Northern California might have arguably the world’s gentlest climate, but the terrain can be as rugged as anywhere. If you haven’t ascended Mt. Tamalpais north of Marin or Mt. Diablo out near Danville, you’re seriously missing out. As a nice alternative, hilly San Francisco’s many parks contain extraordinary vistas and secret spots that you don’t have to sprain an ankle to get to.
Every third car commercial seemingly films a luxury sedan negotiating the curves of Twin Peaks Boulevard, but hiking up to San Francisco’s best-known lookout on foot is the most rewarding way to arrive. There’s any number of ways to get to the top via city streets; just keeping heading upwards from the Castro MUNI station, or try the dead-ends that line the bottom of the hill – they often contain a half-hidden staircase that’s perfect for a light workout. Twin Peaks Boulevard’s superlative views of downtown and the entire bay are worth the slight panting.
After the U.S. military ceded the Presidio to civilians in the 1990s, restoration began on the trails that snake through the eucalyptus groves and WWII-era batteries within the park. Sure, the fog can sneak up on you quickly in summer and one of the beaches is clothing-optional, but you can’t get any closer to the Golden Gate Bridge than the Bluffs-to-Batteries Trail above Baker Beach. If you’re not in the mood for the moderate climb, the narrow road that leads from Crissy Field to Fort Point – sea level all the way – is as historic as it is stunning.
Although it seems that the middle of San Francisco is nothing but hilltops, in the very center lies a mysterious crevasse: Glen Canyon. Not to be confused with the national park in Utah, this 70-acre, dog-friendly urban idyll may have steep walls, but the floor can be hiked by almost everyone. Amid the rock formations and hundred-year-old structures runs one of only two natural streams left in the city, making it a lush habitat for native vegetation and endangered species year-round. The southeast entrance, blocks from the Glen Park BART station, is easily found, but the trailhead behind the Diamond Heights shopping center offers the more startling views.
Bernal Hill is romantic, but it’s crawling with people. For a little more solitude, head for the next hill south: John McLaren Park, located between Portola and Excelsior. While its eastern flank overlooks the more industrial section of town, the thick woods that make up the second-largest park in San Francisco (after Golden Gate Park) keep the wildflower dells shrouded and human interference to a minimum. An easy grade and access from all points make McLaren the best secret spot for a combination hike/picnic in the grass. It’s so secluded you could even take a nap.
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In addition to carrying a line of its own carefully handcrafted soaps and other products, The Ponte Vedra Soap Shoppe provides high-quality supplies for soap makers and aromatherapists who want to create their own face scrubbers at home. With today’s deal, smart saponifiers can cook up a batch of 20 to 24 soap bars using Ponte Vedra’s Melt and Pour Glycerin Soap Kit ($39). Unlike the synthetic detergent concoctions of many commercial soap bars, this soap contains moisture-attracting glycerin, natural vegetable oils, and fine fragrances that combine to create a smooth, soft lather machine. The kid-friendly kit comes with 4 pounds of glycerin soap base (half white and half clear), molds, water-based liquid soap colorants (1 ounce each of red, blue, and gold-bar-impersonating yellow), instructions, and 2 ounces of your choice from nearly 100 fragrance-oil options, including almond, cinnamon, bananaroma, sweet grass, and more.
700 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco,
California
US
The massage therapists at Urban Escape Massage & Bodywork mollify aches as they knead bodies with all-natural oils and lotions. They pay rapt attention to the body as they massage it, performing various massage modalities with plant-based wellness products such as the signature herbal muscle cream. Aside from classic massages, they offer cupping and ear candling. During a cupping massage, a therapist adheres a suction device to the skin to create a vacuum effect that increases circulation, draws out toxins, and scares house pets.
Urban Escape doesn't stop at massage, however?they feature an extensive menu of skincare services as well. Licensed aestheticians call on the clinical formulas of Skin Script RX to fully customize each facial to their clients' individual skin type. Six fruit-based facials target distinct issues such as excess oil, rosacea, and aging, whereas natural enzymes help dissolve dull, discolored skin cells during one of five peels. The skin experts also offer a variety of face and body waxing.
700 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco,
California
US
Whatever spa treatment you're in the mood for—a facial, a hot-stone massage, a body wrap, a waxing, a mani-pedi—it's advisable to budget an entire afternoon for Balance Spa and Fitness. Since the spa offers complimentary access to its lavish amenities, the extra time can be spent simmering in the jacuzzi, taking a leisurely dip in the pristine indoor lap pool, or working up a sweat in the fitness center. When treatment time arrives, the staff leads its robe-clad clients to one of the four private treatment rooms. The specialists favor advanced Naturopathica products made from age-defying ingredients such as soothing aloe, refreshing lavender, and Helen Mirren's DNA.
700 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco,
California
US
The serene downtown spa is a soothing oasis for tired and tense city folk seeking a respite from the blaring horns, wailing sirens, and smooth-jazz flutists that pollute the city's potential placidity. A mani-pedi is a decadent way to indulge in much-needed personal pampering, and over the course of the appointment, your opposable knuckle sticks will be equipped with shiny new finger helmets worthy of a hand model. Put your hands and feet where a member of the skilled staff can see them, and you'll be rewarded with a neat trimming of fingernails and toenails. Perfectly symmetrical tips will take the place of formerly unruly edges. Cuticles will be gently groomed into a more sightly disposition. The skilled 'curists will massage your feet with their hands and your hands with their feet, and your handlebars and kick stands will be left feeling buttery and spry. A deliberate polishing finishes up your transformation from hand abandon to extreme extremity envy.
700 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco,
California
US
A Signature Spa provides a soothing boutique setting for pampering, beautification, and evading warrant-toting posses. Each Stress Melt Away package begins by treating pool propellers to a hot stone foot soak with eucalyptus while their owners knock back a complimentary beverage and light snack. Next, a potent combo of steam room and infrared sauna detoxes the body of such common poisons as poison, while a Swiss shower cleanses the corpus in a neutral, conflict-eluding locale. An application of cocoa-butter body moisturizer turns your dry skin's desert into a skin dessert, giving it the smoothness and sweet flavor of a relaxed, spreadable concoction that pairs well with toasted bread. A Signature Spa's technicians will then get the cranium tingling with the sweet smells of a peppermint scalp massage. The entire two-hour relaxathon wraps up with a 50-minute full-body massage that leaves you feeling as loose and limber as a spider monkey after yoga class.
700 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco,
California
US
