Urban Safari
Saturday, June 6th is my 29th birthday, and I'm going to celebrate by visiting some of my favorite places around San Francisco. You're welcome to join! My (ambitious) hope is to walk about 18 miles through the hills, parks, and sundry neighborhoods of our fair City, with plenty of stops for coffee, tea, and food.
Feel free to meet up anywhere, anytime you like. Below is a rough itinerary. If you're up for a long adventure, meet in the morning. If you're not feeling too energetic, drop in for coffee when we're in your neighborhood. If you want to sleep in, meet later in the afternoon and trek along as long as you like.
Please note that everything in this itinerary is very tentative and depends on how fast we walk. I've tried to leave time to walk slowly, take photos, have a good conversation, and enjoy our stops, but things change. You can track our progress on Twitter if you want to jump in halfway thorugh.
Hope to see you there!
9:00am: Ferry Building - Come as early as you like to stock up on supplies at the Farmer's Market. We'll meet at the steps in front of the Ferry Building when the clock tower strikes nine to head north along the Embarcadero.
9:30am: Coit Tower - We'll hike up Telegraph HIll, hoping to see some of the wild parrots along the way. If the day is clear, the views across the Bay are stunning.
10:00am: Caffe Roma - Our first caffeine stop of the day in this North Beach caffe. The boisterous owner has a fantastic Italian accent, and the large windows in the back afford much opportunity for people-watching.
11:30am: Greens (to Go?) - With fresh espresso coursing through our veins, we'll ascend the Vallejo steps toward Russian Hill. The houses along the way are amazing, as is the vista. We'll walk north on Hyde alongside the Cable Car tracks, then up to Fort Mason (with a possible detour through the lovely community gardens). Depending on the size of our party, we'll grab lunch at Greens to Go, or sit down in the famous vegetarian restaurant (supplied by the Green Gulch Zen Monastery in Marin).
1:00pm: Palace of Fine Arts - Although it's currently undergoing restoration, you'll still catch the occasional couple having their wedding photo taken in front of the massive terra-cotta columns. We'll just pass by the dome and the swans on our way to the Presidio.
3:00pm: Presidio and Palace of the Legion of Honor: - I don't visit the Presidio nearly as often as I should. Let's take our time strolling amidst the trees, and find our way to the Palace of the Legion of Honor. We won't have time to visit the art or the largest Rodin collection outside of Paris this afternoon, but be sure to return when you have a free day!
4:00pm: Cliff House via Land's End - Hiking along land's end by the Sutro Baths, we'll stop for a drink at the Cliff House and overlook Ocean Beach and the Pacific.
5:30pm: Golden Gate Park & Japanese Tea Garden - It's a wonderful time of year in Golden Gate Park. The roses are probably blooming. We've missed the peak of the Cherry Blossoms, but make a note to see the in the tea gardens next spring!
6:15pm: Coffee to the People - This quirky coffee shop in the Upper Haight is classic San Francisco. You might be drinking a latte next to a filthy rich tech entrepreneur or a smelly homeless guy. If you need a caffeine boost after the trek through the park, now is a good time to recharge.
7:15pm: Samovar - Samovar Tea Lounge has both fantastic tea and delicious food. We'll drop in for dinner at their Mission-Castro location.
8:30pm: Zeitgeist - What better way to spend a summer evening than sharing a pitcher at Zeitgeist? Actually, it's supposed to be a bit chilly tomorrow night, so we won't stay terribly long - just enough to have a pint (or a few) of their vast tap collection.