San Francisco - Coastal California - page 144

n Gate and walk up dragon-lantern-lined Grant Ave to Sac-
ramento St. Turn left half a block up, then right onto 2 Waverly Place , where prayer flags
grace painted temple balconies. At Clay St, jog left and right again onto 3 Spofford Alley ,
where Sun Yat-sen plotted revolution. At the end of the block on Washington, take a right
and an immediate left onto mural-lined 4 Ross Alley , once San Francisco's bordello by-
way.
Turn right down Jackson to Grant, then turn right onto 5 Jack K

Enter Chinatown's 1 Dragon G

c Alley, where
the pavement echoes Kerouac's ode to San Francisco: 'The air was soft, the stars so fine,
and the promise of every cobbled alley so great…' Ahead is literary landmark 6 City
Lights , where you'll pause to read a poem upstairs in the designated Poet's Chair.
Head left up Columbus and veer right up Vallejo to fuel up with an espresso at 7 Caffe
Trieste , where Francis Ford Coppola drafted his script for The Godfather. Continue up
Vallejo and scale the steps to Montgomery St. Go left three blocks, and turn left onto
cottage-lined 8 8 G

ck Kerouuac Alle

t Steps to summit Telegraph Hill. Inside 9 Coit Tower ,
enjoy 1934 city views in newly restored murals downstairs and see panoramic Bay views
up top.
Head downhill, past wild parrots and tai-chi masters at a Wasshiington S

8 Greenwich St ich Street St

quare. Turn left
on Columbus, right on Vallejo, and up three blocks to take another picturesque stairway
path to flower-lined b IIna C

n Squa

ith Parrk. Any breath you have left will be taken away by
sweeping views to Alcatraz. Summit your last hill of the day the easy way: catch the
c Powell-Ma

a Coolb olbrith P

ell-Mason c n cable c able car up Nob Hill to walk the meditation labyrinth at d Grace

Cathedral .

Festivals & Events

February

Lunar New Year CULTURAL
( www.chineseparade.com )
Firecrackers, legions of tiny-tot martial artists and a 200ft dancing dragon make this
parade the highlight of San Francisco winters.

April & May