San Francisco offers culture and beautiful outdoors. There is an emphasis on transportation without cars, so there are many trails available for hikers and bikers to get exercise on while enjoying the surrounding views. Even though San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, there are many free things to do throughout the city that will keep you entertained every weekend.
Culture
The Stern Grove Festival opens during the summer and each Sunday, different concerts are put on for free. Concerts begin at 2 p.m.; visitors are advised to come early. For those who want some exercise on the way to the concerts, the festival grounds have free bike valet service. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art opens its doors for free on the first Tuesday of each month. The museum, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010, has a large collection of popular and contemporary art.
Golden Gate Bridge
Walk or bike across one of San Francisco's most recognizable attractions, the Golden Gate Bridge. Every day of the year the bridge is open to people looking to exercise while getting a view of the San Francisco Bay. The bridge is 1.7 miles long. Check the schedule to determine which side of the bridge bicyclists and walkers are permitted on, as this changes seasonally. People can walk dogs (with leash) across the bridge; rollerblades and skateboards are prohibited.
Sports
Get a workout with some outdoor sports in San Francisco. You can get lessons in lawn bowling from the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club for free every Wednesday at noon or on select evenings during the spring and summer. Once you have mastered the game of lawn bowling, you will be welcome to join the club. You can also go out into the water with free sailing courtesy of the Cal Sailing Club. The lessons are offered once per month from spring until fall. Just arrive between 1 and 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Arena.
Dancing
For a free workout that also can be passed off as a great date, head to Golden Gate Park every Sunday and participate in free swing dancing lessons. You do not need experience or even a partner. The dance classes, called Lindy in the Park were originally created in 1996. The dancing starts at 11 a.m. and goes until 2 p.m. with a free beginner lesson from 12 until 12:30 p.m. DanceSF provides salsa lessons throughout the week, and while those are not free, there is free salsa dancing for all after 9:30 p.m. on Monday nights. There are no requirements to join the free dancing so you can go have fun and learn from others along the way.
Hiking and Biking
The San Francisco Bay Trail will include a continuous network of trails that span 500 miles when it is completed. Currently there are over 240 miles of trail finished, which offers plenty of space to get any type of workout you are looking for. Both hiking and biking trails are available. The trail crosses nine counties and more than 40 cities. You can enjoy the outdoors and look into the waters of the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The trail can be found on the eastern edge of San Francisco, looking into the Bay. There are other trails of varying difficulty in San Francisco as well. For a short, easy hike, go to Cesar Chavez/North Waterfront Park which is a 1.7 mile loop with no elevation change that has great views of the Bay. For a more difficult hike, go to the Gerbode Valley trailhead and take the 4.6 mile trail which has a 700 foot elevation change and gives excellent views of San Francisco.
Member Comments