Anyone in San Francisco will be able to direct you to the Marina Green. This is a wonderful public area near the water. On a beautiful day it is filled with city locals out to exercise and enjoy views of the water.

You can actually start running closer to Fisherman's Wharf, if you'd like, but the cab dropped us off at Fort Mason, and we began our jog to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Look for paths that cut off the street and to the water once you pass the boats in the marina. Trails run parallel to the beach where you will see kayakers in their wet suits, Labradors chasing sticks thrown into the water, sailboats farther out in the Bay.

Continue down the flat path and the beach will drop away to rocks lapped by the blue-green waves of the Pacific Ocean. I actually forgot that I was running as I watched sea foam shooting into the sky, the Golden Gate Bridge looming up above me.

At this point, if you would like to make your run into a real challenge, take the various step trails you'll see in the lush greenery to your left.

Or continue to the Golden Gate Bridge to run across for distance.

When you run back in the direction of Fort Mason and Alcatraz, take a cool down walk up the hill to get another great view of the Bay. (Or run this section, too, down to Fisherman's Wharf.)

Of course, if you don't want to run this course, a long walk in this area would be a wonderful experience, too!

If you’ve ever seen Hitchcock’s Vertigo, you’ll recognize the view from Fort Mason. It’s arguably the best vantage point from which to view the Bay. Have lunch At Greens, the out-of-this-world vegetarian restaurant.