Great Things to DO in & around San Francisco

Looking for an urban adventure? A short escape? A bit of culture? Or nature? How about a great view?

Here's a list I compiled of some great things to do in & around SF:

Point Bonita Lighthouse is open to the public on evenings when there is a full moon. Located at the tip of the Marin Headlands, the approach is through a dramatically dark tunnel cut through solid rock. Point Bonita lighthouse is perched on the other side of a short bridge over pounding surf and pillow basalt rocks. Watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, while the full moon rises over the city's skyline behind you. Very, very special.

Valencia Street makes a great urban adventure with lots of surprises. I like to take out-of-towners for a stroll through its quirky array of shops. Don't miss Paxton Gate, where you can buy a fox skeleton dressed as a geisha, or 826 Valencia, the writer's workshop that poses as a pirate's provisioner. Support young writers by buying an eye patch, a peg leg, or publications of creative writing. Continue on to Los Encantadas to see a store for colorful Mexican folk crafts & its art gallery. Be sure to say hello to the friendly mother & daughter team behind the counter. Also on Valencia Street you'll find shops to buy potions & magic candles, a large bead store, several used books stores, some great restaurants, a creative used furniture/curio shops, herbal remedies, India ice cream, a hat store, Good Vibrations, and much more.

Fort Funston is THE place to fly a kite. Splurge on a decent kite (for a sure flight, buy a delta kite - it's triangular shape flies easily). Pack up a picnic lunch and head to the beach below the bluffs of Fort Funston. The theme is "Things in the Sky", and you'll spot hang gliders launching above you, planes from SFO, birds, possibly paragliders just south of you -- and of course, your kite. If the air is fairly still, expect winds to pick up and get stronger around 2 PM.

Agate Beach, Bolinas Drive along Highway 1 to the reclusive little town on the other side of a lagoon, Bolinas. Locate Agate Beach on a map, and head there -- possibly after exploring the sleepy but quaint town. At Agate Beach you can find small sea polished bits of oil agate at the water's edge. Since they're translucent, you'll have to look very closely. Once you spot one, your trained eyes will begin to see others. You can also finds small bits of jaspar, nephrite jade, and if you're really lucky, petrified whale bone.

Sutro Heights is one place SF residents tend to overlook. Easy to get to, this park is on a big bluff opposite the Cliff House. On a sunny day, Sutro Heights has a spectacular view of Ocean Beach that stretches for miles. Fog adds atmosphere & mystery. The perspective from the Heights allows you to look down on the "tiny" people on the beach & in the surf. Once the residence & gardens of SF's philanthropist, Adolph Sutro, this is the perfect place for a mini-escape. It's a perfectly romantic setting, too.

Tank Hill has one of my favorite views of the city -- without the busloads of tourists that Twin Peaks is plagued with. I'll make you work to locate it so that it stays somewhat of a well-kept secret.

Golden Gate Heights Mosaic Stairs at 16th Avenue & Morago is a great example of a neighborhood collaboration. These steep stairs have recently been decorated with colorful mosaics. Starting at the base, nature climbs upwards: the ocean, a beach, a stream, the woods, the sky, the moon, and the sun. You can spot all sorts of mosaic animals & plants, with bats flying at night among stars towards a mirrored reflecting moon. Great view from the top.

Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park Yes, you've seen it. But how many of you have crossed the Rustic Bridge, walked to the Chinese Pavilion, then criss-crossed up the paths over Huntington Waterfall to the top of Strawberry Hill? At the top of the hill are some mysterious ruins. They were once an observatory that crumbled in the 1906 earthquake. Did you know that it's considered by some to be the location of an ancient Temple of Neptune when SF was once a city of Atlantis called Tlamco? Search the Web on 'Tlamco' and see what you find. Other temple sites include Alamo Square (Temple of Venus) and Buena Vista Park (Temple of Saturn).