texted Reed for ideas about how best to get from place to place. We also texted him about where to go to grab a bite or what wine bar was best in the neighborhood we were visiting. Reed always responded and was willing to help. We even found ourselves near where he was after having completed a tour with other guests. He picked us up after getting off the bus to take us the last few uphill blocks to get to the 16th Avenue mosaic tile steps (highly recommended - very cool to see and walk up).
Our trip would not have been nearly as great without Reed. Knowing that we had a resource made us more comfortable taking risks in an unfamiliar city. Reed is a genuinely kind person who takes his role as tour guide very seriously and makes it his mission to ensure all his guests enjoy their trip! Don't go to San Francisco without planning an outing with Reed. You won't regret it!