I was born and raised in the Bay Area, and my dad always reminded me to be proud of being a third-generation native. He loved to point out that we lived near San Francisco—one of the most interesting cities in the world—and that we should enjoy it and share it with others. He lived by those words, and I’ve happily followed in his footsteps.
My favorite time in grammar school wasn’t a class at all—it was “Show and Tell.” I loved being a storyteller, especially after spending a day in the City with my dad.
In high school, I discovered Speech and Debate. I competed on the team for all four years and enjoyed every minute of it, especially Impromptu.
In 2005, my neighbor and walking buddy Mario handed me a San Francisco City Guides newsletter. They were taking applications for volunteer tour guides. I called, applied, interviewed, and was accepted. What followed were months of weekend training, homework, testing, and creating a three-minute tour for evaluation.
When I graduated, they asked us to list the three tours we hoped to give. My first, second, and third choice was Nob Hill. Fortunately for me, an opening was available, and I’ve been giving the Nob Hill tour since 2006.
Back then, the Nob Hill tour included some time at the Fairmont. In 2007, we asked Fairmont management if we could offer a dedicated Fairmont tour. It took three years to get permission.
Since then, I’ve read 65 books and done countless hours of digital research to develop these two tours. Along the way, I’ve had more “aha” moments than I can count. Now, 585 tours later, I truly love what I do—and I do what I love.
SF City Guides is unique: there’s nothing else like it in the world. Three hundred volunteer guides who love San Francisco, offering free walking tours in over 70 locations. The landscape comes alive through our storytelling.
I look forward to sharing the Fairmont story with you.
