Travel information

Currency is the US dollar. Time is eight hours behind GMT. Flight time is approximately ten hours from London. The cost to carbon-offset is £17.72. For more details, visit climatecare.org

Getting there

United operates direct daily flights from London Heathrow to San Francisco International Airport. united.com

Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow to SFIA. virgin-atlantic.com Resources

San Francisco Travel offers event listings, restaurant tips and maps to help you explore the city. sftravel.com

Further reading

The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts (Griffin, £11.46) is a captivating political biography of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.