by Judy Joyce

Created on: October 27, 2008   Last Updated: December 04, 2008

THE TOP FIVE SIGHTSEEING SPOTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

There really are no "Top Five" sightseeing spots in San Francisco. The very culture of San Francisco will not allow for such things. A mecca of multi-culturalism in such a small, two-by-four city of only 49 square miles, requires even the local judiciary to take note of 120 language dialects for the court interpreter pool. Whatever is the "Top Five" for one group of visitors may be antiethical to the next. To overcome this disparity between the Tour Guide industry recommendations and the visitors looking for direction in the hopes of enjoying their vacation, the very first recommendation should be from the view of a generalist.

THE 49 MILE SCENIC DRIVE

A once around San Francisco in an all sweeping way is to take the 49 Mile Scenic Drive. The drive takes about 4 hours to complete depending on traffic patterns and time of day and without stopping. In this way, a visitor can set out to complete a route around the city that allows for them to stop and take a closer look, eliminate some popular touristy locations they don't particularly like, and give a notion of where to spend the greater portion of their time after that first day. Tour buses cannot navigate this drive.

As a practical guide to use for this adventure is "San Francisco's 49 Mile Scenic Drive: The Guidebook, " by Lubow and Rosen, a paperback book published in 2001. The authors have divided the drive into 14 segments of detailed driving instructions starting at City Hall. Setting up drive-bys of Old St. Mary's Church, the Palace of Fine Arts, Mission Dolores, Pacific Bell Park, the Ferry Building, the directions then take the visitor around the curves to the Presidio of San Francisco once an Army base and now a national park.

Down the Great Highway and past the large expanse waves of Ocean Beach, the excursion then takes the driver to Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. Over to Dolores Street alongside a row of stately palms, directions then ascent Twin Peaks, known for its stunning view 360 degree view of the city. Over to the narrow streets of Chinatown, where walking makes far more sense than driving, a visitor finds themselves at Fisherman's Wharf.

It steers onto Cesar Chavez Street offast-moving cars to get to the on-ramps to Highway 101 before being exited to the USCF Medical Center complex loaded with doctors, nurses and med students bustling around from clinics to classes - a world class medical facility known worldwide. Do not follow the signs that say

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