About Marybeth, National Geographic Author, Writer

Curious Explorer. Award-winning author.

Gutsy Traveler: A woman, like travel expert Marybeth Bond, stands among purple flowers, raising her arms and smiling in front of a wooden building in bright sunlight.
Polar bear tracking and snorkeling with beluga whales in the northern Canadian Arctic.

Marybeth knows travel. She has hiked, biked, dived, danced and trekked across all seven continents – from the depths of the Flores Sea near Komodo Island to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

More recently, she tracked polar bears and snorkeled with beluga whales in the Canadian Arctic, then kayaked among icebergs in Antarctica.

Somewhere in between, four years of studying in Paris earned her two degrees – and a taste for good wine and strong cheeses.

Twelve books (three with National Geographic), countless travel articles, and numerous TV and radio appearances have built her devoted fanbase. She won the esteemed Lowell Thomas, Gold Award for the Best Travel Book of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

Woman on cliff in front of a monastery in Bhutan
Yesterday’s Video below. A decade or more later. Is Marybeth still GUTSY? Here in Bhutan.
Marybeth in Antarctica with penguins, snowy mountains, and water—just the kind of moment travel expert Marybeth Bond would capture in a travel video.
Kayaking and camping near penguins in Antarctica.

Yesterday….

From sunsets on the beach to expansive views of the city by the bay, here’s some local expertise  on great romantic places to kiss around San Francisco. Here are a few of my favorites.

Romantic Places in San Francisco. Above the Golden Gate Bridge with a view of the city.
Romantic Places in San Francisco. Above the Golden Gate Bridge with a view of the city.

1. The Marin Headlands  is open space above the Golden Gate Bridge and a perfect place to watch the sunset with your sweetheart. It’s a hilly peninsula at the southernmost end of Marin County located just north of San Francisco.  Your view will be the one on all the postcards – through the Golden Gate Bridge with the city in the distance. Crashing waves add a sense of drama below you. Take a bottle of wine and enjoy the view or the sunset on a clear day. There are several pull-outs and your can find a place to sit that isn’t often crowded, despite the amazing views. Bring a jacket because it can get windy or the fog could roll in, which just makes it more romantic. For maps and directions click here.

2. Crissy Field and the Fort Point National Historic Site

The view here is understatedly indescribable and breathtaking at the very least and grandeur … and amazing as well. Walk on the sandy beach and look across at Alcatraz, the Marin hills and the Golden Gate Bridge. Have a hot chocolate or double latte at The Warming Hut. Cuddle into each others’ arms as you walk out on the pier and watch the crab fisherman and boats along the bay.

3. Romantic vistas from Land’s End.  Walk hand-in-hand through the epic ruins of the Sutro Baths, at the end of Ocean Beach. Then hike along the hillsides of cypress and wildflowers, views of old shipwrecks pm trail called Land’s End on the northwest corner of San Francisco.

 4. The rooftop of the California Academy of Arts & Science

If you were to visit the museum on Friday nights, you’ll join a spectacular experience filled with live music, great DJs, alcohol and cooking demonstrations full of great food and useful learning resources. Be sure to take your sweetheart to the 2 and 1/2 acres of live plants and flowers blanketing the roof and watch the sunset over Golden Gate Park.

5. The top of Russian Hill. Climb the windy, crooked street of Lombard to the corner of Vallejo and Jones Streets for expansive city views surrounded by historic homes. 

6. Golden Gate Park- Rent a paddle boat from the boat house in Stowe Lake

This park is very serene and nice in many areas and contains specialty places such as conservatories and museums with a huge … selection of specialty gardens, such as the Japanese Tea Garden and the Botanical Garden. My favorite it Stowe Lake. You can rent a paddle boat and steal a kiss on the water, or walk around the lake and enjoy the island in the middle and the waterfall.

 

 

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Marybeth Bond