★ Turn-by-Turn Guide to San Fran's Best Sights ★

Every place you travel there's a "scenic drive." And San Francisco's no different. Sure, it’s got mountains, beaches and forests, from a mountaintop with a 360-degree view of the entire San Francisco Bay area, to a spot you can whip out your point-and-shoot and get a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge that rivals any travel poster..

But on San Francisco's Scenic Drive, along with the natural world you get the urban, a pastiche of cultures, and neighborhoods varying from the former brothel-rich stomping grounds of would-be gold prospectors to a cliff-side community overlooking the Golden Gate, where the property values trump those of Malibu or Beverly Hills or, some would say, trump Trump, himself.

And plenty of side trips to get you out from the driver's seat:

* There are hiking trails and footpaths in the hills, along the beach, around a lake, in beautiful parklands, and arboretums;

* We highlight 15 museums along the way, including natural history, art, nautical and historical, as well as aquariums and zoos;

* There are 32 restaurant and food emporia along the way, including a Michelin-starred restaurant and spots you can lunch for a couple of bucks;

* And so that you can memorialize those 49 miles, we point out 26 special spots for taking those perfect photos.

Nowadays it's tough following those Scenic Drive route signs; many are missing, and urban clutter obscures many others. That's why we provide our own turn-by-turn route instructions, with odometer readings for each turn, so you won't be straining to find the old signs. It's the next best thing to having a private car and driver. But hey, where ya gonna find a chauffeured limo for a couple of bucks?


★ About the Author ★

San Francisco Bay Area-based Steve Faber has been a working travel writer/photographer for the past 15 years. He is the author of more than 200 articles appearing in a variety of newspapers, magazines, guidebooks and such Web Sites as MSNBC and CruiseCritic.com, where he is senior contributor. Steve's stock travel photography is available through iStockphoto.com. He lives north of San Francisco in the Marin County community of Mill Valley, where his home offers a glorious view of San Francisco Bay and the skyline of the city, on the 80 or so days a year it isn't fogged in. He shares his home with his wife of 35 years and a chocolate Labrador retriever whose photo appears next to the entry for "Hyperactivity" in the Journal of Veterinary Medicine.

For a real Tweet you can follow Steve on Twitter (@seatravel)


★ About Sutro Media ★

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