san francisco: grab your phone and head to golden gate park with the california academy of sciences field guide app. navigate your way to stow lake using the location-aware map and start the guided walk around the lake. spot some nature, take some photos and feel good that you're using your technology obsession outside for a change. 

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san francisco: board the N or the 71 and prepare yourself for a long journey, deep into the outer sunset to 45th and judah street. at 4035 judah, visit general store, a small design boutique filled with lots of interesting "design-y" finds from books to glassware and clothing to art. bring a healthy wallet, a happy attitude and a smart phone. keep an eye on this bus schedules or you might get stuck out there, all alone, with no means of getting your newly acquired design goodies home.

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discover new ways of seeing iconic objects, buildings, places and things by observing them from different angles and positions. twist your body in different ways, crouch down or climb around or go down a hidden alley to capture a view you haven't seen before - just don't do anything illegal.

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san francisco: while meandering around downtown san francisco, wander over to the plaza at 555 mission where you will find three head sculptures looking out at you. they're kind of goofy, kind of playful, and kind of an awesome treat amid the urban downtown landscape. just don't go sticking your hand in their mouths. from experience, those teeth are pretty sharp.

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if you live near a body of a water, there's a good chance someone can offer you a canoe to rent. find them, rent it and explore said body of water. if you live in san francisco, you've got even more options. if you live in san francisco and feel up to a three hour drive, may i suggest traveling north to the big river estuary in mendocino where the fine lads of catchacanoe will let you get on a boat. don't fall asleep and drift into the ocean though, they don't like that very much.

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take a trip to your nearest local floral boutique and treat yourself to a unique arrangement of fresh flowers. don't buy them for someone else. buy them for you. unless you hate flowers. then i'd suggest you do something else.

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san francisco: take a trip across the golden gate bridge and follow the road toward mount tam. you'll come across a small parking area before you get to the top that leads into the woods. follow a map down the steep, rocky paths to the bottom where you will be greeted by alpine lake. take note as you head downward that the hike back up will not be as fun.

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san francisco: travel through the quaint neighborhood streets of the upper haight and head further up passed buena vista park to roosevelt way and museum way to discover a large rock formation at corona heights. as you ascend the hill, you will be greeted with spectacular views of the city. be sure to snap a photo or two while you're there, but don't drop your camera/iphone.

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san francisco: make your way up the sweeping hills of the city to presidio st and pacific st where you'll find an entrance back down into san francisco's presidio. walk down and around, through the trees and about the greens on paved ways and ad hoc paths. there's a ton of secluded bits to explore. when you start running into tourists and too many people, you have my permission to get out of there immediately.

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san francisco: ride, bike or bus over to the very expansive golden gate park where you'll find lots of hidden delights and surprises like the rose garden, secretly tucked away beyond the museums. spend time exploring the varietals, enjoying the lovely scents and admiring the colors, shapes and sizes of the seemingly endless beds of roses. always remember one thing: roses have thorns so don't go falling in.

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take a ride to your nearest beach on a less desirable day - the foggier, the moodier, the overcastier the better. enjoy exploring the eerie atmosphere, get lost in your solitude and consider the stark contrast of the beach on a sunny day. if i were you, i would avoid swimming, drowning and falling off cliffs. no one will find you.

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san francisco: navigate your way to the corner of turk and mason off market street in san francisco's "to be avoided" tenderloin district. you will be greeted by chor boogie's enormous mural with huge strokes of vibrant color, shapes and faces spanning over doors and windows across buildings within the long alley. if you  fear a "less polished" area of the city, it's probably a good idea to avoid a visit after midnight.

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san francisco: grab a group of good pals and head north over the golden gate bridge to the top of mount tam. follow the narrow, curvy roads up and up through the hills and trees. pick one of the many scenic places to stop and hike on up just before sunset. may i suggest a nice bottle of wine to sip as the sun sets. be sure to drink in moderation unless you actually want the hike down to get ugly.

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whenever you wander about, take a moment to find reflections in unexpected places and unconventional surfaces. consider how objects and faces transform and take color depending on the type of surface you're looking at. i'd refrain from becoming too curious around water, especially if you're really interested in staying dry.

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san francisco: make your way through the city and up the hills to 18th and missouri in potrero hill. take a moment to consider the long wooden fence painted in vibrant greens with splashes of bright color and note the multiple "eyes" staring at you from every direction. spend some time grouping the eyes together to form little characters and faces - but don't linger too long, someone may get suspicious, creeped out, or think you're just weird.

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san francisco: journey down to pier 45 on the embarcadero for an epic adventure into the creepy museum of antique penny arcade games. be sure to take plenty of quarters with you to witness the century old "games" including the bizarre opium-den, a graphic french execution, and an uncomfortable jolly jack laugh. If you're prone to nightmares and hate fun, i suppose this isn't the place for you.

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san francisco: hop in a car and head north over the golden gate bridge to calistoga where hot springs and mud baths are a plenty. book an early morning massage at indian springs and enjoy an entire day of nothingness, lounging by the enormous geyser-fed mineral pool. in the likely event you lose your ability to move your body due to extreme relaxation, i suggest you avoid the deep end.

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book yourself an adventure to distant lands exclusively by yourself. the further, the better. take lots of photos, meet lots of people, and break lots of your own personal rules. i'd like to suggest the beautiful city of amsterdam as the location of your solo adventure. it's clean, friendly and full of activities. if you aren't very resourceful, are a little bit shy, or unwilling to try something new, then you'll probably have a really, really bad time. don't die!

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every week map out a different way to get to work, school, or that other thing you do regularly during the day and night. if you take the bus, take a different route, or get off a few stops earlier/later to explore the areas around you. if you walk, keep walking cause that's pretty cool, but take different paths to get there. if you drive, take a bike. if you take a bike, walk. if you take a taxi, stop doing that.

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if you're lucky enough to have access to your roof, take a moment to go up there at midnight and observe the environment around you. for an extra special treat, wait to do this during a full moon and bring some music with you. two things to note: if you fall, not my fault and if someone thinks you're a robber, jump.

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