Lots of details about this interesting corner of the Bay Area provided by our guide Dan G. He was a…read morewealth of information, pretty funny and as a local was able to share a lot of perspective on the islands changes. Great day trip and I wish we had more time to poke around.

Wonderful tour led by Jim. History + nature! A great morning spent on the island…read more For people who are looking to visit the Naval Museum on the island, it is no longer open, but this tour is operative and you get to see the naval chapel and walk around the area. I was originally looking for information about the museum and arrived at this page: https://www.mihpf.org/tours. I hope this will help you find their tour options and dates! All digitalized, no fuss. And it turns out I was the only who signed up for today's tour, and they did not cancel on me because of that. I really really appreciated it. One last thing, the money you spend on the tour goes into helping this foundation : ) Yay!

This staircase feels really rustic and hidden with a lot of lush greenery around. It's mainly wood…read morebut the first leg starting at Laidley St is cement, 239 steps in total which is pretty long and good for a workout. There are about 4 houses along the staircase which seems interesting to live because it feels like you are in the remote woods while being located in the middle of a major city. I wouldn't come just for the stairs unless I lived around here but I usually incorporate it with a hike around Billy Goat Hill, Glen Canyon Park, or the various stairs in the Noe Valley neighborhood (Valley, Castro, Duncan-Castro open space, 27th street) and make it a 2-3 mile loop. This is a nice hike for locals that has been everywhere else and looking for something different but for a tourist I'd suggest nearby Twin Peaks before here.

My favorite San Francisco stairs…read more.. This is truly a hidden gem located in the residential neighborhood of Glen Park. Not many people know about these steps and I'm not even sure if residents living in nearby streets know about these stairs, the path is not obvious and not easily seen especially while driving... we didn't find it immediately, we had to search for the street sign which was tipped by the first reviewer from her photo. Finding parking was challenging, we parked down the hill so our first exercise was ascending the steep hill... and then the steps. Gaahhh... So here we go, we started from the bottom of the steps on Laidley Street. The steps were concrete in the beginning and they were short in height. There is one switchback when you reach 1/3 of the way, make a right on the bend and the stairs turns into wooden steps. There are some 230 steps total when you reach the top on Beacon Street. You are not able to view the steps from bottom to top (and vise versa)... the trees, plants and foliage makes these stairs elusive. I loved seeing the cute houses along Harry Street. Living in these homes gives you the feeling as if you're in a mountain retreat or something. There are five (maybe six) homes that reside along the steps so you can say that this is a legit street and the only way to get to your home are these steps. It's a hiker's dream LoL Yikes! oh the thought of bringing the groceries in from your car! Anyway, one of the homes is 30 Harry... there is a forwarding address attached on the mailbox. Since there aren't that many houses on the stairs it's rare that one comes up for sale. There was no For Sale sign so I'm not sure what the status is but the home is empty. The homes on Harry Street are small with square footage of less than 1,500 but I love the charm and seeing the balconies that look like they're hanging from the hill. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom house near the foot of the stairs hit the market asking $1.395 million, and that was a Redfin data from 2014. Anyway, when we reached the top on Beacon Street there was not much to see... the fog just completely enveloped the view so we will have to come back when my soreness goes away and when the weather is better. LoL Review #2070

Very cool, and very odd at the same time. Over the years while working nearby, I've come to…read moreappreciate the "wind harp" sculpture. A 92 foot structure of metal, it's actually very cool. When windy, this "thing" really howls with a tone like no other. If in a nearby building, you can actually hear it while inside at a meeting. At the same time, you get used to it. Recommendation: Pick a windy day to visit There's rumors about it (I suggest to try it): ================================= * If you throw a metal object, it will redirect and cling like a magnet to the sculpture * Try to throw a ball thru the sculpture, and it will bounce/reflect away and not penetrate. A Poem: ======== In South San Francisco's gentle breeze, A wind harp sculpture sways with ease, Its graceful form, a work of art, Sings a song from the depths of heart. A melody woven from the wind's embrace, Whispers secrets in an airy space, Strings of metal, resonating free, Echoing the city's symphony. Tall and slender, it reaches high, Against the clear, blue, open sky, Capturing the essence of the coast, In its harmonious, airy host. As the Pacific's breath does flow, Through this sculpted harp, music grows, A serenade for those who pass, A moment of peace, a breath, a class. So, in South San Francisco's grace, This wind harp sculpture finds its place, A reminder of nature's artful dance, In the city's embrace, a sweet romance.

We came on a cool and quiet day, there was a bit of wind, but not much. We also didn't go…read moreunderneath the structure, just around it, along the concrete pathways circling the grassy area where the towering piece of art is situated. We sat on a bench looking out into the distance. The area's not high enough to really offer spectacular views of any kind (the more desirable scenery is blocked by ordinary looking buildings). But the atmosphere at this site was peaceful. And the sculpture, stretching toward the sky, resembled a harp in its unique way, even if it didn't sound like one. We parked at a lot for TMB Baking since it was most convenient.

This place has extremely limited days/hours of operation, I had to stop by and take advantage while…read moreI was in the area. One of the docents, Susan, was lovely, eager to share amusing stories about and the history of different pieces in the museum. Otherwise, it's a self-paced and self-guided tour. Some of the more interesting parts were the model railroad exhibit made up of the beaches, mountains, and buildings along the Pacific Coast Highway, articles about the "surfing Santa" who skydived into a shopping center to put on a show for the kids in 1963 but ended up in the ocean and was saved by surfers, and historical photos of Devil's Slide. There's even a sports room which includes a display of the memories of Sea Bowl. It was nice to see and learn a little bit about the history of this town. Parking was free and easy right next to the little brown church. There's a gift shop too, but I skipped it during my recent visit. With free admission, this museum is definitely woth checking out and won't take long to get through (maybe 30 minutes).

Pacifica Coastside Museum is a tiny museum that features the town's history and development in the…read more19th century. This museum is located along the 1 fwy by the coast. They offer free admission. So everyone is welcome! :D I was greeted by two old female docents and were excited to see me. They have a very limited exhibits and artifacts as well as a gift shop. I was able to see everything from the bathroom to the cardboard exhibits in less than 30 mins. Parking lot available as well as street parking. Overall, it's just a small town museum.