are you sure you have been? Cannery Row is in Monterey 125 miles south of SF and doesnt smell. The monterey bay aquarium is there. Carmel and the Big Sur coast are incredible. We had a week in SF in November and have been on shorter trips from vegas before. San fran is my favourite US city. We found there was more then enough to fill a week. The ferry building is great as is the entire embercardo. there are world class museums sfmoma the cali academy of science etc. Theres also great shopping including a westfield mall with the best food court I have ever eaten at (the best local restaurants have concessions)
Agree with the comments re the increasing number of homeless though. Apparently SF has the most generous benefits and attracts homeless from across the US.
I have mate. Many coastal towns on the western seaboard, had a " cannery row", obviously warehouses or workshops where the food was canned. The Monterrey 1 being the most famous due to the Steinbeck novel of the same name. The 1 in SF is, ims, around the corner from Pier 39, think it is now some inside market.
If the OP must stay in SF, then Sausalito Bay, across the Golden Gate Bridge is nice. ps/ Book your Alcatraz trip well in advance, due to popularity.
If staying in Southern California, then Laguna, between Seal Beach and San Diego is a must. Very Scandinavian, very romantic, and not at all American.