David's Blog

This weekend I did the 49 Mile Scenic Drive around San Francisco.

I noticed the "49 Mile Scenic Drive" signs around work, so I looked it up on the Internet to find out what it was and where it went.

I haven't met a single person in San Francisco that has driven the 49 Mile Scenic Drive. Most people didn't even know what I was talking about! That's a shame because it is an amazing drive. Highly recommended!

We tried to use this map combined with the street signs to navigate.

The map is terrible. Many of the streets are not labeled. It does not have enough detail to help in some of the more twisty areas. Some of the map is just plain wrong if you follow the street signs.

Not so fast street signs, I'm not done with you! The street signs are hard to find because most of them are washed out and non-distinct. They are also missing in many key intersections.

I created a new map for the 49 Mile Scenic Drive using Google Maps that is much better. It has all the detail you need and it is in agreement with the street signs.

There are lots of sights to see along the way. Here are a list of 49 points of interest to see along the route. The crummy map mentioned earlier has the 49 points labeled.

When I go again, I'm going to use my map for navigation and the crummy map and the points of interest list for seeing the sights.

If you want to take a "virtual" drive on the 49 Mile Scenic Drive, try the new Google Street View. I'll get you started...click here to begin at the Civic Center. You can actually follow the entire route and look around along the way. It is more fun in person, but this gives you an idea of what to expect.

Here are some of the sights brought to you by Google Street View:

• Telegraph Hill
• Chinatown
• Fisherman's Wharf
• Lombard Street
• Palace of Fine Arts
• Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
• Twin Peaks
• AT&T Park
• Chestnut Street (my hood)
• Alcatraz
• Fort Point
• Letterman Digital Arts Center (LDAC) in the Presidio (where I work)

Posted on June 18, 2007 10:49 PM | Permalink| Comments (1)