FREE San Francisco Walking Tours: Tip-of-the-Day #329

Last night I had the pleasure of sharing a Scorpion Bowl with a nice fella at Trad'r Sam's in San Francisco. Over the course of our Bowl, I discovered that among other things, he is a San Francisco City Guide. I had no idea what this meant, so he enlightened me. And, I hope that this "share" will enlighten you and your traveling friends, family members, and anyone visiting San Francisco!

First off, City Guides, a non-profit founded in 1978, is staffed with more than 200 trained volunteers who lead FREE history and architectural walking tours in San Francisco, 52 weeks a year, rain or shine! Wait. What?? Tours head out along the streets, sidewalks, and byways of San Francisco's most famous (or, in some cases, infamous) districts, as well as in some of its more hidden neighborhoods. There are approximately 30 different walks offered each month, with an expanded schedule, offered in May and October. Walks lasts from 1 1/2 to 2 hours and walkers meet at the place and time designated in the current Tour Schedule. No reservations are required.

On Saturday, August 1, there is a tour called "1850's San Francisco: Paris of the Pacific." It's described as follows: Gold Rush San Francisco had a large population of French Parisians. Their influence, abilities, and taste for the finer things of life helped San Francisco to blossom almost overnight from the mud of Yerba Buena Cove into a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city.

The directions are simply to meet at the corner of Clay and Montgomery at Transamerica Pyramid. How cool is that?

A complete list of tours can be found here: http://www.sfcityguides.org/descriptions_table.html

I find it fascinating that I've lived in the Bay Area all of my life and in San Francisco proper for 20 years and had no idea this FREE SERVICE exists!

You learn something new every day. And, even though I'm a native, I'm inclined to check this out. I'll let you know what I discover!