The Amazing Race:  San Francisco

The San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge

About San Francisco

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 13th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976.  It is the most densely populated city in the state, the second most densely populated major city in the U.S., and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San Francisco Bay Area, a region of more than seven million people.  The city is located at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Francisco Bay to the north and east.

In 1776, the Spanish established a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth, transforming it into the largest city on the West Coast at the time. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. During World War II, San Francisco was the send-off point for many soldiers to the Pacific Theater. After the war, the confluence of returning servicemen, massive immigration, liberalizing attitudes, and other factors gave rise to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a liberal bastion in the United States.

Today, San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination renowned for its chilly summer fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture and its famous landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the cable cars, and Chinatown.

Do You Want To Be An Amazing Race Contestant?

Think you've got the brains, brawn and street-smarts to win a race through San Francisco?  Are you moving cubes this Friday?  Are you ready for a San Frantastic offsite?

Six Teams of Five, No Losers, One Winner

You will compete against six teams of five in an all-out race of wits and ability.  Do you have what it takes to help your team be the first to get from the starting point at the Ferry Building to the finish line first?

There are Only Two Rules:

The Amazing Race has only two rules.  You are free to do anything during the race as long as you don't violate either one.

• Have fun! 
• No team may intentionally interfere with another team in any way that will ruin the fun for them. 
  

Use your discretion wisely.  Being sneaky is okay...  Fooling another team into boarding a Senior center's charter bus to Reno is not okay.

Two Races to run:

Race 1 - Get Started! - This race takes you from the Ferry Building through Downtown, North Beach, the Wharf, and back to the Ferry Building.

Race 2 - Get Started! - This race starts in Chinatown and goes through North Beach, the Wharf, and finishes at Coit Tower. 

What Do I Bring?

Whatever you think will give you an edge.  Since there are only 2 rules and none of them cover what you do to win the race, you are free to bring anything that helps.

• Camera (with batteries and fresh memory)
• iPhone
• Laptop w/cell modem
• Guidebooks
• Maps
• GPS

How Will We Get Around?

You're free to use any means you think will give you an edge.  Being the second most densly populated city in the US, using a car is NOT recommended and will not be an asset during The Race.  You are free to use any of the following modes of transport:

(Hint: wear comfortable shoes!)

• Walking
• SF Muni (street cars, cable cars, subway, busses)
  
• Taxi
• Rented bicycles (but don't forget, SF isn't flat)
• Three-wheel rental tourist vehicles
• Bicycle rickshaw
  
• Roller skates (but don't forget, SF isn't flat)