Indeed, drinking and running are closely tied in this party town, where food such as oyster po' boys and fried dough makes getting some exercise especially necessary. There's no shade on the levee, but there's usually a breeze. Most downtown hotels, such as the Wyndham New Orleans, have maps that direct runners to the French Quarter, a route Mr. Owen suggests forgetting. At the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, there's a jogging station in the foyer every day from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. But it can also really make you feel terrible.
Sharp inclines are also a reason to avoid hotels on Nob Hill.
Because of that, Jeff Grossman, a sales manager for a Boston brokerage firm, always stays at the Hyatt Regency on the Embarcadero, steps away from our recommended run along the ocean toward Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Promenade. If you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, it's a 14-mile loop. The Hyatt doesn't have a jogging map, but the concierge says one isn't necessary, since there's a path all along the Embarcadero. Mr. Grossman often squeezes in a run when he has a layover at San Francisco's airport. Just south of the main terminal is a path along Old Bayshore Trail.