CITY GUIDES NEWS & EVENTS
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The Summer of Love Treasure Hunt
Join us for the ultimate urban treasure hunt where you and your team uncover spaces, places and objects that celebrate the 40th anniversary of the "Summer of Love" and recall the people and events that shaped the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Spend the afternoon scouring gardens, streets and alleyways, solveing a series of puzzles that test your powers of deduction, observation and wit. Retrace the steps of the Grateful Dead, find out how Golden Gate Park was transformed from sand dunes to lush gardens to a hippie hang-out, and meet costumed characters from the early and recent past of The Haight. Whether you're a super-sleuth or just want to have a fun afternoon in the park, this event is for you. Put together a team of friends or we'll connect you witha group on the day of the event. All proceeds will benefit San Francisco City Guides.
Saturday May 5, 2007
In collaboration with Wilderness Press. Tours are on based on Adah Bakalinsky's book, Stairway Walks in San Francisco.
FORT MASON TO AQUATIC PARK 11 am
Explore the magnificent edge of San Francisco's northern waterfront where history and coastal vistas combine for an amazing range of cultural and recreational amenities. Meet at NW corner of Van Ness & Bay.
RUSSIAN HILL STAIRWAYS 11 am
345 feet about San Francisco Bay, Russian Hill offers beautiful views, gardens, and magic staircases. See one of the only two remaining octagon houses and where Willis Polk lived and designed many homes. Stroll side streets, alleyways, and stairways you never knew existed. Meet at Hyde & Filbert Streets.
TELEGRAPH HILL 1 pm
Enjoy sweeping views of the Bay. See the wild parrots, pre-1870 hillside homes where Bohemian artists and writers once lived. Climb the steps within semi-tropical gardens. Meet at Marconi Monument across from 290 Lombard Street.
EUREKA VALLEY 2 pm
Bring your inner child on this urban hike that takes you from busy thoroughfares to an idyllic, secluded garden. Take in birds, butterflies and beautiful views. Meet at Elizabeth & Douglass.
LAND’S END 2 pm
Dramatic, wind-swept vistas in sunshine or fog. Recapture the flavor of Mayor Sutro's gift to the public, the park and baths of the late 1800s. Meet at the lion statue at park entrance, 48th Ave. & Pt. Lobos Ave.
GOLDEN GATE HEIGHTS 2 pm
On this hearty walk, a multitude of stairways connects comfortable Inner Sunset residential streets with dramatic chert outcroppings offering magnificent views of San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, and the Marin Hills as well as glimpses of rare native plants making their homes atop the windblown sand. Meet at Kirkham and the base of the 15th Avenue stairway.
May is Neighborhood Walks Month
During the months of May and October, when the San Francisco weather is particularly pleasant, City Guides adds a series of neighborhood explorations to its year round tour schedule. Each San Francisco neighborhood has a distinct architecture, history, and personality that deserve in-depth exploration. Discover the colorful characters, beautiful vistas, and charming architectural treasures that can be found in communities like the Inner Richmond, Visitacion Valley, or Mission Bay. Join us for a walk along the streets, sidewalks and by-ways of one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities!
See our full May schedule of tours.
Tours with an * are on based on Adah Bakalinsky’s book, Stairway Walks in San Francisco. See a listing of all our Stairways Walks.
Additional tours featured this May include:
Discovery Walk: Embarcadero Skyway – View the “Rockefeller Center of the West” and discover a hidden urban oasis
Eureka Valley Hike* – Open spaces, butterflies, birds and a secluded garden above the city bustle
Excelsior Stroll – Learn of truck farmers and land grants in this “urban village”
Fairmount Neighborhood – Cottage-dotted streets, impressive views, and the Poole-Bell Mansion
Financial District– Discover the Wall Street of the West and explore the architectural contrasts of our commercial center
Glen Park – Visit San Francisco’s “Little Switzerland” and discover a cozy neighborhood grown up from farms and pastureland
Golden Gate Heights*– See the famous mosaic stairway and westward Pacific views
Hidden Waters: Mission Creek and Bay – Discover a hidden park and a forgotten creek
Historic Murals of Rincon Center – Murals, history and scandal intersect in the historic lobby of Rincon Center
Inner Richmond Part 1– See robbers’ roosts, race tracks, saloons, Victorian and Craftsman houses, and a red light district. Part 1 explores the oldest section
Inner Richmond Part 2– See robbers’ roosts, race tracks, saloons, Victorian and Craftsman houses, and a red light district. Part 2 views the wilder section
Diego Rivera Mural–See the last and largest of the murals done by Diego Rivera in the United States, Pan American Unity
Sacred Places – Tour the architecture and learn the history behind a sampling of San Francisco’s religious institutions
Sutro Forest Hike–Explore the legacy of Adolph Sutro’s Arbor Day celebrations, discover the remains of Ishi’s “cave”, and stroll a city reservoir
Tenderloin Part 1 – Discover the flower nurseries, madams and gamblers of the uptown Tenderloin
Tenderloin Part 2– Hear about high rollers, card clubs, gangsters and jazz
Visitacion Valley Part 1–Learn of commerce and transportation, with a foray into Little Hollywood and ending at Silvestri’s statuary showroom
Visitacion Valley Part 2– Visit Eichler housing, a Julia Morgan church, landscaped greenways and more – in the “Valley of the Windmills”
West Portal – Discover the history and architecture of a neighborhood that was transformed from a sleepy ranch to a shopping and transit hub
