Tracy Salcedo - Walking San Francisco

Liz Gans grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and spent many years in San Francisco working as marketing director for Banana Republic and Gap. Since moving to Montana, she has directed a visual arts museum, designed databases, and worked as a management consultant. She is president of Zadig LLC and loves to walk the hills of San Francisco.

Rick Newby, a former editorial director at Falcon Publishing, is a poet, essayist, and editor. His previous guidebooks include Great Escapes: Montana State Parks (Falcon, 1989), and he editedwith Suzanne Hungerthe collection of essays Writing Montana: Literature under the Big Sky (1996). A convert to the pleasures of walking San Francisco, Newby is a veteran walker. He is the author of a book of poems entitled Old Friends Walking in the Mountains.

Tracy Salcedo-Chourr has written guidebooks to a number of destinations in California and Colorado, including Best Hikes Near Reno-Lake Tahoe, Hiking Lassen Volcanic National Park, Best Hikes Near Sacramento, Best Rail-Trails California, Exploring Californias Missions and Presidios, Exploring Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Best Easy Day Hikes guides to San Franciscos Peninsula, North Bay, and East Bay, San Jose, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Sacramento, Fresno, Boulder, Denver, and Aspen. She lives with her family in Californias Wine Country. You can learn more by visiting her website at laughingwaterink.com.

First, and most of all, we want to thank Margaret and Joe Gans, who encouraged, nurtured, and walked with us while we wrote Walking San Francisco. Their home on Telegraph Hill was our San Francisco haven, and their enthusiasm for this project was boundless.

We want to thank the wonderful Bay Area friends and acquaintances who took us into their homes, gave us hot tips for good restaurants, intriguing attractions, and great walksand sometimes tested the walks for us: Richard Gans; Peter Merts; Michele Foyer and Mark Fredenburg; Peter Rutledge Koch; Harold Charns and Rose Schubert; John Palmer and Leslie Cobb; Gilda and Gregory Loew; Linda Maki and Doug, Nathan, and Aaron Groom; Bob Hoover; Anne Appleby and Melissa Kwasny; Ed Gilbert; Griff and Chris Williams; Gary and Karen Carson; Paul and Sandra Tsang; and John and Trish Kinsella.

We owe a special debt to Jennifer Thompson. Thanks to J. M. Cooper and Peter Merts for invaluable photographic advice, and to Adolph Gasser Inc., Third Eye Photographics, and Jeff Van Tine for their darkroom magic.

Julie Soller, public relations coordinator at the San Francisco Travel Association, gave us helpful guidance, as did Kathleen Mozena of the bureaus membership office. Paul McBride of Wheelchairs of Berkeley graciously helped us decide which walks are wheelchair accessible. Anita Hill, executive director of Yerba Buena Alliance, kept us up-to-date on developments in Yerba Buena Gardens. Bob Yeargin of City Guides pointed out many of the sights we mention in our Chinatown walk; and Patricia Rose of the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center showed us the Missions rich mural heritage. In Ina Coolbrith Park, Charles the Thinker offered spiritual advice and several walk ideas. And Jeanne Fidler told us much about the bird life of the Marin Headlands.

We want to also offer our gratitude to the many folks at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) who unstintingly provided guidance about particular walks in the GGNRA. They include Dean J. Whittaker, Bob G. Holloway, J. Sherman, and Cathy Petrick and Diana Roberts. Carol Prince of the Golden Gate National Parks Association guided us through the changes under way along the Golden Gate Promenade. And special thanks to Chris Powell of the GGNRA, who oversaw the review of all walks within the park, and to John Cunnane, supervisory park ranger at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, who reviewed our Fishermans Wharf walk.

Our editor, Judith Galas, was a consummate professional throughout, and her clear and savvy direction made the research and writing of Walking San Francisco a real joy. Gayle Shirley, our editor at Falcon Publishing, provided great advice and was infinitely patient. Finally, our gratitude to Randall Green, former Falcon guidebook editor, who signed us up for this project, and to Bill Schneider and Chris Cauble, who made it happen.

Liz Gans and Rick Newby

For the revised edition, Id like to thank the original authors for selecting wonderful walks and conducting thorough research. The foundation of this guide remains virtually intact; I have added extensions and modifications to a few of the routes and updated all contact and access information. Its tough to improve on a good thing. San Francisco is home turf, but with Liz and Ricks guidance, I discovered new places, revisited old favorites, and learned more about the citys rich natural and cultural history.

Thanks to Alison Reimers, Patrice Fusillo, JT Long, Mike Dodd, Linda Dehzad, Dave Macon, Jennifer Losin Decker, Marina Zachau (I didnt tell anybody), Denise Santa Cruz-Bohman, and Audra Bodwell for their advice on places to eat. Kerin McTaggart and Karen Charland entertained me on my walks (gotta love cell phones). Thanks to my mom and dad, Judy and Jesse Salcedo, along with the generations of Blakistons, Hammertons, and Schombergs, I can say I am not only a native San Franciscan, but also a sixth-generation San Franciscan. Many thanks to Laurie Armstrong of San Francisco Travel, Susan Cervantes of Precita Eyes Muralists, and James Marks of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area for their review of the revised manuscript. I am forever grateful to the wonderful crew that pulls together FalconGuides for Rowman & Littlefield. Their experience, patience, and encouragement is priceless and has sustained me through many a guidebook-compilation adventure.

And, as always, thanks to my inspirational sons, Penn, Cruz, and Jesse.

Tracy Salcedo-Chourr

San Francisco and the surrounding region offer an almost infinite array of attractions. Those listed below are just a sampling of what you can enjoy in the greater Bay Area. Not all involve walking, but each has delighted millions of tourists and residents. Have a great time.

In San Francisco

Cable Car Barn and Museum

1201 Mason St.

(415) 474-1887

cablecarmuseum.org

This wonderful museumset in the still-operating cable car powerhouse, or winding housetakes you through the history of San Franciscos legendary cable car system. Its excellent exhibits are well worth the visit, but it is the viewing area downstairswhere you can watch the great wheels wind the cablesthat truly fascinates most visitors.

Mission Dolores (Mission San Francisco de Asis)

Dolores and 16th Streets (3321 16th St.)

(415) 621-8203

missiondolores.org

San Franciscos oldest structurethe mission was established in 1776 and built in 1782Mission Dolores is a monument to the citys Spanish founders and the influence of Catholic missions in early California. After surviving several major earthquakes, the 1906 fire, and two centuries of use, this modest mission, with its gorgeous reredos and poignant garden, remains an important part of the Mission District, to which it lends its name.

San Francisco Zoo

Sloat Boulevard at the Great Highway

(415) 753-7080

sfzoo.org

The San Francisco Zoo features the Doelger Primate Discovery Center, where you can watch rare and endangered apes and monkeys in environments that simulate their natural habitats. More than 1,000 species make their home at the zoo, including Australian koalas, seldom seen in this country. Interactive and computer exhibits are among the educational attractions, as is a mini-zoo designed specifically for kids.