A History Walk in Pacific Heights & Presidio Heights

After leading several free sample walks, I am charging $5 cash for this walk. Kids, under 18, are always free and I will continue to lead some free walks, about half of the walks. I collect the $ at the middle of walks.

Our starting point is on the sidewalk at 1765 California Street outside of the Whole Foods Market between Van Ness and Franklin Street. Try to be there at 11:00 AM or earlier. We will start walking at 11:10 AM. We will end back here about 4:30 PM.

I will have clip boards for everyone to sign (print) themselves in. Bring a sack lunch and water. We will have adequate restrooms.

I advise to not drive to SF because driving and parking in SF is horrible. However, if you have to drive you should not park in the Whole Foods Parking lot as you might get towed. You can likely find free street parking in Pacific Heights if you are prepared to search a long time over a large area.

Below is the link to a Trip Planner that gives details on using Bay Area public transportation:
Get directions & show routes - Computer - Google Maps Help

The first thing we do is walk to nearby "Lafayette Square Park" where we will enjoy the park's views, use its restrooms and go to the top of the little hill. The first giant mansion we will see is the great historic Spreckels Mansion where now an incredibly successful woman novelist lives.

Then we will walk to Jackson and then West on Jackson to Scott and then take a group photo in Alta Plaza. Then we will walk West on Washington. On previous walks we turned left on Spruce to eat at the many restaurants on California Street.

This time we stay on Washington for one more block West to see Le Petit Trianon which is the greatest mansion in SF. However, no billionaire wanted to buy it because they want their mansions to be of their design only, and they can't change a mansion made of marble and exquisite stain glass.

Below is a link to a video showing the mansion's interior:
Bing Videos

Then we walk inside the Presidio to eat our sack lunches in a nice park with public restrooms. There I will collect the $5.

Then we walk East to Billionaires' Row and see many impressive things such as a 9' tall robot with a large male sex organ.

A big old Hollywood color movie called "Portrait in Black" was filmed on Billionaires' Row in 1959. Many of the big stars of that time appear such as Anthony Quinn, Lana Turner, Sandra Dee, Lloyd Noland, Ray Walston, Richard Basehart, John Saxon and Anna May Wong. Below is a link to more details:
Portrait in Black (1960) - IMDb

There are many wonderful things we will see such as an old 1893 fire house turned into a residence with a firetruck in the living room:
For Our Love Of Old Engine House #23 (3022 Washington) – SocketSite™

I have been inside many of SF's biggest mansions since 2007 through attending many "Decorator Showcase" events, which are yearly fund raisers for University High School. I am only going to lead this walk one or two times a year for multiple reasons. One is that I don't want to attract people who only like mansions. I like mansions, but I like the many things we encounter in different walks.
Archive of Past Houses — San Francisco Decorator Showcase

This walking group is for humans only. No dogs or other animals allowed.

Some legal disclaimers: By joining us for any event you hereby RELEASE and DISCHARGE it's organizers, hosts and participants from any and all liability, claims, demands or causes of action that you now have, or may have in the future, for injuries, damages, death and/or economic loss of any kind or nature, arising in whole or in part out of the activities, advice or information contained herein. You further agree that if you or someone under your supervision uses the information on this website you assume all risks of injury, damage, and economic loss, without limitation, and release providers from all liability therefore. It is advisable to consult a doctor before you begin any strenuous physical activity. The organizer is not trained for emergency medical procedures and no doctors, nurses or ambulances are provided on the walks.