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ended his ignominious military career by going AWOL nine times in eight months before twice being court-martialed and co-founding the Grateful Dead. Fans of the maudlin and macabre hike directly to the Pet Cemetery off Crissy Field Ave, where handmade tombstones mark the final resting places of military hamsters who’ve completed their final tour of duty. Head east of the parade grounds towards the Palace of Fine Arts and you’ll come across the Letterman Campus, home to nonprofits and Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas, whose offices require a special pass – but you can pay your respects to the Yoda statue out front.

FORT POINT Map

415-556-1693; Marine Dr; admission free; 10am-5pm Fri-Sun; 28

Fort Point is the result of an eight-year makeover from small Spanish fort to triple-decker US military fortress. The fort was completed with 126 cannons in 1861, just in time to protect the bay against certain invasion by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War…or not, as it turned out. Without firing a single shot, Fort Point was abandoned in 1900 and became neglected once the Golden Gate Bridge was built over it. (Engineers added an extra span just to preserve it.)

Alfred Hitchcock saw deadly potential in Fort Point, and shot the trademark scene from Vertigo of Kim Novak leaping from the lookout to certain death into the bay…or not, as it turned out. Fort Point has since given up all pretense of being deadly, and now provides a gift center, Civil War displays and panoramic viewing decks.

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FREEWHEELING OVER THE BRIDGE

Bicycling Tour

1 San Francisco National Maritime Museum A 1939 creation of WPA workers and once a public bathhouse, its deco design gives off a stylish luxury-liner guise – complete with a bridge, tubular steel railings and portholes. The building is crawling with public art – look for the fish-tile mosaic and polished toad and seal.

2 Marina Green Fashion-conscious joggers, Frisbee throwers and kite-fliers congregate here on weekends. A right turn bisects the two boat marinas, and at the end is the curious Wave Organ, a ‘musical’ sculpture that sounds something like a clogged toilet.

3 Palace of Fine Arts Sprawl on the grass (if it’s sunny) or check out how your voice echoes inside this flashback to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Expo. Languidly pose for photos like a god or goddess under the Greco-Roman arches reflected in the pond.

4 Exploratorium Hop off the bike for a bit and exercise your senses in this dark, wacky, one-of-a-kind museum. After you’ve been through the Seeing Gallery, Listen Station and Tactile Dome, gear up for even more stimulation.

5 Crissy Field Watch windsurfers and kite-boarders attempt what is probably the windiest beach in SF. Take the Golden Gate Promenade, a foot-and-bike path that skirts the field to Fort Point and the Warming Hut.

6 Warming Hut Fuel up on organic sandwiches, fair-trade coffee and pastries at the Warming Hut, at the base of the bridge. Afterwards, backtrack to Long Ave and hang a sharp right up steep Lincoln St to the mouth of the Golden Gate Bridge.

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RIDE FACTS

Start San Francisco National Maritime Museum

End Pier 41

Distance Eight miles

Time Two to four hours

Exertion Ascending 246ft to the bridge is tiring

Fuel stop Warming Hut

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7 Golden Gate Bridge With everyone craning their necks, it’s no surprise that bicycles sometimes collide with pedestrians. Keep your eyes peeled. You’ll be grateful you’ve packed a lightweight windbreaker if the fog blows in when you’re halfway across. Those who haven’t get wet and chilled to the bone.

8 Marin Headlands You can lock your bike here and hike into the tempting green hills – the steep, winding Coastal Trail leads to Rodeo Beach (5 miles). Or just enjoy the views and pedal past.

9 Sausalito This elite hamlet in a bay-view setting is almost too cutesy, but it’s worth strolling when your legs need a stretch. Get drinks on the sunny deck at Paradise Bay ( 415-331-3226; 1200 Bridgeway).

10 Pier 41 You can take the ferry from