Become an “Eco Tourist” in San Francisco….

Named one of the top 10 “green cities” in the U.S. by The Green Guide, and the second greenest U.S. city according to Popular Science, San Francisco was cited as a city that puts transit first; and dedicates more than 17 percent of its 49 square miles to parks and open space.

One of the nicest things about visiting San Francisco is that, although the city is “big” in terms of attractions and amenities, it is geographically small – only 49 square miles. Therefore, San much of San Francisco may be seen on foot or by public transportation. However, what you see and do all depends on the amount of time you have. For more information about public transportation options, please read our article Get Around the Green & Easy Way.

See the “greener” side of San Francisco with these suggested one; two; and three-day itineraries which get “greener” day by day. And, to be “truly” green, be sure to carry a reusable water bottle; a reusable shopping tote to carry all the items you will collect along the way; and if taking a taxi, choose a hybrid – San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom pledges to convert 100% of San Francisco’s taxi fleet to hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles by 2011.

Day One:

Stroll the Crissy Field Promenade – Featuring 40 Cool Globes
Aug. 5 through Oct. 12, 2008
Crissy Field, near the Presidio
For more information, visit www.coolglobes.org

"Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet" is the featured attraction on the Crissy Field Promenade, located along San Francisco Bay near the Presidio. Cool Globes is public art with a purpose, featuring 40 globes, five feet in diameter, that depict simple solutions to global warming. Designed by renowned local, national and international artists, the Cool Globes San Francisco exhibit features new globes created by Bay Area artists, including "Flower Power" by Carrie Nardello (San Francisco), "The Butterfly and the Tsunami" by Lauren Davies (San Francisco), and "Things to do Today" by Reid Johnston and Geo Kitta (Pacifica, Calif.).

Before or after viewing the globes, join a National Park Service Ranger on a leisurely one-mile walk and follow the water trails from the springs of the Presidio to Crissy Field marsh. Departs at 1 pm from Crissy Field Center. For information, telephone 415-561.7752 or visit www.crissyfield.org.

Walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge
For more information about the bridge call 415-921-5858 or visit www.goldengatetransit.org

Completed in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge spans 1.7 miles across the Golden Gate Strait beginning in San Francisco and ending in Marin County. In the evening and on weekends, the east side of the bridge is primarily walkers (cyclists are allowed before 3:30 p.m.) while the west side is reserved for cyclists on weekends and weekday evenings after 3:30 p.m. Be sure to bring a warm jacket and camera to capture the views of Angel Island, Fort Baker, Belvedere, and the Marin Headlands.

Ride the 74X CultureBus (debuts Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008)
Stops include Market and 2nd Streets; Market and Powell; Mission and 3rd Street; Union Square; Civic Center; and the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse. Excluding certain holidays, the 74X CultureBus will run approximately every 20 minutes, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information, visit www.sf74XCultureBus.org.

The City of San Francisco and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority’s (SFMTA) entirely new transit line links passengers with some of San Francisco’s world-class cultural institutions. For one flat fare, ticket holders will experience economical and eco-friendly service from downtown San Francisco to Golden Gate Park stopping in the vicinity of various cultural institutions, including the Asian Art Museum, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the de Young Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Yerba Buena Cultural District and the soon-to-be-opened California Academy of Sciences.

For a flat fare of $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, youths [5-17 years old] and disabled individuals, passengers will also receive discounted admission to certain cultural destinations, including the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. In addition to the six sponsoring institutions, countless other museums, performance venues and other notable destinations are accessible by 74X CultureBus. Museum of African Diaspora, Cartoon Art Museum, Museum of Craft and Folk Art, California Historical Society, the Museum of Performance & Design, the San Francisco Public Library, the San Francisco Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Symphony, City Hall, the San Francisco Botanical Gardens and the Japanese Tea Garden, are all just a short walk from 74X CultureBus stops.

Visit the California Academy of Sciences – Golden Gate Park (opens Sept. 27)
55 Concourse Dr., Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118.
Open to the public every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas:
Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m, Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
For more information, visit www.calacademy.org or call 415-379-8000.

Four years and $500 million in the making, San Francisco’s newest and greenest museum combines an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and scientific research facilities under one roof.
Solar energy will provide at least five percent of the new California Academy of Sciences’ energy needs. The new design, which features a living roof, recycled materials, reclaimed water and natural lighting and ventilation, integrates the Academy more sensitively into the park and makes nature a part of the building’s structure. The Academy expects to be the largest public LEED Platinum building in the world, making the building itself a powerful exhibit on sustainability. Its living roof, planted with native California species, will provide habitat for birds, butterflies and insects, including several threatened species. Underneath that roof, innovative exhibits and programs informed by ongoing scientific research will showcase the great diversity of life on Earth, and inspire visitors to make smart choices in their own lives.

Day Two:

Experience the Ferry Building Marketplace
1 Ferry Plaza – the Embarcadero
Farmers Markets: Tuesdays: 10 a.m-2 p.m. and Saturdays: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
For more information call 415-591-0950 or visit www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

Remodeled and repurposed in 2003, the San Francisco Ferry Building hosts up to 80 farmers who are certified producers who grow the products they sell at the markets. The Saturday and Tuesday farmers market also supports non-certified market sellers - vendors who have prepared jams and jellies, baked goods and coffee with ingredients from local farms. The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) offers evening programs as well, and all on-site programs are free to the public and available on Saturdays and Tuesdays during the summer. For schedules and topics, visit www.cuesa.org. In addition to the farmers market educational programs, CUESA hosts out-of-market educational forays (the only fee-based program). For $25 participants may tour a local farm for a day and have a meal with the farm family

Explore Golden Gate Park
For Golden Gate Park information call 415-831-2700 or visit www.sfgov.org/site/recpark_page.asp
For San Francisco Botanical Garden Arboretum information, visit www.sfbotanicalgarden.org
For Conservatory of Flowers information, visit www.conservatoryofflowers.org

One of the largest urban parks in the world, Golden Gate Park stretches for three miles on the western edge of San Francisco. There’s not a single “Keep Off the Grass” sign and its 1,017 acres are a tonic for mind and body. Two major museums, splendid gardens and facilities for more than 20 sports confirm that this is a playground in every sense of the word.

Among the ever-evolving attractions located mainly in the eastern half of the park include the new California Academy of Sciences (opens Sept. 27, 2008); the de Young Museum; the Conservatory of Flowers (the oldest surviving wood and glass greenhouse in the U.S.); the San Francisco Botanical Gardens (which covers 55 acres and features more than 7,000 species of plants); the Japanese Tea Garden; the National AIDS Memorial; Shakespeare Garden and Rose Garden; and the Koret Children’s Quarter (America’s first public playground, and famous for its circa 1912 Herschell-Spillman carrousel).

Day Three:

Ride a Cable Car
For more information contact the San Francisco Municipal Railway at 415-673-MUNI (6864) or visit www.sfmta.com or www.sfcablecar.com

San Francisco’s cable cars were named a National Historic Landmark in 1964 by the US Interior Department’s National Park Service. The historic cars run on tracks and are moved by an underground cable on three routes. There are currently 40 cars in service: 28 “single-enders” serve the Powell Street routes and 12 “double-enders” serve the California Street route. The cables pull up to 26 cars at a time on weekdays. The cars have a capacity of carrying more than 60 people, and over 7.5 million passengers ride these cars each year. Tickets may be purchased at the cable car turnarounds at the ends of each route ($5 each way).

Challenge San Francisco’s many hills by foot

San Francisco’s natural inclinations offer some challenging ascents for even the most physically fit. As one anonymous person quipped, "When you get tired of walking around in San Francisco, you can always lean against it." Among the steepest streets: Filbert between Leavenworth and Hyde (31.5 percent grade); 22nd Street between Church and Vicksburg (31.5 percent grade); Jones between Union and Filbert (29 percent grade); Duboce Avenue between Alpine and Buena Vista (27.9 percent grade).

For those who prefer to step verses climb, explore one or more of San Francisco’s more than 300 stairways scattered throughout the city which range from the local flights of steps hidden by trees and small gardens, to the dramatic, carefully landscaped stairs found in more widely traveled places such as the famous "crooked" Lombard Street.

Bicycle through San Francisco

Rent a bike for the day, and visit the Presidio. Once home to the U.S. military, this is a very open space, as opposed to most of compact San Francisco. Scattered with former barracks and brick administration buildings, the Presidio features winding roads and navigable trails. These paths offer breathtaking views, intoxicating scents, and the occasional challenging hill. From there you can head out of the City across the Golden Gate Bridge and take on the Marin Headlands and Tennessee Valley for a daylong biking excursion across the bay.