San Francisco Leisure

San Francisco and the outdoors go hand-in-hand, thanks to the wonderfully cool year-round weather and absolutely stunning natural beauty which surrounds and encompasses the city. Youll find locals out every day in Golden Gate Park and the smaller city parks biking, jogging, skating or doing tai chi. There is also a huge professional sports scene in San Francisco, with all the major American sports represented.

Spectator sports

The Bay Area is one of the nations hot spots for professional sports, and between San Francisco and Oakland, every sport is well-represented. The San Francisco Giants play their Major League Baseball at the stunning SBC Park, right on the edge of the water, from April to October. Just across the bay the Oakland Athletics play their home baseball games at McAfee Coliseum, easily accessible by the BART public subway system. Basketball fans can catch a game with the Golden State Warriors, who play their NBA games at the McAfee Coliseum from November to April. For a taste of American football, catch the San Francisco 49ers, who play at Candlestick Park on Sundays from August through December. Tickets for all professional games are hard to come by, but not impossible. Ask the concierge at your hotel or as a last resort, head down to the venue and buy a ticket from one of the scalpers.

City parks

In addition to the green oasis of Golden Gate Park and the wilder and larger Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco contains more than 2,000 acres of public parkland right in the heart of the city. Some of the smaller parks, such as Buena Vista Park on Haight Street, offer excellent views of the Golden Gate Bridge and relaxing spots for a picnic. Ina Coolbrith Park on Taylor Street has fine views of the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz, while the 270-acre Lincoln Park offers a bit of everything. Not only does it have a scenic 18-hole public golf course, the parks boundaries are 200-foot cliffs that overlook the Golden Gate Bridge and the entire bay area.

The real gem of San Francisco, however, is the legendary Golden Gate Park. Everybody in the city uses this 1,017-acre landmark, which is filled with hundreds of small gardens and quiet green spots connected by wooded paths and paved walking trails. You can easily spend several days exploring the park alone. Major sites include the McLaren Rhododendron Dell, The Rose Garden, Strybing Arboretum, the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden. But theres also Strawberry Hill, the Dutch Windmill and dozens of other secret nooks and crannies waiting to be discovered.