December's always a good time to reflect on the past year and see how much you've learned, seen, and done. In this post, I'm sharing 14 places I visited or re-visited over the past year to motivate you to get you out there and explore during this holiday season or in 2023.
January: Sausalito stairways.
February 2022: Labyrinth above Rodeo Beach
March 2022: Wildflowers at Fort Scott
Fort Scott is one of my favorite spots in the Presidio, and it's overlooked compared to the Presidio Main Post. I highly recommend visiting Dragonfly Creek and the stairways around the YMCA tennis courts. I visited this area in March of this year only to discover it was blanketed with gorgeous yellow oxalis. It was a perfect time to visit — and I had the place mostly to myself, too.
April: Bring Your Own Big Wheel
Held on Easter Sunday every year, this event is a tradition for my family. Bring a big wheel bike and careen down Vermont Street in Potrero Hill, the curviest street in the city. It's not too dangerous — on a Big Wheel you're just a few inches off the ground, and the event organizers line the street with bales of hay to protect you from crashing into concrete curbs lining the street. Many people wear costumes for this event, and have kids-only runs for the little ones who want to participate.
May: Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets Door
I was prepping for a tour in Fisherman's Wharf, Russian Hill, and North Beach in May. As I wandered around, I found this amazing door on Leavenworth between Bay and North Point. For those in the know, it's inspired by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. You can read more about the door here.
June: Twin Peaks during Pride Month
I love seeing the giant pink triangle go up on top of Twin Peaks every year. For almost 30 years, volunteers have installed, maintained, and dismantled this symbol of pride on one of SF's highest peaks. While the triangle looks great from afar, I recommend heading up to the Twin Peaks overlook to see what it looks like up close.
August: Bay Bridge Bike Path
If you're a cyclist, you'll definitely want to check out the Bay Bridge bike path if you haven't done so already. You can get here from West Oakland BART or from the new Treasure Island Ferry. The views are fantastic, and there were only a few people here when we went.
September: Burnside Stairway
September: Prayerbook Cross
It's easy to walk by this cross and not even know it's here. Across the street from Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, look for a sign for Prayerbook Cross and take the short path to the top of the hill. The Celtic cross was placed here in 1894 for the Midwinter International Exposition. You can learn more about the cross here.
October: Dolo Drip Stairway
