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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
san francisco: cross the golden gate bridge and drive up up and up into the marin headlands. as you wind along the roads, passing the stunning views, you will come to the former Nike Missile launch site at Fort Barry. take a moment to stare out at the missiles sunning themselves in the scene. do not climb the fence and attempt to "ride" them, no matter how tempting. it's just a bad idea.
san francisco: navigate your way across the golden gate bridge and over to tiburon. stroll through the town and take a rest on the grass by the edge of the water. set up camp and try to do handstands for several hours. broken limbs, backs and egos are highly likely.
san francisco: take a trip over to clarion alley between mission and valencia to find the clarion alley mural project. every wall space in covered in amazing murals that differ from one another immensely. pick your favorite mural and take a picture. my favorite? the pixel unicorns shooting deadly laser beams out of their multicolored hoofs.
