49-Mile Scenic Drive sign
The 49-Mile Scenic Drive (also known as 49-Mile Drive or the 79-Kilometer Drive) in and around San Francisco highlights many of the city's major attractions and historic structures.
Opened on September 14, 1938 as a promotion for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, it features views of the then-newly-built Golden Gate Bridge (opened May 1937) and the Bay Bridge (opened November 1936). Then it terminated at the fairgrounds on Treasure Island. Originally the drive measured 50 miles (80 km) but that was quickly changed to 49 miles (79 km), a more meaningful number for a city of 49 square miles (130 km2)[citation needed] that owes its early prominence to the gold rush of 1849.[citation needed]
[edit] Points of interest
 Lombard Street's famed twists |
The Drive is marked by blue and white signs that lead one through the city. It all begins at the intersection of Hayes Street and Van Ness Avenue, near City Hall:
[edit] In popular culture
In the movie Quick Change, Randy Quaid is driving Geena Davis and Bill Murray through one of the boroughs of New York City. They get completely lost and begin looking for any type of sign that may help them find out where they are. Quaid's character eventually does discover one, a "49-Mile Scenic Drive" sign, which doesn't help him or his passengers find out where they are at all.
[edit] Route maintenance
Since 1955, seagull-emblazoned '49-Mile Scenic Drive' signs have been provided to guide travelers through the entire route, especially for turns.[citation needed] Many of the signs have gone missing over the years, presumably due to theft.[1]
[edit] External links
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