Gail Humble, MD

Golden Gate National Parks' beaches are among the area's most popular destinations for beach lovers. Ocean Beach most definitely falls into that category. The beach stretches three miles along the western side of the city from Richmond to Sunset. This beach perfectly exemplifies the untouched outdoor beauty of the western part of San Francisco as it looked before it was fully developed. When you take that fact into consideration, Ocean Beach is even more alluring, as the inviting sandscapes and sound of the waves will draw you in, whether the season is warm or cool. In the latter case, you can choose to warm up by grabbing a coffee or latte at Java Beach coffee shop.

Gump's San Francisco takes pride in celebrating the truly eclectic! Founded in 1861 by Solomon Gump, this shopping gallery offers one-of-a-kind items from all around the world that include such highly-sought after items as crystal, china, silver, jewelry, home and office furnishings, and bed and bath items, just to name a few. Gump's specializes in not only the eclectic, but also the exotic and unusual while never losing sight of its high standard of quality in every item that you'll find in their store.

People who love books love Litquake, the yearly literary festival held every fall in San Francisco. Renowned authors are on hand for lectures and book signings, and interesting panels, workshops and parties are also part of what makes Litquake such an essential event for both readers and writers of all backgrounds. One of the highlights of this event is the three-hour Lit-Crawl through the Mission District that features stops at galleries, bookstores, bars and cafes.