Maritime SF

At last, a tour of the City by the Bay that gives the Bay its due. This walk is unique in combining history and culture with interpretation of the live action unfolding on the Bay as we pass by. Whether we see boardsports athletes, racing sailboats, Coast Guard vessels, commercial traffic, people fishing -- we fold it all into a fun stroll with a gorgeous view.

This tour was featured by Latitude 38 on September 29, 2025.

1840s San Francisco and the Astonishing Legacy of "America's First Black Millionaire"

I designed this tour myself, initially for Downtown SF and finally as a regular offering with City Guides. It was a ton of fun hunting for clues about a remarkable yet shockingly undervalued person in California history. As is often the case with figures like this, the story is intriguing and the story of the story takes it to a whole new level. Come take the tour and you can write the story of the story of the story over lunch nearby!

This tour was featured on KALW 91.7's State of the Bay on August 25, 2025.

Japanese Tea Garden

"I've been coming here for years and I had no idea...." - words every storyteller wants to hear! This symbolically and historically rich space is so much more meaningful with a guide to show you the way. Created for the 1894 Midwinter Fair, the Garden can be enjoyed for its botany, history, horticulture, and spiritual elements. Everywhere you look there's material for great photos. Many walkers who join this tour didn't come with a tour in mind and so it's especially fun for me when initial hesitation becomes complete enjoyment. And the tea house!

Boom and Bust

San Francisco is famous for its wild swings of fortune - Gold Rush! Silver Rush! Dot Com! ... and the plummet into panic, pogroms, and displacement. This tour is a sweeping, yet focused look at the city's economic rhythms from the early 1840s to the present day. Over that timespan, you'll see ample evidence that while history doesn't repeat itself, it sure does rhyme. This is a great private tour for work groups - the dilemmas and lessons are as relevant now as they were then.

Japantown

This neighborhood has long been San Francisco's most diverse, earning it the name "San Francisco's Little United Nations." In my version of the tour, we discover the traces of three groups -- Jewish, Japanese, and Black Americans -- each of whom made a home for themselves in an area that was always already in flux. Food culture... public art ... comparative religions... surprising cultural crossovers -- J-Town is the most content rich neighborhood that I know of. Lots of good places to eat too!