Sports / Recreation, San Francisco

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Along with Lafayette Park, Alta Plaza park in the Pacific Heights neighborhood provides pet owners a chance to unwind and have a stunning view of the city at the same time. Of the two though, Alta Plaza is the more famous because of Pug Sunday, which is the first Sunday of every month when pug owners around the bay area come to the park to let their pet off leash. Located between Scott and Jackson streets, at Steiner, the park has play equipment for children and a couple of very popularly used tennis courts. The park is also a good starting point for a neighborhood walk of mansions in this part of the Pacific Heights neighborhood. Within a block or two away are Calvary Presbyterian Church and the residential apartment building (shown here) where two 128 pound dogs, owned by attorneys Noel and Knoeller, mauled to death 33 year old Diane Whipple, such that she was rendered unrecognizable by paramedics. Later, the attorneys were found guilty of manslaughter.

On our fridge lives the National Parks Conservancy quarterly calendar of free (!) events which are the funnest things to do in a park anywhere in the country, nay the world. San Franciscans fight hard for their parks. In fact, the renegade Presidio went solo, promising the greater parks organization that it could be self-supporting in order to prevent this gorgeous historic area from going to the real estate dogs. Sun or fog, everyone gets out to the parks, which are better described as natural areas, and there are truly too many fun things to do with all the offerings. SF is one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth and people like me are doing their darndest to maintain its native wildlife for all to enjoy. Most of these events are super easy to access and last a few hours so you have plenty of your day left for fun. Here is a short list:

Load and operate the last 50-ton gun at the Presidio
A docent historian recounts and points out shipwrecks in the water at Land's End
Observe and even tag migrating raptors on the Marin Headlands in the fall
Flashlight moonlit tours of ancient redwood stands
Listen for coyotes on a moonight hike
Go pier crabbing under the Golden Gate
Romantic wildlife walks in the Presidio
Learn about birds and flowers on Alcatraz
Get your paws dirty volunteering to transplant native plants at restoration sites
Banana slug days at Muir Woods

Most events simply require a reservation or even just showing up. I think this is the best kept secret in the city, and there's no reason tourists can't avoid the kitshy shops at useless Pier 39 by signing up for one of these free events. Download the newsletter/calendar at this site: http://www.nps.gov/goga/parknews/newspaper.htm
Descriptions, details, and contacts are at the end of the calendar, listed by location.

Have fun and don't miss a beat in S.F.!

(I'll have to upload some of our pics off my phone... if I ever figure out how!)

The area known as Fort Miley / Land's End has to be one of the best easy hikes around both because of the stunning views (the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Golden Gate and the entrance to the Bay to the East. On a clear day, it's so serene and beautiful it makes you want to stay forever watching the sailboats and the seals below.

The Coastal trail makes it through this park (the same coastal trail that is just south of the Golden Gate, but beware, we are talking a few miles of walking to get there!)

Access is fairly easy by car, there's a parking lot just off Point Lobos Ave. on El Camino del Mar (just north of the Cliff House), and a few steps down from there are the trails. The trails are in good condition, although I must warn you there's quite a few steps in some areas to go down to Mile Rock Beach or up towards the Presidio.

Bear Valley
More info: www.bearvalley.com or call 209-753-2301

Kirkwood
More info: www.kirkwood.com or call 209-258-7000

Alpine Meadows
More info: www.skialpine.com or call 530-583-4232

Sugar Bowl
More info: www.sugarbowl.com or call 530-426-9000

Diamond Peak
More info: www.diamondpeak.com or call 775-832-1177

Rossignol - ski equipment
More info on Rossignol is available at: www.rossignol.com

Boreal
More info: www.boreal.com

Northstar/Sierra
More info: www.northsatarattahoe.com or call 1-800-GO-NORTH or www.sierraattahoe.com

Heavenly
More info: www.skiheavenly.com or call 1800-2-HEAVEN

Squaw Valley
More info: www.squaw.com or 530-583-6985

About 10 miles from Golden Gate bridge is Mt Tam. It is not a big mountain(about 3000 ft), but it has some of the best hiking trails in Marin County. One such trail is called Cataract trail. The trail starts off from a reservoir(at the base of the waterfalls). It is a 4 miles round trip hike. You will be hiking up the mountain along the path of the waterfalls. If you have 4-6 hrs to spare while visiting San Francisco, then this is a must do. The waterfalls are year around, but the best time is after the rains in Feb-March.

It's really nice to just walk around the area where Pacific Bell Park is located. A friend of mine lives a block away and does her daily run down along the water front, past the marina, around Pacific Bell Park and back. Very beautiful. The photo here is taken on the back side of the park, looking towards the Oakland Bay Bridge.

There are tons of places to go on motorbike tours in and around SF. Probably some of the nicest rides in the US are around SF.This is the website you must check out if you want to go for a ride:

http://www.pashnit.com/motoroads.htm

There is nothing more enjoyable thatn going for a ride with friends on a sunny day... More pics on the travelogues.

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WINTER TRAVEL INFO
-- Weather: National Weather Service: (831) 656-1725, or www.wrh.noaa.gov/Monterey. Purchase a battery-powered weather radio for NOAA broadcasts from Radio Shack or a similar store.

-- Resorts: Get a readout of resort conditions at www.sfgate.com/sports/skiing, or www.csaa.com/global/articledetail/0,8055,1003000000%257C2055,00.html

-- Highways: CalTrans recorded information, including chain controls: (800) 427-7623, or www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo. Don't forget, if high mountain passes are closed, there's plenty of resorts you can reach without crossing a high pass: Mount Shasta, Eagle Mountain, Royal Gorge, Soda Springs, Sugar Bowl, Donner Ski Ranch, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Dodge Ridge, Bear Valley, Sierra Summit and Badger Pass.

-- Lodging: Mount Shasta Chamber of Commerce, (800) 926-4865 or www.mtshastachamber.com. Tahoe Accommodations, (800) 250-8013, www.tahoeaccommodations.com; or Tahoe.com, www.tahoe.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage;

Virtual Tahoe (south shore), www.virtualtahoe.com;

Lake Tahoe Central Reservations, www.tahoereservations.com;

Lake Tahoe Lodging, (800) 654-5253 www.laketahoelodging.com

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POINTS OF INTEREST
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West Ski Sports Museum
Donner Memorial Museum
CalNeva Resort

WARM & COZY PLACES TO STAY
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Sunnyside Resort (also have a good restaurant)
The Cottage Inn (bungelows)
Three Buck Inn (good for dogs)
Rainbow Lodge (also have a good restaurant)