In-Line Skating in San Francisco

With smooth surfaces, manageable hills, and lush scenery, Golden Gate Park is one of the best places in the country for in-line skating. John F. Kennedy Drive, which extends almost to the ocean, is closed to traffic on Sunday (and sometimes Saturday), when scores of bladers head to the park. Near the 6th Avenue intersection, crowds dance on their skates—an amazing sight worth checking out even if you don't skate.

For beginners, the path along the Marina is a 1½-mi (round-trip) easy route on a flat, well-paved surface, with glorious views of San Francisco Bay. The best place to rent skates near the Marina is Bike and Roll (Anchorage Shopping Plaza, Jefferson St., between Jones and Leavenworth Sts., Fisherman's Wharf. 866/736-8224 or 415/229-2000. www.bicyclerental.com), which charges $5 an hour or $25 a day. Ask for directions to the paved bike path that leads from the wharf through Fort Mason to the Marina Green. Beginners beware: you'll have to wend through the crowds at the wharf, then ascend and descend a hill to get to the Marina—but once you're there it's smooth sailing.

Night Skate

Every Friday night, anywhere from several dozen to several hundred renegade skaters wend their way en masse through the city streets. Want to join them? Don some sequins and a wig and meet up with the Midnight Rollers Friday Night Skate (415/752-1967. cora.org/nightskates.html) at the plaza in front of the Ferry Building at 8:30 PM. The event ends by midnight.