San Francisco is filled with scenic walks

SAN FRANCISCO — Some people go to San Francisco for the museums, the gay culture, the restaurants, the shopping.

I go to walk.

Since I was a teenager, I've been an avid urban walker. It's my favorite way to see a city's buildings and people, its street life and moods. And San Francisco is one of the most walkable cities, anywhere.

The city has lively neighborhoods of century-old mansions and bay-windowed buildings. Many streets are narrow and intimate, not car-clogged. There are miles of in-city waterfront boulevards and beaches to stroll. When you need a break, there's always a cafe, museum or shop nearby.

Yes, the hills can be dauntingly steep. But they give walkers some great views — and a good workout.

So if you're going to San Francisco, pack your walking shoes and check out some of these places. These walks are north of Market Street, one of the city's main thoroughfares, and are easily reached by foot or public transport from downtown or Fisherman's Wharf hotels. You can walk for a half-hour on these routes, or roam for hours.

Begin with the icon of the city — the Golden Gate Bridge. Go to the city's Marina District, then walk west through the waterfront parkland of Crissy Field. Share its mile-plus path with joggers and lovers, and watch kids frolic on the beach and seals play in the water. The path dead-ends near the southern base of the bridge at Fort Point, an old Civil War-era military fort (open on weekends).

Hungry? Get lunch or a snack at the Warming Hut, a trendy cafe/bookshop by the south base of the bridge (www.parksconservancy.org/visit/parkcafes.php or 415-561-3040). Then drink in the view of the Golden Gate Bridge, especially stunning in the evening, when it's framed by the setting sun and billowing fog.

Pet lovers could detour to the Presidio Pet Cemetery, a plot tucked under the approach road to the bridge. Hundreds of pets that belonged to families stationed at the Presidio (a former military base that's now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area) were buried in the half-acre plot over the last 50 years. Little gravestones are lovingly inscribed with the names of hamsters, birds, cats and dogs, some including their owners' military rank (www.nps.gov/prsf/planyourvisit/pet-cemetery.htm).