Click MAP to locate destinations preceded by yellow numbers.

From 1 Aquatic Park near Fisherman's Wharf, stroll along San Francisco's only remaining natural bayside shoreline to 2 Fort Mason, the WW II Army depot that now houses a cultural nexus of nonprofits, many of them working to protect the environment. Continue along the Marina and, at the far end, walk toward the water, make a right past the Yacht Club, out onto the jetty that forms the boat harbor.

At the jetty tip is the 3 Wave Organ, an exhibit of the Exploratorium that creates a symphony of wave-activated sound from pipes reaching down into the Bay. The intensity and complexity of the wave music is related to the tides and weather. From the granite "seats," composed partly of discarded tombstones, you get a spectacular view of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, Angel Island, Sausalito and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Walk back to Marina Blvd., cross over to Baker St. and wander through the colonnade of the 4 Palace of Fine Arts, a beaux-arts structure and reflecting lake built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. To the north is the internationally acclaimed 5 Exploratorium (3601 Lyon St.; 415-561-0360), where you can touch a tornado, shape a glowing electrical current, finger paint with 1,000 colors via computer or take a sensory journey in total darkness in the Tactile Dome – 650 exhibits in all (reservations: 415-561-0362).

Walk north toward the Golden Gate Bridge through the
6 Presidio, a former Army post that now is a 1,430-acre national park. Head to the water's edge and watch for sea lions, pelicans and migrating birds. About 1.5 miles from the Exploratorium is a cluster of white buildings opposite a fishing pier. Take thm marked trail behind the buildings, climb the stairs and follow the road to the right that runs beneath the 7 Golden Gate Bridge. Along this nine-mile coastal trail you can see migrating birds, whales, fishing boats and wildflowers, as well as abandoned gun batteries, other architectural World War II-era "ruins" and gorgeous panoramas. The trail ends at the 8 Cliff House (1090 Pt. Lobos Ave.; 415-386-3330), with sweeping ocean views.

Behind the Cliff House is the 9 Camera Obscura (415-468-5463). In this darkened chamber, a camera that rotates every six minutes captures a panoramic image of the end of the continent, including Seal Rock and the former Playland at the Beach site.

The Bubble Hoop
at the Exploratorium

Palace of Fine Arts

The Distorted Room
at the Exploratorium