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One of my favorite ways to get the lay of the land while traveling is to go walking and one of the things I love about San Francisco is that it is a great walking town. There are so many places you can reach without ever getting into a car. It is a great place to get in your daily exercise without resorting to the hotel's workout facility just by sightseeing.

Here are a couple of my favorite running/walking routes. Whether you are staying in the Union Square area or south of Market (where most of the hotels are located) you can enjoy either of these routes.

This first route is about 2.5 miles long starting at Market and Mason (or you can start at Powell, which is the next street over from Mason, and follow the cable car route). I walk straight up (and I mean up) Mason to Nob Hill, take a turn or two around the park at the top, check out the gorgeous hotels which perch on the top of the hill, look out over the Pacific Ocean and then head back down on either California Street (if I want to look in store windows) or Sacramento (if I want to go through Chinatown and watch it wake up). When I reach Market Street I complete the triangle by going back up to Mason.


My other route is to go down Market to the Ferry Building. If I turn left I can then go along the Embarcadero following the Piers up to Pier 39. This jaunt can be a good 5 miles but you don't have to go all the way to Pier 39 and you are along the water the entire way. My favorite part is on the way back when I always stop into the Ferry Building and grab a latte and, if I worked out "really hard", something tasty to accompany my coffee.



As I write this I can picture both of these walks, the great views and sights, and the exhilaration I feel being outside and having the opportunity to explore San Francisco the way I like best...on foot.