SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco is not what it used to be.

Once one of the most desirable places to live in the United States, it has seen an exodus of residents and businesses in recent years. The reasons remain fiercely debated, but the departures are often linked to soaring crime and homelessness, as well as the rise of remote work since the Covid-19 pandemic.

A third of downtown office space now stands empty, and retail chains such as Whole Foods, Nordstrom and Walgreens have shuttered their stores here, citing rampant theft and concerns over staff safety.

Swathes of the once-gleaming city by the bay – home to iconic attractions such as Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge – increasingly resemble scenes from a post-apocalyptic film.

And this is one reason the city recently launched a US$6 million (S$8.1 million) campaign to boost its ailing tourism industry and image.

But even if you decide to skip downtown San Francisco and other blighted parts of the Bay Area, it would be a mistake to write it off completely. It is still a gateway to the most wildly scenic parts of California and one of the West Coast’s best-kept road-trip secrets.

My drive from the city to magical Mount Shasta takes in the charming farming towns of Siskiyou County over five days in November and offers a good reason to escape from San Francisco.

My trip is prompted by the need to pick up my new passport from the Singapore consulate in downtown San Francisco. Unfortunately, the visit gives one a taste of some of the issues mentioned above plaguing the city.

On the Bay Area Rapid Transit train, it takes half an hour to get to the consulate from San Francisco International Airport.

And after a chat with the lovely consular officer, who commiserates over how dreadful my new passport photo is and advises me to buy hand warmers for my wintry jaunt to Mount Shasta, I beat a hasty retreat back to the airport to pick up my rental car.

From there, I head to San Francisco’s Bay Bridge – a feat of engineering that is always fun to drive across.

Then it is about four hours by road to Redding, a popular base from which to explore the Shasta Cascade region, known for its spectacular mountains, forests, lakes and rivers.

Redding is a logical place to stop for the night, but I am not expecting it to be quite so pretty. It has the distinction of being the sunniest city in California, averaging 300 sunny days a year, even in chilly November.

It also has one of the world’s largest sundials. The Sundial Bridge is a 210m-long cable-stayed structure that arches dramatically across the Sacramento River, casting a giant shadow that moves about 30cm a minute. It is an unforgettable spot for a walk.