A QUICK MORNING WASHDOWN!
Sunday Morning at home is usually started early sitting outside at Pipe's Cafe in Cardiff having morning coffee and lots of carbs, while reading the Sunday paper. Farley's was an excellent substitute, and since our landlord was gone for the weekend her Sunday Chronicle was just laying there on the stoop looking for a reader! I was standing in the doorway at the top of the stoop looking out, mouth agape, wondering what was going on! It was pouring rain! Here at last was the kind of weather that would make our day in the City something much different from all the sunshine we saw day after day in San Diego! I told Nancy that we would have to drive to Farley's if we wanted to stay dry, so we dashed across the street to the Volvo and drove the 2 blocks. By the time we got there, the rain had let up, and in another 15 minutes the Sun had begun to peek through the clouds. It looked like it would not be the slow paced, wet, misty day we had been looking for all week.
While we absorbed caffiene, we planned our last day. Our plane would take off just after 4 pm, so we had a good part of the day to tour around as we desired. Matt had never made it to Cal State SF, so we thought we should take a ride over that way so he could see the campus. The trip to that side of town dictated that we cruise the Ocean Beach area, drive through Golden Gate Park, and hit the Haight district for brunch and shopping.
When we got back to the apartment about 9:30, both Matt and Sara were up and about and were talking about where we could go to eat! We shared the plan we had devised at Farley's and decided to pack up everthing in the car so we did not have to come back before heading to the airport later in the day. Nancy left a nice note for the landlord and hoped she would look kindly on us and let us return sometime in the future! To that end we left the place in immaculate condition!
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH SARA
The designated driver headed us down 16th street westward in the general direction of our first destination, which was either going to be Golden Gate Park or Cal State SF. For a moment I forgot myself and actually had possession of the map, noting what I thought would be the best route to take. I was given an opinion reminding me of my rightful place in the back seat, while the designated driver and her mother discussed the way to go. Earlier in the week, they had made a trip to Haight and I presumed that they knew the right route.
We passed through Harvey Milk Plaza in The Castro , and headed west past the Panhandle towards Golden Gate Park. The designated driver had been to a concert there recently so knew her way around. There was a mob at the park waiting in a line for something to happen, which Sara surmised must be a free concert since it was near the area where her concert had occurred. I wistfully thought that perhaps, since it was a younger crowd, they were in line to have a demonstration of some type, since the park was very close to Haight and to three universities (USF,UCSF, & SFSU). That would have been a great way to spend some of Sunday, carrying a protest banner in the park in San Francisco!!
MATT'S TOUR!
We headed south towards SFSU to give Matt a view of the Campus, since he had missed his college friend and his anticipated tour. It was a a nice campus, institutional looking, with alot of student housing apartments in the area. It was next to a big park and only a few blocks from the beach. The most exciting aspect of the campus was that it was right across the street from Harding Municipal Golf Course, which has an excellent reputation as one of the best public courses in San Francisco! I think I will encourage Matt to attend!
We took the Ocean Beach route past the Zoo and back towards Golden Gate Park. It was a sunny morning, but a bit blustery. Not many people appeared to be at the beach, although it was difficult to tell since there were big sand dunes between the road and the actual beach area. Even on a sunny day my guess was that the water temperature was probably 10 degrees colder than in San Diego, which did not make the air temperature hospitable for sun bathing, but was probably great for a brisk walk along the shore! We didn't stop, although I had the urge to say something. It was obvious, however, that the designated driver was moving on to a destination which had a possibility of providing an opportunity to quiet the growl in Matt's stomach.
We reached that famous intersection, Haight and Ashbury, and Sara turned on her parking radar, driving around the streets looking for the one open space in the area. It turned out to be a couple blocks south of Haight St, and as usual, after a couple tries, she successfully paralleled the Volvo into the space.
LOVE THAT HAIGHT!!
The Haight commercial area is about 4-5 blocks long. The west end butts up to Golden Gate Park and ends with the famous Ameoba Music store. The Ameoba is a San Francisco force in promoting the music business, has been there forever, and is a cavernous space filled with new and used records, including old LPs as well as new CDs. Rollingstone Magazine calls it "The World's Greatest Music Store". Sara bought a jazz CD by someone I had never heard of!
It was almost 1 pm, and the street was very busy with mostly a younger crowd shopping and looking for brunch. We walked the length of the street past all the psychadelic shops selling tie dyes, and smoking paraphenalia, some old record stores, and a wide variety of eateries, serving crepes to tacos. Matt and I browsed through a big music/instrument store which specialized in guitars and drums. Nancy and Sara shopped for shoes.
THE PORK STORE!!
After looking in the windows of most of the prospects for eating establishments, Sara and Nancy decided that we should stand in line at a joint called "The Pork Store" which obviously had been there for a long time and had a line out the door. I looked in the window and saw huge plates piled high with omeletes, hash browns, and biscuits and gravy. It looked like my kind of place, and based on the amount of food to consume, I thought a better name might be "The Porker Store"! In about 20 minutes we were in and seated at an "A" table in the front window! Nancy ordered an omelet and hash browns, and I ordered the biscuits and gravy, and we split it all between us. We managed to clean our plates! Matt and Sara each ordered a pile of carbs also, and Matt got rid of his growl! A picture on the wall from a century ago showed a butcher standing in front of the storefront in an apron. The sausage gravy on the biscuits I had eaten was probably his recipe.
FINIS!
We took another walk up and down the street, and decided there was nothing wrong with getting to the airport a bit early. So off we went, the designated driver once again in charge of our destiny. It turned out that to get to the airport we had to go back through the Mission District to the Potrero District which was where our apartment was located, head south on Potrero Ave and connect into the freeway going south to SFO. As we passed through Mission I noticed another small old storefront with a sign that said "The Pork Store". It must have been a chain! Sara asked if Nancy wanted to drive around and try to find her ancestral home since we had some time and had no luck with our earlier effort! Nancy decided that she would find it on her next trip. I think she wanted to have a good reason to return in the future!
Sara left us off at the terminal with hugs, and headed back to Santa Cruz. We went to gate 90 and plopped down to wait for our boarding to be called. The plane was full--it took an hour flight time to get home. The Sun was bright and there was a gentle ocean breeze as we got off the plane. We stopped at El Indio in Old Town to get some Mexican take out to eat at home, as we had done many times over the years.
And went back to the old routine.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
San Francisco--Nancy & Me--Day 3
TEAM NANCY/MARK VS. TEAM SARA/MATT
It was Saturday in the City. The plan was for Sara and Matt to spend the day together. Sara, our designated driver, had her car, so Nancy and I anticipated using the MUNI system to zip around town as we desired. The Sara/Matt team were going to MOMA where there was a big exhibit of modern POP art which included some things by Andy Warhal as well as some of the other icons of the genre. They then were to hook up with a friend of Matt's who was going to school at Cal State SF and have a wild time with the college crowd.
The Nancy/Mark team plan was to have a nice lunch somewhere, and play it as it came! As usual I started our day at Farley's with two big cups of caffiene and a scone loaded with butter and jam. Nancy had her customary double cappachino and a muffin and wrote some more secrets in her journal. By the time I got through the Chronicle and the crossword, the last of the caffiene had been downed and was kicking in, and we were both raring to get our big day together in gear!
It was now closing in on 10 am and back at the apartment the Matt/Sara team was up and almost ready to blast off in the Volvo towards City Centre and MOMA (and the pile of people sure to be in attendance or at least in line in the area waiting to get on the Cable Cars).
ZAPPING!
We tidied up after them, (just like at home), and when things were neatly stowed, walked up a block to the bus stop to wait for the #22 electric powered bus. We sat on the bench and I wondered how often the bus came by on Saturday compared to during the week, visualizing our day being spent sitting on benches waiting for some form of transportation going in the right direction. Since I had time to ponder on things, I wondered what would happen if one of the overhead electric lines, which powered the buses and trolleys throughout the city, would fall on me for some reason. I had read a warning on a panel in one of the electric trolleys that there was 600 volts of electricity running through the trolley panel, and assumed that the buses had the same zapping power if one were to get zapped! I had not heard of anyone getting zapped, but there were overhead lines on just about every street of any size in the whole city, and I could not imagine that some zapping had not occurred on a regular basis. Perhaps there was an understanding among all the residents of the City that such things as zapped and sizzled persons were not to be discussed because it would be very bad for the tourist business and would cause the pile of people to dwindle to a small mound! About that time in my pondering, #22, which was firmly attached to the electric line, came humming up to the stop. We flashed our 3 day passes and hopped on just like we knew what we were doing and where we were going.
WALKIES!
Our plan was to do some walking tours of the Mission and Castro Districts, which, as it happened, were both right on the #22 line to the east of us. Nancy had an old picture of her great-great-etc standing in front of his store/house which was located in the Mission district. She didn't have the address specifically, but had been by it once with her mother years ago and thought she could find it if she got into the right area. The Mission district actually was the site of an old Spanish mission which no longer existed. But a nice newer one was there with a big spire/tower and a mission school. Both the Castro and Mission areas were originally part of an original Spanish land grant in olden days. A bigwig Spanish guy called Jose de Jesus Noe', was the last Mexican Acalde (Mayor) of "Yerba Buena". That was the name of the settlement prior to Jan 30, 1847 when it was changed to San Francisco ( after St Francis of Assisi). There is still a Noe' St. and a Noe' Valley named after him in the area. Yerba Buena Island still sits in the bay between the City and Oakland!
Nancy said we would go to the Castro district first and have lunch, then come back to the Mission and walk around there. Of course we made the error of getting off the bus at Mission St instead of Market and ended up in the Mission district. We were going to wait for the next bus, but in looking at the map, saw it was only 6-7 blocks to Market, so we decided that we could probably walk there in the time we would have to wait for another bus. And we did beat the next bus!
GAY WAY!
The Castro district is the center of the gay community in the city. Harvey Milk was the first elected gay city supervisor. He had opened a camera store when he came to this area, and the store front is still a much visited location. While in office he was shot and killed at the city hall by a nutcase , former city supervisor Danny White. He also killed Mayor George Moscone in his rampage. The nutcase pleaded insanity due to uncontrolled rage caused by a sugar overdose, and was found guilty of only voluntary manslaughter. It was a very famous trial and the defense became known as the "Twinkie" defense. ( It was the White Milk and Cookie trial--that's the truth!) The Plaza at the south end of Market St is named Harvey Milk Plaza in his honor.
Market St. is a straight line northward to the heart of downtown on the MUNI "F" line. There is an underground connection to BART, and above, buses, and trolleys all ply this route which ends at Fisherman's Wharf. It seems to be the city's busiest corridor. Castro is a vibrant and busy neighborhood filed with cafes, bars, health clubs, gay oriented boutiques, and all the other businesses necessary to support a fairly sizeable community. The old Castro Theater is the last of the 1920's single screen movie palaces left in the city. These days it tends to play classic movies, and I suspect whatever mainstream movie that appeals to the local gay community. It still has the old classic Pipe Organ used during the silent film era.
It is one of the best preserved communities in the city with streets lined with trees and rows of old refurbished and colorfully painted Victorian row houses. While the homes have small garages on the ground floor, it seems that everyone parks on both sides of the street. All the streets are lined with parked cars. (I noticed this all over the city).
We had a very nice lunch at a sidewalk cafe called the Cafe Flore'. I had a hamburger with fries, and Nancy had a veggie burger with a salad. Nancy said it was the best veggie burger she had ever had in her entire life! And that is saying something! A perfect place for lunch! We need to go back.
We drank a bottle of Pelligrino sparkling water and enjoyed the activity and swirl of people, trolleys, cars, and buses around the Plaza.
MUSEO DE CABLE CAR
It was after 1 pm, and the afternoon was still before us. I looked at the map and instead of a walk around the Mission district, I thought that a trip to the cable car museum near Nob Hill might be interesting. I was ever the tourist! Nancy was game so we walked out to the trolley stop and hopped on the "F" line trolley headed downtown. My thought was that we could hop on a cable car downtown to take us to the museum. Wouldn't that be cool. Well, we got down to the Market St cable car stop, and as usual there was a line of tourists a mile long waiting to get on. Nancy said it was only 5-6 blocks up the hill, and if we started walking maybe we could hop on the cable car at one of the other stops. So we started up the hill and at each stop along the way there was a group waiting to get on a car that was all ready full when it got there. We ended up climbing all the way up to the museum. I think we got there almost as fast as the car that left at the same time, and I know that walking was alot faster that waiting in that line. I think if we lived in the City we would be in very good physical condition!
The museum also was the maintenance and mechanical building that housed all the machinery that powered the cables that pulled the cars up all those hills. It was all open for viewing, and it was fascinating to see how the system worked with the two big electric motors turning the huge pulleys with the cables running through them. The exhibits showed the history of the system and there were many pictures of the city before and after the earthquake and fire of 1902. All the cable car and the buildings were destroyed or burned in the 1902 earthquake. While some of it was rebuilt after, most of the new system was converted to electric trolleys, which were much more efficient and easier to build. Only a couple of cable lines survived, and the original steam driven system was converted to electric power. The whole system was refurbished in the 1980's( at the cost of a zillion $ or so) and should now last another century as the only existing working cable car system in the world. The Cable Car Mechanical and Maintenace building was refurbished as well and the museum was much improved. The only existing original cable car is on exhibit in the museum. That car happened to be on exhibit in Baltimore at the time of the earthquake and escaped the destruction. Finding out how the cable system worked was very interesting, and educational too!
NANCY KNOWS EVERYBODY!!
As we exited the building and were standing on the corner consulting our map, we heard a voice yell, "Hey Nancy!" One of Nancy's friends from San Diego wheeled by in a VW with her husband at the wheel and another couple in the back seat and yelled out the window, "We just went to Alcatraz!", then whipped around the corner without even stopping. What are the odds of that! It is well known among all her friends that Nancy cannot go anywhere without bumping into someone she knows. The stories I could tell!
LA BACCA DE VINO
We walked up Nob Hill and were standing in front of the Fairmont Hotel when Nancy's cell phone rang. It was Sara (on Matt's cell), wondering where we were. They were done with the art exhibit at MOMA and since we were just a few blocks away they came and picked us up. They had not heard from Matt's college friend. So we decided to head back to the apartment, clean up a bit, and all go out for a nice dinner together. We looked in Nancy's dining guide and picked a nice place called Bacca over in the Castro district. I called for a reservation at 8 pm, and we all took a breather for an hour or so before going out for one last meal!
The designated driver was back in charge of our transportation, so we drove around looking for the restaurant and ended up in a neat little neighborhood in upscale Noe' Valley, just east of The Castro.. As usual, the designated driver drove around the side streets looking for the one open parking place and finally found success on a side street a couple of blocks from the restaurant. While we were walking around a bit, Matt's friend finally called him on his cell! Matt told him he was on his way to a big family dinner and would get back to him later! We got there right on time, were seated at a very good table, had two bottles of wine and some very good food, and some good conversation. Most of the time it was me against the rest of the table. I usually held my own by making sure everyone had a full wine glass at all times.! Even Matt had wine! It was our most expensive meal of the week--I put it on the credit card! So the bill will be out of sight for about a month!
Matt never did get back to his friend.
It was Saturday in the City. The plan was for Sara and Matt to spend the day together. Sara, our designated driver, had her car, so Nancy and I anticipated using the MUNI system to zip around town as we desired. The Sara/Matt team were going to MOMA where there was a big exhibit of modern POP art which included some things by Andy Warhal as well as some of the other icons of the genre. They then were to hook up with a friend of Matt's who was going to school at Cal State SF and have a wild time with the college crowd.
The Nancy/Mark team plan was to have a nice lunch somewhere, and play it as it came! As usual I started our day at Farley's with two big cups of caffiene and a scone loaded with butter and jam. Nancy had her customary double cappachino and a muffin and wrote some more secrets in her journal. By the time I got through the Chronicle and the crossword, the last of the caffiene had been downed and was kicking in, and we were both raring to get our big day together in gear!
It was now closing in on 10 am and back at the apartment the Matt/Sara team was up and almost ready to blast off in the Volvo towards City Centre and MOMA (and the pile of people sure to be in attendance or at least in line in the area waiting to get on the Cable Cars).
ZAPPING!
We tidied up after them, (just like at home), and when things were neatly stowed, walked up a block to the bus stop to wait for the #22 electric powered bus. We sat on the bench and I wondered how often the bus came by on Saturday compared to during the week, visualizing our day being spent sitting on benches waiting for some form of transportation going in the right direction. Since I had time to ponder on things, I wondered what would happen if one of the overhead electric lines, which powered the buses and trolleys throughout the city, would fall on me for some reason. I had read a warning on a panel in one of the electric trolleys that there was 600 volts of electricity running through the trolley panel, and assumed that the buses had the same zapping power if one were to get zapped! I had not heard of anyone getting zapped, but there were overhead lines on just about every street of any size in the whole city, and I could not imagine that some zapping had not occurred on a regular basis. Perhaps there was an understanding among all the residents of the City that such things as zapped and sizzled persons were not to be discussed because it would be very bad for the tourist business and would cause the pile of people to dwindle to a small mound! About that time in my pondering, #22, which was firmly attached to the electric line, came humming up to the stop. We flashed our 3 day passes and hopped on just like we knew what we were doing and where we were going.
WALKIES!
Our plan was to do some walking tours of the Mission and Castro Districts, which, as it happened, were both right on the #22 line to the east of us. Nancy had an old picture of her great-great-etc standing in front of his store/house which was located in the Mission district. She didn't have the address specifically, but had been by it once with her mother years ago and thought she could find it if she got into the right area. The Mission district actually was the site of an old Spanish mission which no longer existed. But a nice newer one was there with a big spire/tower and a mission school. Both the Castro and Mission areas were originally part of an original Spanish land grant in olden days. A bigwig Spanish guy called Jose de Jesus Noe', was the last Mexican Acalde (Mayor) of "Yerba Buena". That was the name of the settlement prior to Jan 30, 1847 when it was changed to San Francisco ( after St Francis of Assisi). There is still a Noe' St. and a Noe' Valley named after him in the area. Yerba Buena Island still sits in the bay between the City and Oakland!
Nancy said we would go to the Castro district first and have lunch, then come back to the Mission and walk around there. Of course we made the error of getting off the bus at Mission St instead of Market and ended up in the Mission district. We were going to wait for the next bus, but in looking at the map, saw it was only 6-7 blocks to Market, so we decided that we could probably walk there in the time we would have to wait for another bus. And we did beat the next bus!
GAY WAY!
The Castro district is the center of the gay community in the city. Harvey Milk was the first elected gay city supervisor. He had opened a camera store when he came to this area, and the store front is still a much visited location. While in office he was shot and killed at the city hall by a nutcase , former city supervisor Danny White. He also killed Mayor George Moscone in his rampage. The nutcase pleaded insanity due to uncontrolled rage caused by a sugar overdose, and was found guilty of only voluntary manslaughter. It was a very famous trial and the defense became known as the "Twinkie" defense. ( It was the White Milk and Cookie trial--that's the truth!) The Plaza at the south end of Market St is named Harvey Milk Plaza in his honor.
Market St. is a straight line northward to the heart of downtown on the MUNI "F" line. There is an underground connection to BART, and above, buses, and trolleys all ply this route which ends at Fisherman's Wharf. It seems to be the city's busiest corridor. Castro is a vibrant and busy neighborhood filed with cafes, bars, health clubs, gay oriented boutiques, and all the other businesses necessary to support a fairly sizeable community. The old Castro Theater is the last of the 1920's single screen movie palaces left in the city. These days it tends to play classic movies, and I suspect whatever mainstream movie that appeals to the local gay community. It still has the old classic Pipe Organ used during the silent film era.
It is one of the best preserved communities in the city with streets lined with trees and rows of old refurbished and colorfully painted Victorian row houses. While the homes have small garages on the ground floor, it seems that everyone parks on both sides of the street. All the streets are lined with parked cars. (I noticed this all over the city).
We had a very nice lunch at a sidewalk cafe called the Cafe Flore'. I had a hamburger with fries, and Nancy had a veggie burger with a salad. Nancy said it was the best veggie burger she had ever had in her entire life! And that is saying something! A perfect place for lunch! We need to go back.
We drank a bottle of Pelligrino sparkling water and enjoyed the activity and swirl of people, trolleys, cars, and buses around the Plaza.
MUSEO DE CABLE CAR
It was after 1 pm, and the afternoon was still before us. I looked at the map and instead of a walk around the Mission district, I thought that a trip to the cable car museum near Nob Hill might be interesting. I was ever the tourist! Nancy was game so we walked out to the trolley stop and hopped on the "F" line trolley headed downtown. My thought was that we could hop on a cable car downtown to take us to the museum. Wouldn't that be cool. Well, we got down to the Market St cable car stop, and as usual there was a line of tourists a mile long waiting to get on. Nancy said it was only 5-6 blocks up the hill, and if we started walking maybe we could hop on the cable car at one of the other stops. So we started up the hill and at each stop along the way there was a group waiting to get on a car that was all ready full when it got there. We ended up climbing all the way up to the museum. I think we got there almost as fast as the car that left at the same time, and I know that walking was alot faster that waiting in that line. I think if we lived in the City we would be in very good physical condition!
The museum also was the maintenance and mechanical building that housed all the machinery that powered the cables that pulled the cars up all those hills. It was all open for viewing, and it was fascinating to see how the system worked with the two big electric motors turning the huge pulleys with the cables running through them. The exhibits showed the history of the system and there were many pictures of the city before and after the earthquake and fire of 1902. All the cable car and the buildings were destroyed or burned in the 1902 earthquake. While some of it was rebuilt after, most of the new system was converted to electric trolleys, which were much more efficient and easier to build. Only a couple of cable lines survived, and the original steam driven system was converted to electric power. The whole system was refurbished in the 1980's( at the cost of a zillion $ or so) and should now last another century as the only existing working cable car system in the world. The Cable Car Mechanical and Maintenace building was refurbished as well and the museum was much improved. The only existing original cable car is on exhibit in the museum. That car happened to be on exhibit in Baltimore at the time of the earthquake and escaped the destruction. Finding out how the cable system worked was very interesting, and educational too!
NANCY KNOWS EVERYBODY!!
As we exited the building and were standing on the corner consulting our map, we heard a voice yell, "Hey Nancy!" One of Nancy's friends from San Diego wheeled by in a VW with her husband at the wheel and another couple in the back seat and yelled out the window, "We just went to Alcatraz!", then whipped around the corner without even stopping. What are the odds of that! It is well known among all her friends that Nancy cannot go anywhere without bumping into someone she knows. The stories I could tell!
LA BACCA DE VINO
We walked up Nob Hill and were standing in front of the Fairmont Hotel when Nancy's cell phone rang. It was Sara (on Matt's cell), wondering where we were. They were done with the art exhibit at MOMA and since we were just a few blocks away they came and picked us up. They had not heard from Matt's college friend. So we decided to head back to the apartment, clean up a bit, and all go out for a nice dinner together. We looked in Nancy's dining guide and picked a nice place called Bacca over in the Castro district. I called for a reservation at 8 pm, and we all took a breather for an hour or so before going out for one last meal!
The designated driver was back in charge of our transportation, so we drove around looking for the restaurant and ended up in a neat little neighborhood in upscale Noe' Valley, just east of The Castro.. As usual, the designated driver drove around the side streets looking for the one open parking place and finally found success on a side street a couple of blocks from the restaurant. While we were walking around a bit, Matt's friend finally called him on his cell! Matt told him he was on his way to a big family dinner and would get back to him later! We got there right on time, were seated at a very good table, had two bottles of wine and some very good food, and some good conversation. Most of the time it was me against the rest of the table. I usually held my own by making sure everyone had a full wine glass at all times.! Even Matt had wine! It was our most expensive meal of the week--I put it on the credit card! So the bill will be out of sight for about a month!
Matt never did get back to his friend.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
San Francisco--Across the Golden Gate--Day 2
FARLEY'S
Friday was our second day all together in the City. Surprisingly, it was another bright, sunny morning in a city known for grey skies. I was first up and out, making my way up the street to Farley's for some of their nice strong coffee and a scone with lots of butter and jam. I was not the first customer that morning, and some other early riser had been nice enough to leave a copy of the day's Chronicle for me to read. ( I also left it in good condition, but with the crossword completed. I wonder how many readers it had during the day,and if they were disappointed that the crossword was completed!) In about 30 minutes Nancy joined me with her double cappachino and muffin, and preceded to write the latest thoughts of her adventure in her journal. Since I had allready consumed the paper, she mentioned that there was a row of journals on the adjacent shelf where guests could write comments or produce some art. I picked up a couple and paged through noting that most of the pages were filled with poorly done drawings, some comments, and some crayon work by children. There was an occasional page where visitors wrote some nice words about the heavy caffiene content of Farley's brews.
I found a reasonable looking journal with mostly blank pages and proceeded to create a three stanza poem describing the bright morning sun, the city as seen from the hill on which Farley's (and I) was perched, and my excitement and anticipation of the day before me! I signed it not so creatively as "A Visitor from San Diego". I'm sure that many who read it in the future will wonder why someone from "sunny" San Diego would come to San Francisco and write an ode about "sunny" San Francisco! San Francisco's mood is supposed to be cool, foggy, misty, wet, with umbrellas, raincoats, hats, and a muted romanticism personified by the towers of the Golden Gate probing above a fog bank rolling into the bay. I think that Nancy was probably disappointed with the weather while we were there, and would have much preferred the need for an umbrella at least part of the week!
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
We headed back to the apartment a bit after nine, and both Matt and Sara were almost up and ready to go. Sara wanted coffee, so it was back to Farley's for a quick stop. Our plan for the day was to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB) to Sausalito, get some takeout for lunch, and drive to Muir Woods to eat under the redwoods. Our designated driver loaded us up and headed across town towards the bridge. I had a map, and trying to be a good designated back seat driver, made some very excellent suggestions regarding what looked like the best route to take across town. My suggestion was quickly derided by the designated driver, who was fully supported by her mother, to whom I then gave the map! After driving wildly up and down hills in the general direction of the the other side of town, we soon were on Rte 101 north heading to the Presidio and the GGB. It now costs $5 to cross the bridge, but only when you are coming in from the north. Going out is a free ride. That's something to remember! On the north end of the bridge is a big parking area with great views of the bridge and the City across the bay. There were tour buses, lots of cars, and a pile of people walking around taking pictures of each other with digital cameras, so they could "spam" them to all their friends when they got home to prove they were actually there! The designated driver made me go back to the car to get my camera, and I joined the crowd. (Unfortunately, since I was the photographer during the whole trip, I have no pictures of myself to prove that I actually am writing this memoir from my own memories!)
We looked hard at the bridge for awhile, viewed the west side of Alcatraz, visited the very fine restrooms, and piled into the car to our next stop at Sausalito.
SAUSALITO AND MUIR WOODS/BEACH
It had been about 30 years since I had last been to Sausalito, and as we drove into town it was hard to remember what it had been like back then. My impression was that it had been a bit touristy, but still quaint and village-like, with a seaside beachy feel. The bay ferry makes a stop here, but I suppose today it mostly brings tourists or perhaps some boat owners who may have their private boat moored at the marina. It still has a village-like feel to it, but in 30 years the main street has become just an upscale tourist destination filled with shops selling art, trinkets, and things to eat. It is probably a nice ferry ride, but otherwise I didn't think it was worth a visit anymore. We did find a nice deli which had good sandwiches, and loaded up for our picnic stop at Muir Woods which was next on our intinerary.
Muir Woods is only a few miles west of Sausilito. It is probably the most visited redwood grove in the world, and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. GGNRA is the largest urban National Park, emcompassing 76,500 acres. It includes Alcatraz Island, the Presidio, Cliff House, Ocean Beach, and Stinson Beach and more! As we cut inland off of 101, it became more mountainous and the road became more nauseous, weaving back and forth as it snaked into the back country. With the designated driver tailgating the row of cars in front of us, and taking the curves ala Mario Andretti, riding in the back seat provided good excercise for my abs, alternating tenseness and relaxation, tenseness and relaxation, as she wheeled and braked around the curves. Since I had earlier gave up giving guidance, I just endured!
As we approached Muir Woods we noted a sign stating that the first parking area was full--which I thought was odd for a Friday! I could not believe that the pile of people could extend so far out into the countryside. We passed a sign that said "Stinson Beach", and the designated driver said that she always wanted to go there. "That's where they have great white sharks!", she said.
So the decision was made to go onward and share our lunch with the great whites! In a mile or so I saw a sign that said "Muir Beach Overlook" and said "Turn in there". To my surprise the designated driver actually took my suggestion and whipped the wheel left up the entry road. We entered a parking lot high on the cliff overlooking the ocean, and I noticed a number of picnic tables. A perfect place for lunch! There was an outhouse, picnic tables, four old WWII gun and observation bunkers, a friendly local yellow lab, and a path out to a viewpoint overlooking a beach far below. The wind was blowing a bit, whitecaps were pitching over the bows of a few boats a mile or so off the coast, and the sun was sparkling off the spray whipped up by the wind. Best of all, there were only a few other people in sight! The sandwiches were to big to eat in one setting, but good. Matt ate all of his! The lab got all the scraps. (He roamed from table to table, laying underfoot looking for opportunities)
STINSON SHARKS!
Stinson Beach was another 5 or so miles down the road. It was a nice surprise! A quiet place this time of the year. Very out of the way, and yet a big, long beautiful beach that must be very crowded during the summer months. We stopped and walked a bit on the beach, and read the warning signs regarding the Great White (Someone was killed in 6 ft of water a couple of years ago). We shopped through the few funky stores in the little downtown area. There was a very nice art gallery filled with quilts and the work of local artists. Nancy got the lowdown on all the good quilters and quilt stores in the north bay area.
I was drawn to an old guy who had an small outdoor flea market--more like a garage sale. Next to his chair was a half empty bottle of bourbon that occassionaly fueled his sales pitch. I ended up buying a set of matching 1950's bedroom lamps with period shades for $10. (originally $20). I am a sucker for a deal! With all the shopping activity by Nancy and Sara, mine was the only purchase! Taking action is such a guy thing! So Stinson Beach was a worthy destination for a day trip out of the city!
CHINATOWN, MY CHINATOWN!
It all started in 1848 when two Chinese men and one women arrived in San Francisco on the American Brig, Eagle. Then in 49 there was the gold rush. and then the railroads..., and now San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.
Our plan for the evening was to eat in China Town and have an after dinner drink in North Beach. So we headed back to the GGB, paid our $5 toll coming in, and the designated driver barrelled over hill and dale to China Town, where we drove around looking for the one open parking space on the street. We finally gave up and when we saw a sign for a parking ramp, deciding that ten or so bucks for parking for the evening didn't seem so bad, considering the alternative of driving around for an hour. Plus, we were on vacation! It was in the budget!
We walked up and down and around China Town. Nancy and Sara shopped, and Matt wandered in and out of a few stores as well. Sara and Nancy each bought a silk billfold, and a couple of small silk coin purses. Matt was looking for something for his girlfriend--but didn't find anything worthy. I just stood around outside the stores fascinated by the variety of people moving up and down the street. Everyone who takes a trip to the west coast usually starts or ends in SF. And they all go to China Town. If one listens and observes, all languages sooner or later pass by on the street.
We had dinner at a well known "middle class" place on the fringe of China Town and North Beach called Lichee Garden on Powell St. Nancy found it in one of her dining out books. It was a very reasonable family style place filled with chinese families eating very large plates of all kinds of good chinese food, and drinking 7UP poured from 1.5 liter plastic bottles! We ordered a pot sticker, egg rolls, the highly recommended egg foo yung, sweet and sour pork, a beef dish, and chow mein with pan fried noodles. Nancy and I split a bottle of wine, and Matt and Sara had Chinese beer. How did I remember all that?It must have been memorable! It filled the table and us too!!Surprisingly, we managed to devour most all of it, although we did take home a couple of boxes of leftovers that we ended up leaving in a trash bag at the apartment! Even the fortune cookies were good, although the fortunes were pretty bland!
CITY LIGHTS
To walk it off, we hoofed it down a couple of blocks and spent some time at that famous bookstore, City Lights. It is right across the street from the Condor Club (I remember Carol Doda topless) in the heart of North Beach. I found a stool to sit on, and looked at a few left wing radical publications while the rest of the left wing radicals in the family wandered about looking for something to sooth their literary souls.
North Beach is a great place to walk at night just because of all the action. Lots of cafes and night spots, and of course, lots of people. But it is not just tourists--many locals as well! It's a date place! We stopped at a cafe, got a table at a window, and I had a double expresso which should have kept me awake all night, but didn't.
So day 2 covered alot of territory, from Stinson Beach to North Beach! Give me some rest!
Friday was our second day all together in the City. Surprisingly, it was another bright, sunny morning in a city known for grey skies. I was first up and out, making my way up the street to Farley's for some of their nice strong coffee and a scone with lots of butter and jam. I was not the first customer that morning, and some other early riser had been nice enough to leave a copy of the day's Chronicle for me to read. ( I also left it in good condition, but with the crossword completed. I wonder how many readers it had during the day,and if they were disappointed that the crossword was completed!) In about 30 minutes Nancy joined me with her double cappachino and muffin, and preceded to write the latest thoughts of her adventure in her journal. Since I had allready consumed the paper, she mentioned that there was a row of journals on the adjacent shelf where guests could write comments or produce some art. I picked up a couple and paged through noting that most of the pages were filled with poorly done drawings, some comments, and some crayon work by children. There was an occasional page where visitors wrote some nice words about the heavy caffiene content of Farley's brews.
I found a reasonable looking journal with mostly blank pages and proceeded to create a three stanza poem describing the bright morning sun, the city as seen from the hill on which Farley's (and I) was perched, and my excitement and anticipation of the day before me! I signed it not so creatively as "A Visitor from San Diego". I'm sure that many who read it in the future will wonder why someone from "sunny" San Diego would come to San Francisco and write an ode about "sunny" San Francisco! San Francisco's mood is supposed to be cool, foggy, misty, wet, with umbrellas, raincoats, hats, and a muted romanticism personified by the towers of the Golden Gate probing above a fog bank rolling into the bay. I think that Nancy was probably disappointed with the weather while we were there, and would have much preferred the need for an umbrella at least part of the week!
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
We headed back to the apartment a bit after nine, and both Matt and Sara were almost up and ready to go. Sara wanted coffee, so it was back to Farley's for a quick stop. Our plan for the day was to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB) to Sausalito, get some takeout for lunch, and drive to Muir Woods to eat under the redwoods. Our designated driver loaded us up and headed across town towards the bridge. I had a map, and trying to be a good designated back seat driver, made some very excellent suggestions regarding what looked like the best route to take across town. My suggestion was quickly derided by the designated driver, who was fully supported by her mother, to whom I then gave the map! After driving wildly up and down hills in the general direction of the the other side of town, we soon were on Rte 101 north heading to the Presidio and the GGB. It now costs $5 to cross the bridge, but only when you are coming in from the north. Going out is a free ride. That's something to remember! On the north end of the bridge is a big parking area with great views of the bridge and the City across the bay. There were tour buses, lots of cars, and a pile of people walking around taking pictures of each other with digital cameras, so they could "spam" them to all their friends when they got home to prove they were actually there! The designated driver made me go back to the car to get my camera, and I joined the crowd. (Unfortunately, since I was the photographer during the whole trip, I have no pictures of myself to prove that I actually am writing this memoir from my own memories!)
We looked hard at the bridge for awhile, viewed the west side of Alcatraz, visited the very fine restrooms, and piled into the car to our next stop at Sausalito.
SAUSALITO AND MUIR WOODS/BEACH
It had been about 30 years since I had last been to Sausalito, and as we drove into town it was hard to remember what it had been like back then. My impression was that it had been a bit touristy, but still quaint and village-like, with a seaside beachy feel. The bay ferry makes a stop here, but I suppose today it mostly brings tourists or perhaps some boat owners who may have their private boat moored at the marina. It still has a village-like feel to it, but in 30 years the main street has become just an upscale tourist destination filled with shops selling art, trinkets, and things to eat. It is probably a nice ferry ride, but otherwise I didn't think it was worth a visit anymore. We did find a nice deli which had good sandwiches, and loaded up for our picnic stop at Muir Woods which was next on our intinerary.
Muir Woods is only a few miles west of Sausilito. It is probably the most visited redwood grove in the world, and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. GGNRA is the largest urban National Park, emcompassing 76,500 acres. It includes Alcatraz Island, the Presidio, Cliff House, Ocean Beach, and Stinson Beach and more! As we cut inland off of 101, it became more mountainous and the road became more nauseous, weaving back and forth as it snaked into the back country. With the designated driver tailgating the row of cars in front of us, and taking the curves ala Mario Andretti, riding in the back seat provided good excercise for my abs, alternating tenseness and relaxation, tenseness and relaxation, as she wheeled and braked around the curves. Since I had earlier gave up giving guidance, I just endured!
As we approached Muir Woods we noted a sign stating that the first parking area was full--which I thought was odd for a Friday! I could not believe that the pile of people could extend so far out into the countryside. We passed a sign that said "Stinson Beach", and the designated driver said that she always wanted to go there. "That's where they have great white sharks!", she said.
So the decision was made to go onward and share our lunch with the great whites! In a mile or so I saw a sign that said "Muir Beach Overlook" and said "Turn in there". To my surprise the designated driver actually took my suggestion and whipped the wheel left up the entry road. We entered a parking lot high on the cliff overlooking the ocean, and I noticed a number of picnic tables. A perfect place for lunch! There was an outhouse, picnic tables, four old WWII gun and observation bunkers, a friendly local yellow lab, and a path out to a viewpoint overlooking a beach far below. The wind was blowing a bit, whitecaps were pitching over the bows of a few boats a mile or so off the coast, and the sun was sparkling off the spray whipped up by the wind. Best of all, there were only a few other people in sight! The sandwiches were to big to eat in one setting, but good. Matt ate all of his! The lab got all the scraps. (He roamed from table to table, laying underfoot looking for opportunities)
STINSON SHARKS!
Stinson Beach was another 5 or so miles down the road. It was a nice surprise! A quiet place this time of the year. Very out of the way, and yet a big, long beautiful beach that must be very crowded during the summer months. We stopped and walked a bit on the beach, and read the warning signs regarding the Great White (Someone was killed in 6 ft of water a couple of years ago). We shopped through the few funky stores in the little downtown area. There was a very nice art gallery filled with quilts and the work of local artists. Nancy got the lowdown on all the good quilters and quilt stores in the north bay area.
I was drawn to an old guy who had an small outdoor flea market--more like a garage sale. Next to his chair was a half empty bottle of bourbon that occassionaly fueled his sales pitch. I ended up buying a set of matching 1950's bedroom lamps with period shades for $10. (originally $20). I am a sucker for a deal! With all the shopping activity by Nancy and Sara, mine was the only purchase! Taking action is such a guy thing! So Stinson Beach was a worthy destination for a day trip out of the city!
CHINATOWN, MY CHINATOWN!
It all started in 1848 when two Chinese men and one women arrived in San Francisco on the American Brig, Eagle. Then in 49 there was the gold rush. and then the railroads..., and now San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.
Our plan for the evening was to eat in China Town and have an after dinner drink in North Beach. So we headed back to the GGB, paid our $5 toll coming in, and the designated driver barrelled over hill and dale to China Town, where we drove around looking for the one open parking space on the street. We finally gave up and when we saw a sign for a parking ramp, deciding that ten or so bucks for parking for the evening didn't seem so bad, considering the alternative of driving around for an hour. Plus, we were on vacation! It was in the budget!
We walked up and down and around China Town. Nancy and Sara shopped, and Matt wandered in and out of a few stores as well. Sara and Nancy each bought a silk billfold, and a couple of small silk coin purses. Matt was looking for something for his girlfriend--but didn't find anything worthy. I just stood around outside the stores fascinated by the variety of people moving up and down the street. Everyone who takes a trip to the west coast usually starts or ends in SF. And they all go to China Town. If one listens and observes, all languages sooner or later pass by on the street.
We had dinner at a well known "middle class" place on the fringe of China Town and North Beach called Lichee Garden on Powell St. Nancy found it in one of her dining out books. It was a very reasonable family style place filled with chinese families eating very large plates of all kinds of good chinese food, and drinking 7UP poured from 1.5 liter plastic bottles! We ordered a pot sticker, egg rolls, the highly recommended egg foo yung, sweet and sour pork, a beef dish, and chow mein with pan fried noodles. Nancy and I split a bottle of wine, and Matt and Sara had Chinese beer. How did I remember all that?It must have been memorable! It filled the table and us too!!Surprisingly, we managed to devour most all of it, although we did take home a couple of boxes of leftovers that we ended up leaving in a trash bag at the apartment! Even the fortune cookies were good, although the fortunes were pretty bland!
CITY LIGHTS
To walk it off, we hoofed it down a couple of blocks and spent some time at that famous bookstore, City Lights. It is right across the street from the Condor Club (I remember Carol Doda topless) in the heart of North Beach. I found a stool to sit on, and looked at a few left wing radical publications while the rest of the left wing radicals in the family wandered about looking for something to sooth their literary souls.
North Beach is a great place to walk at night just because of all the action. Lots of cafes and night spots, and of course, lots of people. But it is not just tourists--many locals as well! It's a date place! We stopped at a cafe, got a table at a window, and I had a double expresso which should have kept me awake all night, but didn't.
So day 2 covered alot of territory, from Stinson Beach to North Beach! Give me some rest!
Monday, September 20, 2004
San Francisco--"A Pile of People"--Day 1.
ARRIVAL
My wife, Nancy, decided that we should have a family meeting in San Francisco for a week.
Her roots go back to the early days of San Francisco and she has a sense of homecoming" every time she visits. It has been probably 20+ years since our last visit, and she wanted to take Sara and Matt and have us all spend some time together discovering her history. She got on the computer one day with a credit card in hand, made airline reservations, and a phone call setting up a weekly rental, and announced to everyone that they should block off the week on their calendars! And that was that!
So she flew up on a Monday. Sara lives in Santa Cruz and was going to pick her up and the two of them were to spend three days together doing girlie things before Matt and I arrived on Thursday. Nancy's plane arrived Monday at about 10:20. At 11:30 I got a call on my cell phone from Sara wondering whether Nancy had made her flight, because she had been driving around the airport for an hour and had not seen her. I called Nancy on her cell phone. She had been waiting outside patiently at the curb for over an hour on the upper level. Sara had been driving around and around the lower level. They finally did get together!
Aren't cell phones handy sometimes! (Sara is Santa Cruz "organic" and doesn't want a cell phone)
When Matt and I arrived on Thursday, I called Nancy cell to cell, and they were just a minute away from picking us up, on the lower arrival level! Experience is a great teacher!
DIGS!
Nancy had a friend who knew someone in SF who rented out an apartment in her home on a weekly basis to "select" recommended people--and I guess we all passed muster. It was located in the Potrero district which is directly south of downtown a few miles and east of the Castro and Mission districts. It is a quiet neighborhood with great views of the downtown skyline. It is also the home of the Anchor Brewing Company, and is the neighboorhood where O. J. Simpson grew up. There is still a mural of him on a wall in the local recreation center. Better still, it had a great coffee house called "Farley's" just a couple blocks from us. During the week it opened at 6 am, and since I generally get up early, I was often one of their first customers. With the exception of Matt who is not a coffee person, we all made it our daily launch pad!
TOURING WITH THE TOURIST "PILE"
We picked up some sandwiches at a local deli, and had a pleasant lunch in the back garden at the apartment and planned our adventure for our first afternoon together in the City. I was ready to do touristy things, especially since Matt had never been to the City before and needed to see the sights.
Since Sara had a car, she was the "designated" driver. I thought to be the "designated" backseat driver, although every time I made a comment I was yelled at and beat down! Sara had been to the City a number of times during the last few years and knew her way around reasonably well. She fit right into the city driving milieu; she complained about everyone who stopped or cut her off, and usually was fully supported by her mother who had a tendancy to flip them off as we drove by! We drove downtown, parked in a parking structure, and headed out to Union Square to buy a 3 day MUNI pass. We figured we then could use public transportation most of the time and ride the cable cars as much as we wanted. (Cable Car fare is $3, everything else about half that!). I thought the tourist season would be winding down and that mid-week would be somewhat quiet! But there was a pile of people in town. There was an outdoor art show in Union Square. On Thursday! Of course the lines were so long to get on one of the cable cars, that we decided we could probably walk to where we were going before we would even get on one! Buses and the electric trollies proved to be a lot easier to use and were really the best way to get around, although not so "romantic". We played tourist and spent most of the day on the embarcadero, walked Pier 39 with the pile of people, saw all the sea lions laying about, gawked at the horde of tourists taking pictures and buying trinkets and stuff, went to Fisherman's Wharf, visited the amusement "museum", and looked at the old WWII submarine. Matt and Sara wanted to go see the Ripley's Believe it or Not exhibit, so for an hour, Nancy and I walked over to Ghiradelli Square and had an ice cream and sat on a bench!! Matt and Sara thought that Ripley's was really "cool" and well worth the 12 buck admission! I guess the oddities must have been odious enough to entertain and "gross out" the younger generation! By the time one hits 60 or so, nothing much is odd anymore!
THE BUENA VISTA!
We all walked up to the Buena Vista "Saloon" where Sara and Nancy attacked some "Cosmos" and Matt and I each had a Sierra Gold Ale. (nice and hoppy) We looked out the window at the Cable Car turnaround station and watched the mass of people lined up to take the ride up Nob Hill, back down to China Town and finally to the Market Street stop. It reminded me of the most popular "E" ride ticket at Disneyland on their busiest day of the year! I knew we had to ride the Cable Car at least once for Matt since he had never been on one, but did not look forward to standing in line for an hour or so to do it! Maybe later at night would be better. The cars ran till 10 pm. We walked back down to the embarcadero and caught a trolley down to pier 23.
PIER 23
At pier 23 there is a very old hangout called "Pier 23" which Sara knew from a prior trip that was a very popular bayside eating and drinking joint with the locals. It was very casual, and relatively inexpensive. The menu showed basic seafood, hamburgers/sandwiches, some live music, and what seemed like a younger downtown crowd. I thought it was perfect! We sat outside with a great bay view, had a beer, fish and chips, ahhh! Dinner for 4 with drinks and tip was about 60-70 bucks!! And that included salad and a big plate of calimari! My kind of place!
COIT TOWER
Right above pier 23 to the west is Coit Tower. That was another must see, and Sara said she knew about some "secret" stairs just a block or so away that went all the way up the hill. My thought, as I looked up at what seemed to me a rival of the Mattehorn, was no way! Couldn't we just go back and get the car and drive up there? No one was going along with that! So we were off on our adventure! And indeed, there appeared to be steps leading upward at the end of a small street . So up we started. I wondered aloud if I would make it with my "heart condition". I was reproached with some disdainful stares! I climbed! There were homes built into the "cliff" on our way up, and it seemed to me that many of them had no other access other than the stairs we were climbing. I envisioned people hauling up bags of groceries and gasping as they climbed to altitude.
About halfway up, there was a road cut into the side of the hill which provided access to some of the homes, and to a fancy restaurant called "Julius' Castle", which was a converted mansion perched on the edge of the cliff. The views were spectacular, at least 180 degrees all across the bay. There was valet parking, and some cars parked near the "castle" with a couple of valets hanging loosely about. I walked over and checked the menu posted outside the entrance. . It looked pretty upscale, $$$$. Maybe it would be suitable for just a special occassion sometime! Onward up the next section of steps, and by some more homes until the top was reached and spilled us out onto the parking lot of the Coit Tower. The climb felt like a great accomplishment!!
The tower was originally built as a signal tower. It is 210 ft high and is on Telegraph Hill near the bay (alt. 274 ft). A donation of $100000 was made by Lillie Hitchcock Coit to build the tower back in 1933. She had been rescued as a young girl by the fire department and dedicated the tower in honor of the City firefighters. A couple years after it was built a project was commissioned to cover the inside walls of the lower level of the tower with painted murals. They are in a herioc style, have been well preserved, and represent the work and activity of the residents of the area. For a small fee we all hopped on the elevator for a ride to the top observation deck. The Chinese elevator operator/guide gave us a short talk about the tower on the way up-most of which I couldn't understand. I gave him a buck anyway on the way down! It was the sunset of a bright clear day, and not only did we see the sun go down, we saw all the lights of the city and the bridges sparkle as night settled in. It was the best and most beautiful time of day to visit.
Going down the steps was alot easier, although it was dark and not well lighted in some areas. Just as I was saying that everyone should be careful and hang on to the rail, Nancy actually slipped on a step and took a tumble against the rail and hit her back on it. She had to stop and sit for a moment! It was a sore spot for a week! But we made it the rest of the way safely and now know a "secret stair" spot in San Francisco that is probably not known to many "tourists".
MATT'S CABLE CAR
We still had to get Matt on a Cable Car. We caught a trolley back to Fisherman's wharf and walked up to the Cable Car turnaround . It was about 8:30 pm. There was still a fairly long line waiting, but it was only about a third as long as what we saw in the late afternoon. It looked to be about a 45 min line. While we waited we were serenaded by a old grizzled, bearded banjo player who looked to be a regular at this location. He had a big pile of quarters in the banjo case sitting out front of his stool. He obviously was doing well financially! With the pile of people passing by him in line every day, I thought that he probably made enough picking his banjo to live in one of the local high rise penthouse apartments in the area.
We finally got on a Cable Car. All four of us had to hang on to a bar and stand on the outside "running board". I think Matt thought that was cool. (I did too!) Our operator did lots of "ding-dings" on his bell, and had some humerous remarks here and there as he pulled on the levers, alternately braking and grabbing the cable to make it stop and go! Yes, it was just like an "E" ride at Disneyland.
When we got down to the end of the line at Market Street, there was a pile of people waiting to hang on all the way back to the other end!
Our first day in the City--we had a great time just being part of the "pile"!
My wife, Nancy, decided that we should have a family meeting in San Francisco for a week.
Her roots go back to the early days of San Francisco and she has a sense of homecoming" every time she visits. It has been probably 20+ years since our last visit, and she wanted to take Sara and Matt and have us all spend some time together discovering her history. She got on the computer one day with a credit card in hand, made airline reservations, and a phone call setting up a weekly rental, and announced to everyone that they should block off the week on their calendars! And that was that!
So she flew up on a Monday. Sara lives in Santa Cruz and was going to pick her up and the two of them were to spend three days together doing girlie things before Matt and I arrived on Thursday. Nancy's plane arrived Monday at about 10:20. At 11:30 I got a call on my cell phone from Sara wondering whether Nancy had made her flight, because she had been driving around the airport for an hour and had not seen her. I called Nancy on her cell phone. She had been waiting outside patiently at the curb for over an hour on the upper level. Sara had been driving around and around the lower level. They finally did get together!
Aren't cell phones handy sometimes! (Sara is Santa Cruz "organic" and doesn't want a cell phone)
When Matt and I arrived on Thursday, I called Nancy cell to cell, and they were just a minute away from picking us up, on the lower arrival level! Experience is a great teacher!
DIGS!
Nancy had a friend who knew someone in SF who rented out an apartment in her home on a weekly basis to "select" recommended people--and I guess we all passed muster. It was located in the Potrero district which is directly south of downtown a few miles and east of the Castro and Mission districts. It is a quiet neighborhood with great views of the downtown skyline. It is also the home of the Anchor Brewing Company, and is the neighboorhood where O. J. Simpson grew up. There is still a mural of him on a wall in the local recreation center. Better still, it had a great coffee house called "Farley's" just a couple blocks from us. During the week it opened at 6 am, and since I generally get up early, I was often one of their first customers. With the exception of Matt who is not a coffee person, we all made it our daily launch pad!
TOURING WITH THE TOURIST "PILE"
We picked up some sandwiches at a local deli, and had a pleasant lunch in the back garden at the apartment and planned our adventure for our first afternoon together in the City. I was ready to do touristy things, especially since Matt had never been to the City before and needed to see the sights.
Since Sara had a car, she was the "designated" driver. I thought to be the "designated" backseat driver, although every time I made a comment I was yelled at and beat down! Sara had been to the City a number of times during the last few years and knew her way around reasonably well. She fit right into the city driving milieu; she complained about everyone who stopped or cut her off, and usually was fully supported by her mother who had a tendancy to flip them off as we drove by! We drove downtown, parked in a parking structure, and headed out to Union Square to buy a 3 day MUNI pass. We figured we then could use public transportation most of the time and ride the cable cars as much as we wanted. (Cable Car fare is $3, everything else about half that!). I thought the tourist season would be winding down and that mid-week would be somewhat quiet! But there was a pile of people in town. There was an outdoor art show in Union Square. On Thursday! Of course the lines were so long to get on one of the cable cars, that we decided we could probably walk to where we were going before we would even get on one! Buses and the electric trollies proved to be a lot easier to use and were really the best way to get around, although not so "romantic". We played tourist and spent most of the day on the embarcadero, walked Pier 39 with the pile of people, saw all the sea lions laying about, gawked at the horde of tourists taking pictures and buying trinkets and stuff, went to Fisherman's Wharf, visited the amusement "museum", and looked at the old WWII submarine. Matt and Sara wanted to go see the Ripley's Believe it or Not exhibit, so for an hour, Nancy and I walked over to Ghiradelli Square and had an ice cream and sat on a bench!! Matt and Sara thought that Ripley's was really "cool" and well worth the 12 buck admission! I guess the oddities must have been odious enough to entertain and "gross out" the younger generation! By the time one hits 60 or so, nothing much is odd anymore!
THE BUENA VISTA!
We all walked up to the Buena Vista "Saloon" where Sara and Nancy attacked some "Cosmos" and Matt and I each had a Sierra Gold Ale. (nice and hoppy) We looked out the window at the Cable Car turnaround station and watched the mass of people lined up to take the ride up Nob Hill, back down to China Town and finally to the Market Street stop. It reminded me of the most popular "E" ride ticket at Disneyland on their busiest day of the year! I knew we had to ride the Cable Car at least once for Matt since he had never been on one, but did not look forward to standing in line for an hour or so to do it! Maybe later at night would be better. The cars ran till 10 pm. We walked back down to the embarcadero and caught a trolley down to pier 23.
PIER 23
At pier 23 there is a very old hangout called "Pier 23" which Sara knew from a prior trip that was a very popular bayside eating and drinking joint with the locals. It was very casual, and relatively inexpensive. The menu showed basic seafood, hamburgers/sandwiches, some live music, and what seemed like a younger downtown crowd. I thought it was perfect! We sat outside with a great bay view, had a beer, fish and chips, ahhh! Dinner for 4 with drinks and tip was about 60-70 bucks!! And that included salad and a big plate of calimari! My kind of place!
COIT TOWER
Right above pier 23 to the west is Coit Tower. That was another must see, and Sara said she knew about some "secret" stairs just a block or so away that went all the way up the hill. My thought, as I looked up at what seemed to me a rival of the Mattehorn, was no way! Couldn't we just go back and get the car and drive up there? No one was going along with that! So we were off on our adventure! And indeed, there appeared to be steps leading upward at the end of a small street . So up we started. I wondered aloud if I would make it with my "heart condition". I was reproached with some disdainful stares! I climbed! There were homes built into the "cliff" on our way up, and it seemed to me that many of them had no other access other than the stairs we were climbing. I envisioned people hauling up bags of groceries and gasping as they climbed to altitude.
About halfway up, there was a road cut into the side of the hill which provided access to some of the homes, and to a fancy restaurant called "Julius' Castle", which was a converted mansion perched on the edge of the cliff. The views were spectacular, at least 180 degrees all across the bay. There was valet parking, and some cars parked near the "castle" with a couple of valets hanging loosely about. I walked over and checked the menu posted outside the entrance. . It looked pretty upscale, $$$$. Maybe it would be suitable for just a special occassion sometime! Onward up the next section of steps, and by some more homes until the top was reached and spilled us out onto the parking lot of the Coit Tower. The climb felt like a great accomplishment!!
The tower was originally built as a signal tower. It is 210 ft high and is on Telegraph Hill near the bay (alt. 274 ft). A donation of $100000 was made by Lillie Hitchcock Coit to build the tower back in 1933. She had been rescued as a young girl by the fire department and dedicated the tower in honor of the City firefighters. A couple years after it was built a project was commissioned to cover the inside walls of the lower level of the tower with painted murals. They are in a herioc style, have been well preserved, and represent the work and activity of the residents of the area. For a small fee we all hopped on the elevator for a ride to the top observation deck. The Chinese elevator operator/guide gave us a short talk about the tower on the way up-most of which I couldn't understand. I gave him a buck anyway on the way down! It was the sunset of a bright clear day, and not only did we see the sun go down, we saw all the lights of the city and the bridges sparkle as night settled in. It was the best and most beautiful time of day to visit.
Going down the steps was alot easier, although it was dark and not well lighted in some areas. Just as I was saying that everyone should be careful and hang on to the rail, Nancy actually slipped on a step and took a tumble against the rail and hit her back on it. She had to stop and sit for a moment! It was a sore spot for a week! But we made it the rest of the way safely and now know a "secret stair" spot in San Francisco that is probably not known to many "tourists".
MATT'S CABLE CAR
We still had to get Matt on a Cable Car. We caught a trolley back to Fisherman's wharf and walked up to the Cable Car turnaround . It was about 8:30 pm. There was still a fairly long line waiting, but it was only about a third as long as what we saw in the late afternoon. It looked to be about a 45 min line. While we waited we were serenaded by a old grizzled, bearded banjo player who looked to be a regular at this location. He had a big pile of quarters in the banjo case sitting out front of his stool. He obviously was doing well financially! With the pile of people passing by him in line every day, I thought that he probably made enough picking his banjo to live in one of the local high rise penthouse apartments in the area.
We finally got on a Cable Car. All four of us had to hang on to a bar and stand on the outside "running board". I think Matt thought that was cool. (I did too!) Our operator did lots of "ding-dings" on his bell, and had some humerous remarks here and there as he pulled on the levers, alternately braking and grabbing the cable to make it stop and go! Yes, it was just like an "E" ride at Disneyland.
When we got down to the end of the line at Market Street, there was a pile of people waiting to hang on all the way back to the other end!
Our first day in the City--we had a great time just being part of the "pile"!
Friday, September 10, 2004
At Play in the Sun
We're having a heat wave! Some times it almost gets tropical in San Diego. There has been a big high pressure area sitting over Southen California this week pushing temps up and almost breaking records in some areas. It's been in the high 80's in some places along the beach which has really brought out the sun worshipers. Of course it drops to a manageable 62-65 at night in the beach area--so it's not intolerable like I am sure it is further inland. It's a reminder that Socal is pretty much a semi arid desert climate. San Diego only averages about 9 inches of rain each year, and during the last 4-5 years has recieived on average only about half that. We are actually in a drought of sorts and many of the reseuvoirs are at very low capacities. So we drag more water from up north and from the Colorado to water the lawns and wash the cars!
I am now playing golf early Wed morns with the men's club I belong to! This week we had a four man scramble tournement with each team composed of an A,B,C,& D level player (A being best) In our group I was the "B". (My handicap index is 13.2 at the moment and trending down towards my goal of a single digit! then perhaps I will be an "A"). Unfortunately our "A" player didn't show up! That put our team at a big disadvantage in a scramble format. In a scramble, all four hit a shot, then you pick the best result, and everyone hits from that location, etc. So, e.g., if one of the team hits it on the green 6 ft from the hole, everyone gets to putt from that location. There are four chances to make the putt. The team posts just one score! Ya gotta figure that with a good "A" player hitting a lot of good shots, scores are going to be low--maybe the winner will be 13-15 under par with handicap. Most of 4-man teams had a 3.5 handicap, and because we were playing without our "A" player we got 5.5.
I hit some great drives on the right holes putting us in good position to get on the green. Our "D" player made some good putts, and we ended up with no bogeys, and 6 birdies. Add our handicap strokes and we ended up the winners! It was 50 bucks apiece! Could have knocked me over with a sand wedge!
It was so much fun that the next day I went out on a half day boat out of Oceanside harbor to see if my luck would hold and would fill my bag with some Calico or Sand Bass, or maybe a yellowtail.
Every time I go fishing on the Thursday P.M. boat, I always manage to meet up with a couple of old fishermen who are weekly regulars. This week it was Mike who was 80--and a retired civil engineer. So I leared a bit about engineering. I also met Kay, who I remembered from the last time I went a few weeks ago. She was probably in her late 60's, 5 ft tall with a spining outfit bigger that she was. Mike and Kay knew each other--of course--since they usually came the same day of the week. Mike said Kay kept busy either fishing, or pulling the slots at the Indian casinos around San Diego. I kidded Kay that she was helping to buy all the Indians a Mercedes.
Of course, Kay outfished us both! The fishing was pretty slow. I caught only one Calico Bass, and a small White Sea bass which had to be released. Mike caught and released a couple small White Sea bass , and Kay caught 3 nice Calicos. I gave my bass to Mike for his dinner!
But it was a nice day on the water. I did see a guy in a private boat near us land a 20lb yellowtail. He chased it all around us to land it with his small boat. There were 18 on our boat--and I think the jackpot fish was about a 3 lb sand bass. The only excitement was when a guy next to me caught an eel about 3 ft long, and the deck hand really didn't know how to handle it. He was pushing it around with a net and didn't want to handle it because it was ugly and someone said he could get "shocked" to death! I don't think most eels are "electric" It was the first eel I ever saw caught on a fishing boat--so who knows--kind of funny though! He finally pushed it off the deck through a scupper slot. Only thing I didn't like about it was that he cut the leader above the sinker and left the hook and sinker in the eel, which probably doomed the eel! A hook will usually rust out in a few days, but I hate to think that the poor eel would be sitting on the bottom "tethered" to that sinker wondering whether he was ever going to escape his ball and chain.
Ah well! Guess I am just a bleeding heart, even for ugly creatures!
I am now playing golf early Wed morns with the men's club I belong to! This week we had a four man scramble tournement with each team composed of an A,B,C,& D level player (A being best) In our group I was the "B". (My handicap index is 13.2 at the moment and trending down towards my goal of a single digit! then perhaps I will be an "A"). Unfortunately our "A" player didn't show up! That put our team at a big disadvantage in a scramble format. In a scramble, all four hit a shot, then you pick the best result, and everyone hits from that location, etc. So, e.g., if one of the team hits it on the green 6 ft from the hole, everyone gets to putt from that location. There are four chances to make the putt. The team posts just one score! Ya gotta figure that with a good "A" player hitting a lot of good shots, scores are going to be low--maybe the winner will be 13-15 under par with handicap. Most of 4-man teams had a 3.5 handicap, and because we were playing without our "A" player we got 5.5.
I hit some great drives on the right holes putting us in good position to get on the green. Our "D" player made some good putts, and we ended up with no bogeys, and 6 birdies. Add our handicap strokes and we ended up the winners! It was 50 bucks apiece! Could have knocked me over with a sand wedge!
It was so much fun that the next day I went out on a half day boat out of Oceanside harbor to see if my luck would hold and would fill my bag with some Calico or Sand Bass, or maybe a yellowtail.
Every time I go fishing on the Thursday P.M. boat, I always manage to meet up with a couple of old fishermen who are weekly regulars. This week it was Mike who was 80--and a retired civil engineer. So I leared a bit about engineering. I also met Kay, who I remembered from the last time I went a few weeks ago. She was probably in her late 60's, 5 ft tall with a spining outfit bigger that she was. Mike and Kay knew each other--of course--since they usually came the same day of the week. Mike said Kay kept busy either fishing, or pulling the slots at the Indian casinos around San Diego. I kidded Kay that she was helping to buy all the Indians a Mercedes.
Of course, Kay outfished us both! The fishing was pretty slow. I caught only one Calico Bass, and a small White Sea bass which had to be released. Mike caught and released a couple small White Sea bass , and Kay caught 3 nice Calicos. I gave my bass to Mike for his dinner!
But it was a nice day on the water. I did see a guy in a private boat near us land a 20lb yellowtail. He chased it all around us to land it with his small boat. There were 18 on our boat--and I think the jackpot fish was about a 3 lb sand bass. The only excitement was when a guy next to me caught an eel about 3 ft long, and the deck hand really didn't know how to handle it. He was pushing it around with a net and didn't want to handle it because it was ugly and someone said he could get "shocked" to death! I don't think most eels are "electric" It was the first eel I ever saw caught on a fishing boat--so who knows--kind of funny though! He finally pushed it off the deck through a scupper slot. Only thing I didn't like about it was that he cut the leader above the sinker and left the hook and sinker in the eel, which probably doomed the eel! A hook will usually rust out in a few days, but I hate to think that the poor eel would be sitting on the bottom "tethered" to that sinker wondering whether he was ever going to escape his ball and chain.
Ah well! Guess I am just a bleeding heart, even for ugly creatures!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
