Author Shelly Blanton-Stroud Thanks Me In Her Book for Customized Tour

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As a private guide who gives customized tours, I often get to participate in, and help create, tours unique to my guest’s special requests. I took out a couple who met, married, and had a son here, then moved away when he was a few months old. 13 years later they returned to show him the story of their San Francisco life. They gave me a list of where they met, their favorite restaurants, bars and clubs, where they got married, the apartments they lived in, including the one they lived in when he was born. Nice to be a part of a delightful family outing.

An African-American couple asked to take them on a Black History Tour created by SF Travel. Looking it over, it was mostly a collection of anodyne sites that left out what I’m guessing SF Travel considered “controversial” history, such as the destruction of the Fillmore by Urban Renewal. It also didn’t mention Mary Ellen Pleasant, arguably one of the most important Black women not only in San Francisco’s but American history. There is a plaque dedicated to her at Octavia and Bush St. She’s not hard to find, so I’m guessing SF Travel didn’t want to. I filled in these gaps and more for this couple, who appreciated the curation to their interests.

Mary Ellen Pleasant Plaque at Octavia and Bush

I’ve done a tour of the public art all over the city. A tour of staircases. Photographer tours who asked me to take them to the best shots for sunrise, sunset, and nighttime.

Giant Sundial in Ingleside Terrace

Last year, I got a request from writer Shelley Blanton-Stroud, who was researching a novel about the San Francisco Peace Riots. When Japan surrendered in August 1945, ending WWII, San Francisco’s celebration turned ugly. I’d never heard of this incident, and if you haven’t either, it is worth searching out. (Click on the links; that’s what they’re there for.) She researched locations she wanted to see in person. I did a deeper dive into the history of the Peace Riots and came up with several locations and stories to round out her itinerary. She also gave me character backgrounds, and took her to areas of the city they might have lived.

Me and author Shelly Blanton-Stroud at her book signing at Book Passage in the Ferry Building

Being able to customize tours, I get explore parts of the city I rarely visit, and learn more about the history of San Francisco. I love doing research, and was glad to contribute my two cents worth of insight and advice. As a result, I was honored to get a credit in the book, An Unlikely Prospect.

If anyone reading this has a special request for a tour, I’d be delighted to not only take you out, but help research it for you. No book mention required.

Why I don’t take deposits.

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Few things irritate me more, and bring anxiety to a purchase, then having to go through deposit refund policies for tours and tickets. Usually they are non-refundable. With many tour companies you are required to pay the full amount up front, and then it is a game of Beat-the-Clock if you need to cancel. A month out may get you a full refund, but more often than not the company is keeping at least part of the booking. Get down to a week, and you’re probably losing 50-75% of what you put up and if you have to cancel the day before, you forfeit any deposit.

If someone has to cancel a tour, there is a reason for it, usually dealing with an unexpected and unpleasant problem. People don’t cancel because life is going well, full of rainbows and unicorns. Someone got sick, a flight was missed, a car broke down, or worse. If that’s the case, I don’t want to add to the misery by saying “Sorry, on top of all your other problems, you don’t get your money back.”

A tour company owner keeping a big pile of money.
A happy tour company owner keeping your deposit.

While I like to give as many tours as possible, I’ve also got many other projects going on. I can fill my day. Also I get a lot of late minute requests for private, custom tours, and those people are thrilled they could book their private tour at the last minute.

I’ve only had 3 guests cancel on me as I was waiting for them in front of their hotel. One person said they were sick with food poisoning. Not sure if that was true, but it didn’t matter. They sounded sick, so if they were faking I gave them points for the effort to sound like they would vomit any second. Another guest said they were sorry, but were really, really hung over. Points for being honest. At least I’m guessing they were honest. Maybe they had food poisoning and were too embarrassed to say so.

The third person didn’t answer several texts and calls as I waited outside the hotel. Finally they answered the phone, and said they just changed their mind and didn’t want to take their tour. Fine with me. Anyone so clueless, rude, and entitled who cancels like that is not someone I want to spend time with.

When you contact me for a tour, all I ask is that you confirm 48 hours in advance. That’s it. No money upfront. And if you cancel, I hope the problem isn’t too serious.