Walking by the score

It's finally here: autumn, the season when the days get noticeably shorter and a sense of things winding down starts to take hold. As the leaves on the trees morph from gold to red to nonexistent, it's a great time to discover the joys of walking during this time between the action of summer and the hibernation of winter.

Numerous cities offer great opportunities for vigorous, uplifting walks at the neighborhood level. Walkscore, a Web site dedicated to monitoring and supporting neighborhoods that seek alternatives to vehicular travel, offers an extensive rating system of their top 40 such cities. Here's a handful for your feet to consider, with some locations besides those WalkScore recommends.

San Francisco (WalkScore: 1)
Nob Hill
One of San Francisco's most revered, elegant neighborhoods is a joy to stroll. California Street is the artery that runs through much of San Francisco, and it forms the spine of Nob Hill. To get there, take the brisk uphill walk from Powell Street; when you reach the top, you're there. The celebrated Mark Hopkins Hotel, referenced in Alfred Hitchcock's classic "Vertigo," is a literal stone's throw from the equally posh Fairmont Hotel, across the street. If you walk east down California, you'll discover the city's bustling financial district. Heading west, you can't miss Grace Cathedral soaring to a majestic height; across the street, the cozy Huntington Park (across from the Huntington Hotel) is a patch of green in the city, and a perfect place to relax (after your walk) and listen to the sound of the cable cars that sprint up and down California -- a sound still unmistakable after all these years.