Famous for its hills, cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is a popular tourist destination. The month of March, with its characteristically mild and shower-free weather, is a good time to visit. The city by the bay is located on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in California, surrounded on three sides by San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. You'll find that the city provides plenty of recreational opportunities during the month of March for the health-conscious individual.
Golden Gate Bridge
You have to travel the Golden Gate Bridge to truly appreciate its engineering and height. Pedestrians are allowed on the eastern sidewalk, which faces the city, during daytime hours, but you can cycle across at any time. Join the oldest race across the Golden Gate Bridge, the Emerald Across the Bay 12K Run, held every March. The Emerald's scenic course starts at East Fort Baker in Sausalito, crosses the bridge on the west walkway and ends in Aquatic Park on Fisherman's Wharf.
All Things Irish
Celebrate all things Irish by attending San Francisco's well-established St. Patrick's Day Parade. Hike or walk your way to 2nd and Market where the parade kicks off and culminates in an all-day festival of Irish culture and history at Civic Center Plaza. Many of the city's streets bear the names of the influential Irish who helped build the city in the 18th and 19th centuries. On a walking tour of downtown, you can view the landmark Flood building, the Fairmount Hotel and the Phelan building, all of which Irishmen helped to build.
Spring Flowers
The month of March means spring flowers. You can visit the Flower & Garden Show at the San Mateo Event Center. Get gardening tips, and view the riot of blooms in the display gardens. The hands-on, interactive Sproutopia area is educational for children. On a walk through the grounds of San Francisco's Botanical Gardens, you can admire the March blooms, including the Calla Lilies in the County Fair building and the Rojasianthe Superba, the giant white relative to the sunflower.
Downtown Attractions
Help celebrate Albert Einstein's birthday and participate in a tribute to the never-ending number pi on March 14 by visiting the Exploratorium. Housed in the Palace of Fine Arts, the interactive and hands-on exhibits of this science museum will show you that science is anything but boring. Nearby you'll find the Museum of Modern Art and Yerba Buena Gardens. Stroll through the gardens to view the public art on display and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, featuring a 120,000-gallon waterfall. Go ice skating any day of the week at Yerba Buena Ice Skating & Bowling Center. Rental figure and hockey skates are available on site.
Northern Elephant Seals
Arrange for a walking tour of the mainland northern elephant seal breeding grounds at Ano Nuevo State Park. Since access is only granted by tour, you will need to make your reservations in advance. The months of December through March are considered the breeding season for the elephant seals. During the month of March, you can see some mothers nursing their pups before they return to the sea. By the end of the month, all the adult seals will have returned to sea. Only the pups will remain as they learn to swim and spend the rest of the day basking in the sun.
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