When you are planning a vacation to Maui or Rio de Janeiro you may put beaches on the top of you list of things to see. However, when planning a trip to San Francisco, you may have heard of North Beach, but North Beach doesn't have any beaches (though the neighborhood was named after a beach that used to be on its north shoreline). If fact, San Francisco has several beaches that provide diversions for residents and visitors alike.

Make no mistake about it, San Francisco is not Los Angeles. Unless it's an exceptional day, San Francisco beaches tend to be a little chilly, windy and foggy. However, this should not deter you from enjoying a nice afternoon at the beach. Many San Francisco beaches have beautiful panoramic views of the Marin Headlands, Point Bonita Lighthouse and the Golden Gate Bridge. Just be prepared with a sweatshirt or jacket in addition to your shorts or swim suit. Because of the latitude of San Francisco, the waters may be too cold for swimming (unless you brought your wet suit). Bring your beach towels, a sand bucket, a good book, a kite and a Frisbee to make the best of your afternoon at the beach.

San Francisco's most popular beaches are Ocean Beach and Baker Beach. Although East Beach at Crissy Field in the Presidio has become quite popular since the restoration of Crissy Field.

Ocean Beach is San Francisco's largest and longest beach running 5 miles up the entire west side of San Francisco. The northern end of San Francisco Ocean Beach popular among locals, surfers and visitors. The Cliff House towers above Ocean Beach perched on the edge of a coastal bluff that borders the north end of the beach. The beach is perfect for building sand sculptures and hosts a yearly sand sculpture contest. Ocean Beach has a very slight slope, making it ideal for wading in the surf. Surfers wearing wet suits are a common sight along this section of Ocean Beach.

Baker Beach is located in the Presidio just south of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. With its panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands, Baker Beach is a popular beach and picnic destination for San Francisco locals, especially on the weekends. Several picnic tables with barbecue pits are located to the east of the north parking lot. The beach has strong rip-tides, so swimming can be hazardous. A few fishermen may dot the shoreline. The north end of the beach is clothing optional, so families typically stay toward the middle and south ends of the beach.

Other beaches in San Francisco include Lands End Beach and China Beach, named for the Chinese fishermen who used to camp nearby. San Francisco Castro Beach is not really a beach at all. It's a park that has garnered the "beach" nickname because of all the Castro sun bathers that blanket its lawns.

Adding a beach to your San Francisco agenda may be a great way to slow down the frenetic pace of sightseeing and enjoy a more relaxed appreciation of San Francisco's natural beauties.

Jed Clark is a travel writer, photographer and long-time San Francisco resident. He is an avid traveler and has traveled extensively for both business and pleasure. He loves his home city of San Francisco and created ZurdoGo.com to extol San Francisco's wonders, destinations and beauties to would be travelors and visitors.

Jed Clark may be contacted at http://www.zurdogo.com

San Francisco, a city in western California is coextensive with San Francisco County. Famous for its beautiful setting, San Francisco is primarily located on the northern tip of a peninsula at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the strait known as Golden Gate on the north, San Francisco Bay on the east, and San Bruno Mountain on the south. Alcatraz, Angel, Farallon, Treasure, and Yerba Buena islands are part of the city.

POPULATION

The population of San Francisco increased from 678,974 in 1980 to 723,959 in 1990; the population was 735,315 in 1996. According to the 1990 census, whites constitute 53.6 percent of San Francisco's population; Asians and Pacific Islanders, 29.1 percent; blacks, 10.9 percent; and Native Americans, 0.5 percent. Hispanics, who may be of any race, represent 13.3 percent of the population. San Francisco is part of a major metropolitan region that also includes Oakland and San Jose. The region's population increased from 5,368,000 in 1980 to 6,253,000 in 1990, reaching an estimated 6,940,000 in 2004.

ECONOMY

San Francisco is a leading financial and international trade center for the western United States. The downtown financial district contains the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange; the headquarters of the 12th Federal Reserve District; and numerous banks and corporate office buildings, including the home office of the Bank of America, one of the largest banks in the world. Tourism is also important to the city's economy. The San Francisco region is also home to many companies developing computer software and hardware. Several national apparel manufacturers also have headquarters in the city.

EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

The main institutions of higher education in San Francisco are San Francisco State University (1899), the University of San Francisco (1855), Golden Gate University (1853), the University of California-San Francisco (1864), the New College of California (1971), the University of California Hastings College of Law (1878), the San Francisco Art Institute (1871), the Academy of Art College (1929), the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (1917), and a large community college. San Francisco has many performing-arts organizations. Among the best known are the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, and the American Conservatory Theater.

For more information, visit The San Francisco Help Center

David Chandler

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You probably already know about the San Francisco Cable Cars. They cost $3.00 a ride and are famous for carrying passengers over the steep Nob and Russian hills. Another historic way to get around the city of San Francisco is to take an F-line streetcar. For $1.25, you'll be riding a vintage electric street car. The F-line streetcars were purchased from cities around the world, so you may get on a car that was originally in service in Milan, Moscow, Philadelphia, New York or Cincinnati.

The electric streetcars first appeared in San Francisco in 1892. After the 1906 earthquake and fire, they began replacing cable cars as San Francisco's main transit system (except for the really steep hills) because cable cars were slower and more difficult to maintain. Cable cars run by grabbing onto a constantly moving cable under the street, while streetcars have an overhead pole that connects to a single power wire.

At one time Market Street had four sets of streetcar tracks (two for the Municipal Railway and two for its privately-owned competitor). The last Market Street streetcar lines were closed in 1982 when the subway system was installed, moving the tracks for the remaining streetcar lines underground and replacing the historic cars with modern ones. For the next five years, a festival was held that celebrated the historic streetcars. During the festival, the streetcars were run on the old Market Street tracks. The success of the streetcar festival prompted the development of a permanent historic streetcar line and the F-line was permanently reopened in 1995.

The F-line runs from the Castro down Market Street past the San Francisco Civic Center and around the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf. You can hop off at the San Francisco Ferry Building on a Tuesday or Saturday afternoon and enjoy the Farmer's Market. If you're visiting San Francisco, be sure to include an F-line streetcar ride in your itinerary. It's perfect for getting between some of the most common tourist attractions and you'll find the ride worth every nickel of the fare.

Jed Clark is a travel writer, photographer and long-time San Francisco resident. He is an avid traveler and has traveled extensively for both business and pleasure. He loves his home city of San Francisco and created ZurdoGo.com to extol San Francisco's wonders, destinations and beauties to would be travelors and visitors.

Jed Clark may be contacted at http://www.zurdogo.com