Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
215
Tips
Getting the Scoop on Special Events
The Golden Gate National Parks Association (GGNPA) partners with the National
Park Service to help maintain much of the public land on San F rancisco's coast-
line. The GGNPA sponsors educational programs at various sites—including
Crissy Field, the Presidio, Fort Point, China Beach, and Fort Funston—on a quar-
terly basis. You can plan ahead to join ranger-led walks, talks, and other pro-
grams, some specifically for families, by logging onto www.nps.gov/goga/park
news and downloading the latest “ParkNews” newsletter.
THE RICHMOND & SUNSET
Golden G ate Park,
S an F rancisco's most famous public gr ounds, attracts mor e than
75,000 people on the weekends alone. The park is about 3 miles long (bigger than Man-
hattan's Central P ark) and is best appr eciated on foot or two wheels. I f little legs ar e
unable to travel the length of the park, don't worry: The California Academy of Sciences,
de Young Museum, Conservatory of F lowers, and K orea Children's Corner, among the
park's major highlights, are all within walking distance of each other . On weekends and
holidays in the summer fr om 10am to 6pm, the fr ee Golden Gate Park Shuttle runs at
15-minute intervals from McLaren Lodge on the eastern edge of G olden Gate Park to
Ocean Beach, stopping at 15 locations in betw een. See p. 173 for more information on
the park.
The lake in
Mountain Lake Park
was a 4-acre reservoir that provided San Francisco
with water during the gold r ush. Located on the edge of the P residio Golf Course off
Lake Street between 8th Avenue and Park Presidio Boulevard, this exceptional park is a
great location for families with kids of all ages. There are two playgr ounds, one mor e
suitable for under-5s. Other facilities include basketball and tennis courts, playing fields,
hiking trails, a small beach, and picnic tables. The no. 28L-19th Avenue bus driv es by
the park on its way into the P residio.
In the inner Richmond, not far fr om Laurel Village, is
Rossi Pool and Playground
(Arguello Blvd. at Anza St.;
&
415/666-7014
). It's a nice pool at a bargain fee—$4 for
adults, $1 for kids—with limited recreational swim hours, and the playground is big and
well equipped. The park has tennis cour ts as w ell, making it a good destination for a
variety of activities.
8
2
THE GREAT INDOORS
Gymboree
Ages infant to 4.
You may know it for the frilly kids ' clothes, but Gym-
boree actually star ted 30 y ears ago as a play and music gr oup for y oung children. Its
popular 45-minute playgr oup sessions led b y a G ymboree instr uctor led to its bigger
success in retail. Gymboree's weekly music and movement classes for babies and par ents
to do together ar e designed to follo w the appropriate developmental sequence. If you're
here for a longer stay, Gymboree classes are a great way to meet other moms and babies.
The first class is free, and subsequent drop-in sessions are $25 per class.
1525 Sloat Blvd., near the San Francisco Zoo.
&
415/242-5637.
www.gymboreeclasses.com. Class times
vary based on the age of your child; call for details.
