california

It’s 1946, and you are in the icy waters of the Davis Straits off of Greenland. You are a sailor in the middle of Operation Frostbite, and this is your first deployment. Your task is to make sure the machinery in the engine room keeps functioning, despite the freezing cold. Even though you are only 19 years old, failing in your duties would be detrimental to the ship and its crew.

With more than 450 spirit sightings reported since 2007, saying that the Winchester Mystery HouseTM in San Jose, California, is haunted may be an understatement. Many of the visitors to the house claim to have seen the ghost of Sarah Winchester, who owned the house in the late 1800s. Her story, even before her house became notorious for its ghosts, is essentially a ghost story.

For your next winter vacation, forget Hawaii—and don’t leave the lower 48. Instead, take a “summer” getaway to San Francisco. San Francisco’s winter weather is unique: It’s warmer than it is in the summer. We’re talking coastal city here, so it’s breezy and chilly all year round. But if you’re looking for a warmer option for a winter getaway, San Francisco is the place. Once you’ve left the snow or frigid temperatures of home for San Francisco, get ready to enjoy your stay. Here are four sites any visitor to San Francisco must see: