San Francisco for a couple days...

Old Sep 21st, 2012, 05:15 AM
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San Francisco for a couple days...

I'm headed for a 5 night stay in San Francisco next weekend. Saturday and Sunday will be eaten up with an Irish Language Immersion course I'm attending. I arrive Friday around noon, and leave early Wednesday morning. I think I have a good handle on what I'm doing, but would love some additional suggestions. I love taking photographs (especially of beautiful cemetery sculptures and landscapes/seascapes. I will likely be on my own with a car, but might be hanging out with my best friend, Kim and/or her sister, Tiffani, if they can get off of work. They live in Rohnert Park. Might do a beach horseback ride with Kim, she has horses.

I've been to SF twice before, explored the Japanese gardens, Alameda (my mom and dad lived there), a bit along the highway and such. I've no interest in wineries.

I was thinking of going to a couple of the cemeteries when I get there on Friday, I've heard good stuff about Cypress Lawn Cemetery and Mountain View Cemetery. Friday night we'll likely eat at The Stinking Rose as a group. Saturday and Sunday will be my course.

Monday, I thought to explore the city. Take the obigatory cable car tour, explore Chinatown, go up to Coit Tower or Mandarin Oriental for evening photos, or Twin Peaks. Maybe explore the Ferry Building Market. Tuesday, if we can, we may explore Muir Woods or drive up along the coast if we don't go horseback ridiing.

Any other suggestions/ideas? It's a pretty packed weekend, I know, but I'm used to lots of activity.

Thanks!

Stu, your earlier posts about SF were very valuable, btw. Thanks for those!
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 05:16 AM
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*obligatory
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 06:47 AM
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re: cemeteries

As you probably know, there are very few cemeteries in SF proper because of land space issues -- the big ones are just south of the city in Colma. You can follow Mission Street all the way south and then turn left on Hillside Blvd in Daly City to get to them.

Not too far away from Colma is Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno. All the markers are the same and it's awesome in scale.

In SF, you should go to the historic Mission Dolores cemetery.
http://missiondolores.org/old-mission/visitor.html

In the Presidio is the historic SF Nat'l Cemetery
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/historycultu...l-cemetery.htm

as well as the poignant Presidio Pet Cemetery
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/historyculture/pet-cemetery.htm

and also the WWII Memorial
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/historycultu...i-memorial.htm

And nearby, by the Legion of Honor museum, is the extremely moving Holocaust Memorial. http://www.yelp.com/biz/holocaust-me...-san-francisco
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 07:30 AM
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This is a great walk that includes some of San Francisco's iconic stairways as wel as Coit Tower.

Start on the Embarcadero and make your way to the intersection of Montgomery and Vallejo. Walk up the Vallejo steps from Montgomery to Kearny. Turn right on Kearny and walk to the end (Filbert Street). Look to your right and walk up the steps to the back of Coit Tower. Walk around the front and either go into Coit Tower or not (the main floor is easily accessible and free -- great murals on the walls). Look at the views from the parking area in front. Then walk down the road just a little and go down the steps (different set of steps) back to Montgomery Street.

Turn right on Montgomery and right again on Union. As you get closer to Grant, you'll be in North Beach. Explore North Beach. Then head to Chinatown, which is immediately adjacent to North Beach (Grant is the primary tourist street in Chinatown, the parallel Stockton is the primary locals street in Chinatown).

Have a great time.
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 09:31 AM
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If you like cemeteries, you will like the columbarium

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune...ty_Columbarium

It's free, open to public, ask somebody to give you a tour for a tip. It's been a while, but I remember it as an interesting visit. I think they are opened every day, and it's an alley off Geary St.

What about a GTG? NOT in the Columbarium
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 09:47 AM
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Awesome, thanks all! I don't know if I have time for a GTG, Dayenu. Friday night is on for me and my friends, Saturday and Sunday is the Irish course, and then Monday is friends again - and then I fly out EARLY Wed AM...
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 09:50 AM
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Dayenu - I saw a show about that place on "California's Gold". Pretty interesting.
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 11:01 AM
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That's OK, just playing a sweet host Next time, OK?
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 12:12 PM
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One of my relatives is in the Columbarium. The rest of the SF family are in Colma, some buried upright.

Why cemeteries, if I may be so bold to ask? A very unusual hobby.
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 12:33 PM
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I sell photographs, mostly of Scotland, England and Ireland as one of my side jobs. One of the things I photograph most is Celtic Crosses. From that, I've learned to love the beautiful carvings on many cemetery structures - the angels, the cherubs, the intricate and the poignant. I love wandering cemeteries, wondering about the lives of those that have rested here, and seeing their end-of-life legacies carved above them. I know, very strange
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Old Sep 21st, 2012, 01:23 PM
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Oh, the art. Then it's very understandable.

Thanks for the explanation, GreenDragon.
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