San Francisco California
Jul 4th, 2015, 02:08 PM
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San Francisco California
San Francisco . . .
Thanks to the helpful Fodor folks who responded to my queries and shared their experiences in San Francisco. Hope this report of a few days in San Francisco may help someone or bring back memories for others.
Tuesday, June 23rd, arrived at 9:30 a.m., after a very early flight from Atlanta. Stepping out into the SF airport was a pleasant surprise. It was very sunny but breezy, with light air. The pre-booked Go Lorrie shuttle got us to the Mosser Hotel quickly and I was very pleased – it was small and older but very clean with a nice, efficient staff. We were able to check in, even though it was only 11:15, and our room, while small was well arranged and pleasant.
We had decided to take one of the walking City Tours, sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library, as our introduction to the city so we set out down Market Street, looking for the Landmark Building, the 1:30 meeting place. Hunger demanded we stop first for lunch & I had a very good, quick eggplant pomegranate wrap at the Oasis Grill (one of the many “counter” type restaurants we found in SF – one orders, pays, then can eat meal at one of indoor or outdoor tables provided). We made it down to the Ferry Building, on the pier, and I was surprised to see palm trees there (and would see them all around San Francisco). Produce markets and food carts & stalls were in front of the Ferry Building. Still regret I didn’t get one of the tamales there.
At the beginning, I was surprised by the many homeless people in San Francisco and some haunt me even now. There was one young woman with a baby and a sign that was always propped up against a building on same street, throughout my time there. Some homeless people were young and fit, some were old and disabled. Some were playing music, actively panhandling, a few were going through garbage cans or loudly proclaiming their opinions but some were just asleep or sitting or just “being”. I live in a small town so not a typical experience for me.
There were maybe 25 people on the walking tour with us, some from the Bay area, some from a greater distance than me. The tour concentrated on the history of Market Street, particularly its architecture. Many of the buildings dated from the rebuilding of SF after the 1906 earthquake/fire; some were modern skyscrapers but built with architecture detail (“interesting tops” now required for new SF tall buildings). Atlanta doesn’t have the beautiful old buildings that wealthy cities such as San Francisco do so I really enjoyed having the details of the architecture pointed out. My favorite was the Shell Building. After tour, we returned to hotel to rest and put on warmer clothes; then walked up to Chinatown.
Chinatown, in general, was more fun than I expected, just with people watching and seeing what shops, restaurants, buildings, etc. were around. We also stopped in a tea shop and joined a tasting group already in progress. I meant to get back to purchase some tea later but never did . . . certainly there was a enormous and different variety of tea available. Later I saw some unusual teas packaged as tea bags at the corner Ross and Walgreen stores.
We made it back to hotel, then around the corner for a quick meal at a Tokyo Express where I had a salmon dish, miso soup and a good salad. We planned the next day, then were both asleep by 9:30; early flight and changing time zones had exhausted me.
Wednesday, June 24th
We rode the electric streetcar the 5 miles or so out to Golden Gate Park, arriving there about 8:45. In spite of research and conversation, we went in without a clear plan (should have brought Fodor’s San Francisco book along instead of just reading it beforehand). We strolled around, enjoyed watching folks doing tai chi in front of the California science museum and just generally enjoying the park, until entering the Japanese tea garden about 9:30. It was crowded since this was one of the free admission times & we were joining a City Guide tour (that would have about 20 people and would give us lots of good background information).
The tea garden was magical; my first experience with a Japanese garden. I liked the stone lanterns, the philosophy behind the gardens, the Shinto temple, the Zen garden, the little pond with its plants . . . it was lovely experience. We lingered after the tour, revisiting our favorite spaces, then headed to the DeYoung Art Musuem. We shared a quick, light lunch outside in the sculpture garden and then bought tickets for both the museum and its special exhibit, “Late Turner”. I like Turner’s work and have been fortunate enough to see some of his paintings in London & DC but this show was perhaps best for someone more knowledgeable about Turner than me. I did enjoy learning a little more about him through the exhibition, particularly that he was a tourist and traveler himself, even up until his late years when traveling became very difficult for him.
We continued on through the regular DeYoung collection, which was impressive. But we were tired and it was a beautiful day outside, so we hurried through, although I did particularly enjoy Mary Cassatt’s portrait of her mother and the Diego Rivera painting (since I had just seen the movie Frieda) But we both agreed the highlight of our run through the DeYoung was the Teotihuacan Aztec mural collection. Our opinions were divided on the building itself: I liked the architecture but daughter did not. Not enough time, unfortunately, to visit the observational tower portion.
And then, it was on to the botanical gardens. They were extensive and wonderful; reminding me of a younger, California version of Kew Gardens (my favorite day in London was spent there). There was a grove of redwoods & that was exciting (but as we would find out the next day, not the same as seeing them as a forest in Muir Woods). I especially liked the ancient plant garden & its tree ferns.
The South American and MesoAmerican cloud forests are amazing, too; even though they are in the tropical high elevations, their plants do well in SF’s temperate sea level foggy climate. We spent over 2 hours here and then realized, too late, that the flower conservatory closed at 4:30. So, we wandered on to Stow Lake as the clock passed 5:00 and lots of native San Franciscans were out enjoying the water and trails. We walked back through the rose garden and waited for our bus. Interesting conversation with a British couple who were ending their 3 weeks in the United States: they resented that every museum and attraction cost $$. And it is true, in England, most such things are free.
Once again we had to rest and then went in search of dinner – this time to the Meteron Center where we ate at the San Francisco Soup Company and then headed back to the hotel to rest. Planned our next day’s activities and then asleep again before 10:00.
To be continued . . .
Thanks to the helpful Fodor folks who responded to my queries and shared their experiences in San Francisco. Hope this report of a few days in San Francisco may help someone or bring back memories for others.
Tuesday, June 23rd, arrived at 9:30 a.m., after a very early flight from Atlanta. Stepping out into the SF airport was a pleasant surprise. It was very sunny but breezy, with light air. The pre-booked Go Lorrie shuttle got us to the Mosser Hotel quickly and I was very pleased – it was small and older but very clean with a nice, efficient staff. We were able to check in, even though it was only 11:15, and our room, while small was well arranged and pleasant.
We had decided to take one of the walking City Tours, sponsored by the San Francisco Public Library, as our introduction to the city so we set out down Market Street, looking for the Landmark Building, the 1:30 meeting place. Hunger demanded we stop first for lunch & I had a very good, quick eggplant pomegranate wrap at the Oasis Grill (one of the many “counter” type restaurants we found in SF – one orders, pays, then can eat meal at one of indoor or outdoor tables provided). We made it down to the Ferry Building, on the pier, and I was surprised to see palm trees there (and would see them all around San Francisco). Produce markets and food carts & stalls were in front of the Ferry Building. Still regret I didn’t get one of the tamales there.
At the beginning, I was surprised by the many homeless people in San Francisco and some haunt me even now. There was one young woman with a baby and a sign that was always propped up against a building on same street, throughout my time there. Some homeless people were young and fit, some were old and disabled. Some were playing music, actively panhandling, a few were going through garbage cans or loudly proclaiming their opinions but some were just asleep or sitting or just “being”. I live in a small town so not a typical experience for me.
There were maybe 25 people on the walking tour with us, some from the Bay area, some from a greater distance than me. The tour concentrated on the history of Market Street, particularly its architecture. Many of the buildings dated from the rebuilding of SF after the 1906 earthquake/fire; some were modern skyscrapers but built with architecture detail (“interesting tops” now required for new SF tall buildings). Atlanta doesn’t have the beautiful old buildings that wealthy cities such as San Francisco do so I really enjoyed having the details of the architecture pointed out. My favorite was the Shell Building. After tour, we returned to hotel to rest and put on warmer clothes; then walked up to Chinatown.
Chinatown, in general, was more fun than I expected, just with people watching and seeing what shops, restaurants, buildings, etc. were around. We also stopped in a tea shop and joined a tasting group already in progress. I meant to get back to purchase some tea later but never did . . . certainly there was a enormous and different variety of tea available. Later I saw some unusual teas packaged as tea bags at the corner Ross and Walgreen stores.
We made it back to hotel, then around the corner for a quick meal at a Tokyo Express where I had a salmon dish, miso soup and a good salad. We planned the next day, then were both asleep by 9:30; early flight and changing time zones had exhausted me.
Wednesday, June 24th
We rode the electric streetcar the 5 miles or so out to Golden Gate Park, arriving there about 8:45. In spite of research and conversation, we went in without a clear plan (should have brought Fodor’s San Francisco book along instead of just reading it beforehand). We strolled around, enjoyed watching folks doing tai chi in front of the California science museum and just generally enjoying the park, until entering the Japanese tea garden about 9:30. It was crowded since this was one of the free admission times & we were joining a City Guide tour (that would have about 20 people and would give us lots of good background information).
The tea garden was magical; my first experience with a Japanese garden. I liked the stone lanterns, the philosophy behind the gardens, the Shinto temple, the Zen garden, the little pond with its plants . . . it was lovely experience. We lingered after the tour, revisiting our favorite spaces, then headed to the DeYoung Art Musuem. We shared a quick, light lunch outside in the sculpture garden and then bought tickets for both the museum and its special exhibit, “Late Turner”. I like Turner’s work and have been fortunate enough to see some of his paintings in London & DC but this show was perhaps best for someone more knowledgeable about Turner than me. I did enjoy learning a little more about him through the exhibition, particularly that he was a tourist and traveler himself, even up until his late years when traveling became very difficult for him.
We continued on through the regular DeYoung collection, which was impressive. But we were tired and it was a beautiful day outside, so we hurried through, although I did particularly enjoy Mary Cassatt’s portrait of her mother and the Diego Rivera painting (since I had just seen the movie Frieda) But we both agreed the highlight of our run through the DeYoung was the Teotihuacan Aztec mural collection. Our opinions were divided on the building itself: I liked the architecture but daughter did not. Not enough time, unfortunately, to visit the observational tower portion.
And then, it was on to the botanical gardens. They were extensive and wonderful; reminding me of a younger, California version of Kew Gardens (my favorite day in London was spent there). There was a grove of redwoods & that was exciting (but as we would find out the next day, not the same as seeing them as a forest in Muir Woods). I especially liked the ancient plant garden & its tree ferns.
The South American and MesoAmerican cloud forests are amazing, too; even though they are in the tropical high elevations, their plants do well in SF’s temperate sea level foggy climate. We spent over 2 hours here and then realized, too late, that the flower conservatory closed at 4:30. So, we wandered on to Stow Lake as the clock passed 5:00 and lots of native San Franciscans were out enjoying the water and trails. We walked back through the rose garden and waited for our bus. Interesting conversation with a British couple who were ending their 3 weeks in the United States: they resented that every museum and attraction cost $$. And it is true, in England, most such things are free.
Once again we had to rest and then went in search of dinner – this time to the Meteron Center where we ate at the San Francisco Soup Company and then headed back to the hotel to rest. Planned our next day’s activities and then asleep again before 10:00.
To be continued . . .
Jul 4th, 2015, 04:25 PM
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Very nice report so far. Sounds like you really enjoyed your trip--and what's not to enjoy in such a beautiful and vibrant city? If you had gone up in the DeYoung tower you would have been treated to spectacular views if the fog allowed (and it's free! Wonder if the British tourists you talked to took advantage of that). Next time! Glad you liked the tea garden--it's my favorite place in the city.
By the way, the movie "Mr. Turner" (released this year) might be of interest to you--it's about Turner's life around the time he painted the pictures featured in the exhibit. It moved very slowly but was actually informative, I think I would have appreciated it more if I had seen the exhibit--which I loved--first.
Looking forward to more of your report.
By the way, the movie "Mr. Turner" (released this year) might be of interest to you--it's about Turner's life around the time he painted the pictures featured in the exhibit. It moved very slowly but was actually informative, I think I would have appreciated it more if I had seen the exhibit--which I loved--first.
Looking forward to more of your report.
Jul 5th, 2015, 01:02 PM
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I love reading about San Francisco! It's only a 20 minute drive across the Bay from where I live, but still exciting to visit!!I love seeing tourists as they enjoy "my" part of the world There's always something new to discover.Thanks for your trip report, CLB!
Jul 11th, 2015, 12:44 PM
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Hi CLBTRAVEL,
Enjoying your jaunt to SF - regret to say that I have not been there - yet...
"I like Turner’s work and have been fortunate enough to see some of his paintings in London & DC ..." Oh I do miss London.
Will continue to follow along for future reference.
Enjoying your jaunt to SF - regret to say that I have not been there - yet...
"I like Turner’s work and have been fortunate enough to see some of his paintings in London & DC ..." Oh I do miss London.
Will continue to follow along for future reference.
Jul 12th, 2015, 07:32 AM
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Thursday, June 26th
Enjoyed the Mosser Hotel’s convenient location; bought breakfast (bananas, yogurt, and cheese croissants to go with hotel coffee and tea) from Walgreen’s– it was a busy place about 6:30 a.m.!
There seem to be several ways to get to Muir Woods without renting a car – my solution was to buy tickets to a special Citi-sightseeing bus tour that went to Salsalito and Muir Woods. We were picked up at our hotel in one of their big red buses and got a ride to their office near Fisherman’s Wharf at 8:00 a.m., giving us a bit of free time before departing at 9 a.m. headed out of the city.
The ticket included a tour but the first guide/driver was not good on details and there were talkative folks behind us so most of that was lost. He pointed out Lombard Street as we went by and also the Palace of Fine Arts (wish we had stopped!). We did have a 15 minute stop at the Golden Gate Bridge and it was a beautiful sight, with just wisps of fog early in the morning. Windy and cool there, of course.
The drive from Salsalito to Muir Woods was beautiful (and scary on windy roads in a big open air bus). Our driver turned up the volume on some loud music which did not add to the spirit of the place at all but we got to Muir Woods by 10:00 so I will not complain.
Just the parking lot of the place was beautiful. One warning: we did not prepare well, we assumed there would be maps, ranger information, etc. when we arrived at the park. I think there were maps we could have bought but the entrance was so crowded that we got through there without doing that and the small one in the leaflet that came with entrance fee was not adequate. The main short trail, that most people stayed on, was very obvious and crowded, of course, but we branched off on another trail & weren’t confident about staying on it once it started meeting other trails – no colored trail blazes such as we’re used to.
The redwood forest here is very different than seeing the little redwood grove in the city’s botanical garden. There were such crowds and such picture taking on the first 10 minutes of the trail that it wasn’t pleasant and probably would have been worse later in the day. But the further away from the entrance we went, the better it got, and when we went off on a separate trail, we felt the peace of the redwood forest. There were still people occasionally but not crowds. We didn’t do the complete loop of the trail (no map!) but then got back on the main trail and did complete it, including climbing up to where we could look down and see the redwoods from below.
The redwoods are not like the Southern forests I’m accustomed to . . . pretty much the only trees there were the redwoods and no dense underbrush or vines. There were beautiful wispy ferns everywhere and a small creek, again lovely. If you’ve seen the John Franco version of Planet of the Apes you’ll recognize the redwoods! We had brought snack food but no lunch so decided to try to make the 12:30 bus back, rather than brave the crowds at the Visitor Center café, so only spent 2 ½ hours in the woods. Bus was late but we were on our way out by 1:00; bus driver pointed out fine backward view of Stinson Beach & the Pacific Ocean.
Salsulito was a pretty little town, I suppose, but seemed busy, touristy, and very sunny. We ate a mediocre lunch (fish tacos) and enjoyed watching the boats while waiting for bus back. Fun to see the Golden Gate Bridge from the other direction. We walked around a bit at Fisherman’s Wharf with too many tourists and shoppers, getting to the area where the big WWII era ship and submarine are moored, but decided against any tours. Then back on our City Tour bus for our ride back to main part of town. After a rest stop at the hotel, we set out then to check out locations for my conference starting the next evening. How quickly the time was disappearing. We enjoyed sitting in the Buena Vista Park, just watching people, and admiring the view of nearby buildings, including a church and the Jewish Diaspora Museum. Had supper at a noodle shop and then back to hotel; tired.
Friday . . . we were in line at 7:45 for the cable car ride (at the turnaround point on Powell Street – I know, not best spot, but closest to our hotel). After a 20 minute wait, we got outside seats on the Powell-Mason cable. It was every bit as much fun as it looks like; with wonderful views. At $6 per person, we didn’t ride again but with planning, such as buying a Muni passport, it could be more affordable. We then hiked up to Coit Tower, arriving about 9:30, only to discover it didn’t open until 10:00. But the rest time was nice; there were good views from walking all around the tower and a nice grassy spot with views of the Bay Bridge that we enjoyed.
Coit Tower turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for me. I greatly enjoyed the mural series in the Tower; it was the first of the big WPA projects and has been recently cleaned and restored. Murals were inspired by Diego Rivera’s realistic style and have great details about life in California at that point in history. Even included 2 murals depicting the public library!
The views from the top of tower were excellent and by this point of the trip, I was able to identify some of the buildings, bridges and neighborhoods that I saw. Best view of Alcatraz that I got on the trip. The walk down from Coit Tower, on the Filbert steps, was magical; it felt like we were on a magic carpet going through private gardens. Such gorgeous colors of blooms on both plants and trees. At one point, we thought we heard the Telegraph Hill parrots but never saw them. More time could have spent here but soon we were back on flat ground (the Levi Strauss headquarters) and continued our walk on through the Financial District; taking time for a quick detour into the dazzling lobby of the city’s oldest hotel, the Palace (which our first City Guide had recommended).
We needed a quick lunch again (a noodle shop) before joining a 1:30 City Guide Tour of “Privately owned/Public Open Spaces” & Financial District architecture.
This was an excellent tour – very knowledgeable, articulate guide who took us through buildings and to “private spaces open to public use”. We visited the Wells Fargo bank building (observing the wonderfully detailed architecture from the early 1900s), then enjoyed the skyline from their rooftop garden that is open anytime the building is. We also enjoyed the open patio space, with tables, at a remodeled Citibank building (1 Sansome Street) that incorporated features from an older, classical building and had graceful Stirling Calder statute, “Star Maiden”, from the Panama Pacific World’s Fair (held in SF in 1915). We had walked right by the former Pacific Stock Exchange (now a club) earlier in the day but with the guide, we noticed the statues by Ralph Stackpole and understood the symbolism & times in which they were created. Favorite buildings on tour: Hallidie, Pacific Electric and Gas, and Hobart. Continued to remember to “look up!” to admire architecture all during time in SF, thanks to the City Guides. This was a 2 hour tour so we had to slip out before it finished at the TransAmerica Building to get ready for conference opening at 5:00.
Daughter returned home on red eye Friday and I picked up my tourist time again on Tuesday, June 30th, after conference ended at 11:30. Hurried down to the Ferry Building from Moscone to get last city guide tour; this one just covered the Building itself & was over by 12:45. Fascinating to imagine the Ferry Building in the early 1930s when it was the second busiest transportation hub in the world (second only to London’s Charing Cross Station). With its mosaics, marble and beautiful glass, it must have been an amazing public building.
I wandered through the market stalls (outside and inside) for a while and then set off to walk down the pier along the Embarcadero. This gave me another view of San Francisco; to look up at the hill, particularly up to Coit’s Tower, from the waterfront. It was a sunny day and I took my time, people and ship watching. I made it down to Pier 39, hoping to see the famous sea lions. I didn’t realize summer was their breeding time when they journey off to an island for family activities but luckily there was one fellow left behind, a juvie, so I was satisfied. The pier also provided good views of Alcatraz and the bay itself. I went through a free museum here about the sea lions and was tempted by the Aquarium of the Bay but it seemed very expensive when I had limited time and energy.
I stopped in at the free parts of the Exploratorium, which explained the history of the area, and then slowly made my way back down to Market Street & then Mission Street, to visit the California Historical Society museum, which had extended hours until 8 p.m.. I don’t know if this would be worthwhile to everyone but I appreciated the low price ($5) and restful atmosphere. I was able to hang up my bag & coat and relax, watching some videos and going through the exhibits about the 1915 Panama Pacific World’s Fair.
I was disappointed that the Museum of the African Diaspora Museum wasn’t open but walked around in Buena Vista park again, noticing the Museum of Modern Art (which I was so disappointed to realize when planning trip that it was closed for renovations!). After an early supper at a Vietnamese sandwich shop (tasty lettuce wrapped meat & vegetables), I did a final wander through areas near the Mosser Hotel. I walked into the Westfeld Shopping Mall, near my Walgreen breakfast stop, and did a bit of window shopping at the expensive shops, then continued down Market for 4 or 5 blocks until it seemed to start changing. Also walked down 5th street a ways, seeing an old columned building (maybe the Mint Building?) that needed renovation. And then it was time to return to the Mosser, to meet the Go Lorrie Shuttle for return red eye trip to Atlanta.
A very enjoyable trip but one that makes me hope to return to San Francisco, perhaps in combination with a trip to Yosemite. I’d like to spend another day or two in the Golden Gate Park (did not do justice to the DeYoung Art Museum and wish I’d visited Science Museum there as well). I want to revisit both the Japanese Tea Garden and the SF Botanical Gardens and get to the flower conservatory. Really wish there was a weekday shuttle in the park, even if it only ran infrequently. I would like to spend more time wandering around the residential streets & gardens near the Filbert Steps, visit the Palace of Fine Arts and go on more City Guide tours. Possibly visit the Presido and get a tour of Chinatown; and definitely, if I return, I want to make the side trip to Alcatraz. Anything else that I missed? I would gladly stay at the Mosser again but might consider a different area of the city.
To get me in the spirit for San Francisco, I watched the movie Bullitt (time ran out before I could see Vertigo or The Parrots of Telegraph Hill but I hope to watch them soon.) I read an Amy Tan novel and got half way through The Cool Grey City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco by Gary Kamiya before the trip and re-read some of the essays about places I visited when I returned. Also skimmed a literary history of SF, too, and picked up some background on Mark Twain, Bret Harte, etc.
Enjoyed the Mosser Hotel’s convenient location; bought breakfast (bananas, yogurt, and cheese croissants to go with hotel coffee and tea) from Walgreen’s– it was a busy place about 6:30 a.m.!
There seem to be several ways to get to Muir Woods without renting a car – my solution was to buy tickets to a special Citi-sightseeing bus tour that went to Salsalito and Muir Woods. We were picked up at our hotel in one of their big red buses and got a ride to their office near Fisherman’s Wharf at 8:00 a.m., giving us a bit of free time before departing at 9 a.m. headed out of the city.
The ticket included a tour but the first guide/driver was not good on details and there were talkative folks behind us so most of that was lost. He pointed out Lombard Street as we went by and also the Palace of Fine Arts (wish we had stopped!). We did have a 15 minute stop at the Golden Gate Bridge and it was a beautiful sight, with just wisps of fog early in the morning. Windy and cool there, of course.
The drive from Salsalito to Muir Woods was beautiful (and scary on windy roads in a big open air bus). Our driver turned up the volume on some loud music which did not add to the spirit of the place at all but we got to Muir Woods by 10:00 so I will not complain.
Just the parking lot of the place was beautiful. One warning: we did not prepare well, we assumed there would be maps, ranger information, etc. when we arrived at the park. I think there were maps we could have bought but the entrance was so crowded that we got through there without doing that and the small one in the leaflet that came with entrance fee was not adequate. The main short trail, that most people stayed on, was very obvious and crowded, of course, but we branched off on another trail & weren’t confident about staying on it once it started meeting other trails – no colored trail blazes such as we’re used to.
The redwood forest here is very different than seeing the little redwood grove in the city’s botanical garden. There were such crowds and such picture taking on the first 10 minutes of the trail that it wasn’t pleasant and probably would have been worse later in the day. But the further away from the entrance we went, the better it got, and when we went off on a separate trail, we felt the peace of the redwood forest. There were still people occasionally but not crowds. We didn’t do the complete loop of the trail (no map!) but then got back on the main trail and did complete it, including climbing up to where we could look down and see the redwoods from below.
The redwoods are not like the Southern forests I’m accustomed to . . . pretty much the only trees there were the redwoods and no dense underbrush or vines. There were beautiful wispy ferns everywhere and a small creek, again lovely. If you’ve seen the John Franco version of Planet of the Apes you’ll recognize the redwoods! We had brought snack food but no lunch so decided to try to make the 12:30 bus back, rather than brave the crowds at the Visitor Center café, so only spent 2 ½ hours in the woods. Bus was late but we were on our way out by 1:00; bus driver pointed out fine backward view of Stinson Beach & the Pacific Ocean.
Salsulito was a pretty little town, I suppose, but seemed busy, touristy, and very sunny. We ate a mediocre lunch (fish tacos) and enjoyed watching the boats while waiting for bus back. Fun to see the Golden Gate Bridge from the other direction. We walked around a bit at Fisherman’s Wharf with too many tourists and shoppers, getting to the area where the big WWII era ship and submarine are moored, but decided against any tours. Then back on our City Tour bus for our ride back to main part of town. After a rest stop at the hotel, we set out then to check out locations for my conference starting the next evening. How quickly the time was disappearing. We enjoyed sitting in the Buena Vista Park, just watching people, and admiring the view of nearby buildings, including a church and the Jewish Diaspora Museum. Had supper at a noodle shop and then back to hotel; tired.
Friday . . . we were in line at 7:45 for the cable car ride (at the turnaround point on Powell Street – I know, not best spot, but closest to our hotel). After a 20 minute wait, we got outside seats on the Powell-Mason cable. It was every bit as much fun as it looks like; with wonderful views. At $6 per person, we didn’t ride again but with planning, such as buying a Muni passport, it could be more affordable. We then hiked up to Coit Tower, arriving about 9:30, only to discover it didn’t open until 10:00. But the rest time was nice; there were good views from walking all around the tower and a nice grassy spot with views of the Bay Bridge that we enjoyed.
Coit Tower turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for me. I greatly enjoyed the mural series in the Tower; it was the first of the big WPA projects and has been recently cleaned and restored. Murals were inspired by Diego Rivera’s realistic style and have great details about life in California at that point in history. Even included 2 murals depicting the public library!
The views from the top of tower were excellent and by this point of the trip, I was able to identify some of the buildings, bridges and neighborhoods that I saw. Best view of Alcatraz that I got on the trip. The walk down from Coit Tower, on the Filbert steps, was magical; it felt like we were on a magic carpet going through private gardens. Such gorgeous colors of blooms on both plants and trees. At one point, we thought we heard the Telegraph Hill parrots but never saw them. More time could have spent here but soon we were back on flat ground (the Levi Strauss headquarters) and continued our walk on through the Financial District; taking time for a quick detour into the dazzling lobby of the city’s oldest hotel, the Palace (which our first City Guide had recommended).
We needed a quick lunch again (a noodle shop) before joining a 1:30 City Guide Tour of “Privately owned/Public Open Spaces” & Financial District architecture.
This was an excellent tour – very knowledgeable, articulate guide who took us through buildings and to “private spaces open to public use”. We visited the Wells Fargo bank building (observing the wonderfully detailed architecture from the early 1900s), then enjoyed the skyline from their rooftop garden that is open anytime the building is. We also enjoyed the open patio space, with tables, at a remodeled Citibank building (1 Sansome Street) that incorporated features from an older, classical building and had graceful Stirling Calder statute, “Star Maiden”, from the Panama Pacific World’s Fair (held in SF in 1915). We had walked right by the former Pacific Stock Exchange (now a club) earlier in the day but with the guide, we noticed the statues by Ralph Stackpole and understood the symbolism & times in which they were created. Favorite buildings on tour: Hallidie, Pacific Electric and Gas, and Hobart. Continued to remember to “look up!” to admire architecture all during time in SF, thanks to the City Guides. This was a 2 hour tour so we had to slip out before it finished at the TransAmerica Building to get ready for conference opening at 5:00.
Daughter returned home on red eye Friday and I picked up my tourist time again on Tuesday, June 30th, after conference ended at 11:30. Hurried down to the Ferry Building from Moscone to get last city guide tour; this one just covered the Building itself & was over by 12:45. Fascinating to imagine the Ferry Building in the early 1930s when it was the second busiest transportation hub in the world (second only to London’s Charing Cross Station). With its mosaics, marble and beautiful glass, it must have been an amazing public building.
I wandered through the market stalls (outside and inside) for a while and then set off to walk down the pier along the Embarcadero. This gave me another view of San Francisco; to look up at the hill, particularly up to Coit’s Tower, from the waterfront. It was a sunny day and I took my time, people and ship watching. I made it down to Pier 39, hoping to see the famous sea lions. I didn’t realize summer was their breeding time when they journey off to an island for family activities but luckily there was one fellow left behind, a juvie, so I was satisfied. The pier also provided good views of Alcatraz and the bay itself. I went through a free museum here about the sea lions and was tempted by the Aquarium of the Bay but it seemed very expensive when I had limited time and energy.
I stopped in at the free parts of the Exploratorium, which explained the history of the area, and then slowly made my way back down to Market Street & then Mission Street, to visit the California Historical Society museum, which had extended hours until 8 p.m.. I don’t know if this would be worthwhile to everyone but I appreciated the low price ($5) and restful atmosphere. I was able to hang up my bag & coat and relax, watching some videos and going through the exhibits about the 1915 Panama Pacific World’s Fair.
I was disappointed that the Museum of the African Diaspora Museum wasn’t open but walked around in Buena Vista park again, noticing the Museum of Modern Art (which I was so disappointed to realize when planning trip that it was closed for renovations!). After an early supper at a Vietnamese sandwich shop (tasty lettuce wrapped meat & vegetables), I did a final wander through areas near the Mosser Hotel. I walked into the Westfeld Shopping Mall, near my Walgreen breakfast stop, and did a bit of window shopping at the expensive shops, then continued down Market for 4 or 5 blocks until it seemed to start changing. Also walked down 5th street a ways, seeing an old columned building (maybe the Mint Building?) that needed renovation. And then it was time to return to the Mosser, to meet the Go Lorrie Shuttle for return red eye trip to Atlanta.
A very enjoyable trip but one that makes me hope to return to San Francisco, perhaps in combination with a trip to Yosemite. I’d like to spend another day or two in the Golden Gate Park (did not do justice to the DeYoung Art Museum and wish I’d visited Science Museum there as well). I want to revisit both the Japanese Tea Garden and the SF Botanical Gardens and get to the flower conservatory. Really wish there was a weekday shuttle in the park, even if it only ran infrequently. I would like to spend more time wandering around the residential streets & gardens near the Filbert Steps, visit the Palace of Fine Arts and go on more City Guide tours. Possibly visit the Presido and get a tour of Chinatown; and definitely, if I return, I want to make the side trip to Alcatraz. Anything else that I missed? I would gladly stay at the Mosser again but might consider a different area of the city.
To get me in the spirit for San Francisco, I watched the movie Bullitt (time ran out before I could see Vertigo or The Parrots of Telegraph Hill but I hope to watch them soon.) I read an Amy Tan novel and got half way through The Cool Grey City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco by Gary Kamiya before the trip and re-read some of the essays about places I visited when I returned. Also skimmed a literary history of SF, too, and picked up some background on Mark Twain, Bret Harte, etc.
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RichinPA
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