MY GUESS IS that even without the recent election or international events, you've probably got some things on your mind. Need some time to get out of the house and think while you stretch your legs? Want to do it somewhere other than a stinky gym? I recommend a day trip walking in our beautiful city.

Begin at Ocean Beach. Walk out to the waterline and look out to sea until you feel the rhythm of your thinking change. Imagine that you've never been to this place before. You've just come upon the beach here. Turn around and look. Look at people. Look at the place. Smell the air. Turn left and start walking.

Walk north along the beach toward the Cliff House. When you run out of beach (or if you don't like sand), walk on the sidewalk on the ocean side of the street. Enjoy the variety of people. Note that it is considered gauche to stare too openly at the surfers changing in and out of their wet suits; I advocate the discreet but appreciative glance.

Follow the road up past the Cliff House and Louis' until you reach the parking lot, also known as Merrie Way. Enter the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, leaving cars and buildings behind you. Follow the coastal trail among the trees, past lovely views of the cliffs of Marin and the Golden Gate Bridge, until you come to a sign reading, "El Camino del Mar Trail." There will be a set of steps to your right. Climb them and turn left on the trail at the top.

When you come out on the small service road, stifle your disappointment at the sight of cars and walk up to the large building at the other end of the road; this is the Palace of the Legion of Honor (34th Ave. and Clement, S.F. 415-863-3330). If you're in the mood and it's not a Monday, go in and see art (current special exhibits: Degas sculptures and 19th-century photographs of India). Otherwise, after you take in the great view of the city, continue down the road (to the right as you leave the museum) through the golf course. Marvel at this bizarre use of land and time. When you reach the small restaurant at the entry to Lincoln Park, go around the north side of it and follow the narrow road until you see the big steps at the end of California Street. These are an ideal place to sit, rest, and survey the way ahead of you.

Stroll along this gentle downhill stretch of California Street, enjoying the clean, quiet neighborhood in which almost every era of San Francisco architecture is represented. The superb Angelina's deli at 22nd Avenue (6000 California, S.F. 415-221-7801) is a great place to stop for a snack or for picnic supplies.

Walk a few more blocks down California until you pass an unusual church with a blue minaret on the right (near 19th Avenue) and then go a block south and continue eastward along Clement Street. This district perfectly illustrates both the reality and the myth of the California melting pot. In barely a mile and a half, you'll encounter no less than 17 different cultures represented in the restaurants and shops of Clement Street. It's a wonderfully diverse mix, but watch the groups of people working and shopping here and you may begin to question whether there's much melting going on.

Still, mingling is a fine thing, too, and one can hardly complain when faced with the dizzying array of good food choices. Recommended spots for further snacking: Good Luck Dim Sum (736 Clement, S.F. 415-386-3388) and, a few blocks farther east, Le Soleil (133 Clement, S.F. 415-668-4848), where the spring rolls are lovely and bold hikers can restore themselves with salty plum sodas. Those who prefer the sweet to the savory treat should visit Toy Boat Dessert Cafe (401 Clement, S.F. 415-751-7505), which boasts a fabulous collection of nostalgia-inducing toys, or I Love Chocolate, a tiny café just around the corner from the end of Clement Street (397 Arguello, S.F. 415-750-9460), which will happily cater to your sugary needs.

One of the great pleasures of walking is the lack of parking hassle, and Clement Street is definitely better reached without a car. Take all the time you didn't spend driving in circles waiting for a space to open up and use it to wander in my favorite San Francisco bookstore, Green Apple Books (506 Clement, S.F. 415-387-2272). If you can't find something to please you in the main store or the annex, you're clearly still not relaxed enough. Return to Ocean Beach and start over.