Holiday Hills and Valleys (last minutre)

I know that the Heights walk is traditionally our last of the year, but the weather and my schedule are cooperating and we're happily able to squeeze in one more. We cut our "Hillside Holidays" short last week, so this walk picks up some of the places we skipped, plus adds a few neighborhood gems. It will take us through Cole Valley, NoPa, Ashbury Heights, The Haight, and the Panhandle.

We meet at the Grattan Playground at Stanyan and Alma (the restrooms are supposed to be open until 5:30 but it's winter and the holiday season, so no promises) and start walking at 5:30 ON THE DOT. Ooooh, look at the Fire Station across the street! From there we begin walking and visit the Cole Valley Sleigh, Uncle John's Tree, The North Pole for Pups House, and the Halloween Christmas Present House. Of course, we'll re-visit the wonderful Nutcracker House showcase corner that we saw last week (and have one last look for Jean).

This walk should take a little over 2 hours depending on how much we ooh and ahh. There is a hill at Page Street, and a big uphill at Masonic. There's some downhill going back, but much of this walk is fairly flat.

We end our walk in Cole Valley at the corner of Cole and Carl - about 4 blocks from our starting point. This is the center of the neighbourhood, and has multiple transportation options. The N Judah, and Muni busses #43 ,and #37 all have stops at that corner. The #7, #33, and #6 are all within 2-3 blocks away. The area also has plenty of restaurants, cafes, and bars if you've worked up an appetite on the walk.

Getting There:
Grattan Playground is at the corner of Alma and Stanyan (don't confuse it with the Grattan School- a couple of blocks away). Parking is neighborhood only and may be difficult, but you may have some luck on the side streets away from the commercial corridor. In an absolute pinch, there is a paid lot at Kezar stadium on Stanyan about 4 blocks from our starting point.
Public transportation is your best bet. The 43 (Masonic) and the 6 (Hayes Parnassus) are the closets stops at Stanyan and Parnassus The N (Judah) is a lock over at Carl and Stanyan, and the 7 (Haight Noriega) is one more block at Frederick/Stanyan. The 33 (Ashbury 18th) will get you to Haight and Stanyan. A few blocks the other way, the 37 (Corbett) has a stop at Cole and Alma.

Dogs are always welcome on my walks. They must be well-behaved and on leash the entire walk.

WHAT TO BRING:
--We won't be stopping for a break, so if you get peckish, bring something you can eat while walking.
--Bring plenty of water, and more for your dog if they're joining us.
--Dress for the weather, and wear comfortable shoes.
--Don't forget your camera- we love seeing your pictures!
--This walk goes along mostly residental streets, and some of them are surprisingly dark with uneven pavement:
BRING A FLASHLIGHT/TORCH or HEADLAMP. I suppose your phone flashlight would do the trick, but mine eats through my battery.
--Bring yoiur sense of adventutre, camaraderie, and fun.

We walk in a mist or drizzle, but rain or very high winds (neither forecast) will cancel this walk. If that happens, I will send out an email by 4 PM.

Please respect San Francisco City Steps attendance policy and cancel your RSVP if you have a change of plans. No-shows and late cancels are noted and can lead to removal from the group. This walk is only open to City Steps members (no guests). Crashers will be truned away.

Your "yes" RSVP indicates that you have agrred to the liability policy that can be found at the bottom of every Meetup.com page.