The 49 mile drive is a route through downtown San Francisco, established in 1938 by the Downtown Association to help emphasize that San Francisco is a great vacation spot, especially targeting visitors for the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939-1940. As many other routes it has changed quite a few times over the years, nonetheless it continues to serves the original intent of showing off San Francisco at its finest.

The drive is panoramic and shows a mixture of areas with different architectural styles and points of interest, it is without question a fantastic way to get to know San Francisco without spending the day together with other holiday makers. Most of the people located in the Bay Area that drive this route recognize that they\’ve just got to know a new side of the city.

The route starts at City Hall (at the intersection of Hayes Street and Van Ness Avenue) and takes you right past plenty of attractions, including Museum of Modern Art, Japantown, China town, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, The Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury together with the Twin Peaks. The entire journey requires a minimum of four to five hours by car, and also passes through some areas which really needs additional time, preferably on foot. Examples of such a place is the Fisherman’s Wharf where you probably want to walk Pier 39, see the sea lions and maybe taste the Clam Chowder served in a fresh sourdough bread.

You may find the route thanks to the distinctive “49 Mile Scenic Drive” signs, unfortunately this gets tricky once in a while with signs being frequently stolen. It is for that reason recommended to carry a guidebook or a map, or at least spend some time in advance figuring out some of the major turns. It is highly recommended to drive the course counter-clockwise through the city, since this is the way almost all of the signs are set up. This also gets you on the water-side of the road when driving close to the bay and the ocean. Besides that keep in mind that San Francisco is without question a busy place, stay clear of the rush hour (both morning and afternoon), as you would otherwise have to spend most of your day fighting with the commuters.

After having spent a couple of hours inside your car you will have experienced a lot of of what San Francisco has to offer. Now after a short break, all you have to do is get right back in your vehicle and start over again to further enjoy some of the sites that you feel need some more time. Or in case you are tired of driving you may join your fellow holiday makers on the renowned trams that will also take you back to several of the places you have just been to.

If you have not had enough of driving why not take a short trip across the Golden Gate bridge to see Sausalito. And maybe stop here to have dinner, a bay-front restaurant will guarantee a great view of San Francisco.

Alec Sand is interested in traveling, especially by car. He has authored among other things a great article about The Perfect West Coast Road Trip.

Alec Sand is interested in traveling, especially by car. He has authored among other things a great article about The Perfect West Coast Road Trip.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Highway-1—The-Perfect-West-Coast-Road-Trip&id=6542007

Author Bio: Alec Sand is interested in traveling, especially by car. He has authored among other things a great article about The Perfect West Coast Road Trip.

Category: Travel
Keywords: travel, trip, advice