wekewoody

We are spending the weekend at the Inn at the Presidio this weekend and I'd like to know if you have any favorites there. Trails? Viewpoints? Secret spots? Anything. Other than brunch at Greens on Sunday, we will probably not want to venture too far from the Inn. Thanks!

janisj

The Disney Museum is much more interesting than I expected.

aprillilacs

Try to pick up a copy of the excellent paperback book of walking tours, "Stairway Walks in San Francisco," by Adah Bakalinksy. She describes two very cool walks in/next to the Presidio (walks 8 and 9). I haven't done the main Presidio walk yet (#9), but walk 8, the Presidio Wall and Marina Waterfront, was great. It includes the grounds of the Letterman Digital Arts Center (a George Lucas venture) where you can enjoy the grounds and see the Yoda statue. If you want to avoid walking uphill, you can take a bus uphill to Pacific Street (in beautiful Pacific Heights) and walk down Lyon Street along the Presidio, including the popular Lyon Steps (great view from the top).

DebitNM

Agree, the Disney Museum surprised us too. We enjoyed it and since it isn't really for kids, there were none!

We did this free walking tour, it too was really enjoyable:
http://www.sfcityguides.org/desc.html?tour=1
It is offered Sat. pm, so you could do the Disney museum first.

We also did this one as well:
http://www.sfcityguides.org/desc.html?tour=100

They are at same time on Friday, so you'd have to choose.

Check out the list for the next few days, we have done close to 20 of them.

http://www.sfcityguides.org/

MmePerdu

If you like art the Legion of Honor is very close. Some good shows on at the moment including Impressionists:

http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/

wekewoody

@aprillilacs: I have that book and love it! I think we are going to do walk #9 tomorrow afternoon. We are coming from the south and will probably get on 25th to Lincoln and take Lincoln up and park where it says to by Barnard Hall.

I have been to the Disney Museum twice with my class of second graders and thought we might go back. Interestingly enough, it seemed like it was geared more towards adults than children.

I was thinking about stopping in at National Park Visitor Center before checking at the Inn and get some maps and maybe talk to a ranger to get some suggestions.

Thanks for the city guides link. I will look at that also.

Deb, How long did the tour of the Presidio last?

DebitNM

Hmm, maybe 75 mins. You can always leave when you want. If we need to leave before the end, I make sure to let the guide know we are going and ask for "the envelope" before we go. We usually give $10 - 15 per tour, $20 if the tour is more involved like hike etc.

wekewoody

That sounds great. Thank you.

MmePerdu, that is a good idea. I have been wanting to see that show. Hmm..we might have to add another day.

janisj

>>Interestingly enough, it seemed like it was geared more towards adults than children.

wekewoody

janis, what my students really enjoyed was that they got to go downstairs where they have an animation studio. They worked with an animator and created their own 5 minute movie. They loved it and the movies they created are really cute.

wekewoody

We walked all over this morning and afternoon. Went out to Baker Beach and walked along the coast along the Bluffs Trail to the Golden Gate Overlook. We did walk #9 from the book mentioned above. We got lost and roamed around and found some interesting little places. It is a really interesting place. Lots of restoration and construction going on.

The Inn at the Presidio is very nice. We have a suite on the top floor with a view of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Not sure what we will do tomorrow, but there are lots of possibilities.

The weather is lovely. Sunny, not too breezy and very warm. Perfect late September weather in San Francisco.

Dinner tonight will be at Baker Street Bistro. More later...

wekewoody

On our way to dinner last night we walked along what is called "Lovers Lane". It is straight pathway that goes through a bunch of really old, tall eucalytpus trees. At the top we picked up the very famous Lyon Street Stairs that descend several levels below. This is very charming and lovely area of San Francisco. Huge, old mansions and large buildings with roof decks and large windows to capture the views dominate here. The stairs are fun. We cut over to Baker Street and found the Baker Street Bistro. and had a very good dinner of French classics. It is a local, neighborhood place, with the owner seemingly knowing half of the diners. We loved it. It is not Gary Danko of La Folie, but they know how to cook duck and the desserts were excellent.

Walking back the Inn through the Presidio at night was an adventure. M had his smart phone aimed out in from of him like some sort of divining rod as if it might find our for us. We went in circles. Finally, we asked a jogger running by where the hell we were. He helped and as it turned out we were not far, just going in the wrong direction!

The beds here are very comfortable and cushy, but still nice and firm and we both slept well. Coffee in the room, followed by brekky downstairs soon. We'll nab a paper and find a bench somewhere and hunker down. Weather looks to be nice again!

wekewoody

After breakfast, I noticed that the archaeologists that were digging up the lot across the street were back this morning. I walked across the street to find out what they were doing. I ended up having a very interesting conversation with one of the scientists who was in charge of the dig. Section by section they are digging up what used to be the foundation of the original Spanish adobe that occupied a HUGE rectangular section of what is now the main parade grounds. She showed me little pieces of pottery, bones and other things that date from the era. She expects to be working on this project for at least another 20 or 25 years. Very cool.

We then embarked on a trek that had us starting on the east end of Crissy Field. We walked along the beach and the pathway that took us eventually all the way out to Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was another beautiful day and lots of folks were out enjoying the sun. That part of beach seems popular with bod owners. Lots of happy dogs were chasing sticks and balls into the water.

An added bonus to the walk along the grassy field are the gigantic steel art structures of Mark Di Suvero that are sprinkled all over the lawn. This is a collaboration with SFMOMA. Read more here: http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/568

We stopped in at the Warming Hut just before Fort Point. It is a good place to shop for National Park items and as we would find out later, a good place to get a sandwich. On our way to Fort Point we stopped and paid homage to Kim Novak's character in Hitchcock's film, Vertigo. In the film she jumps off the rock wall there along the drive and plunges into Bay to be saved by Jimmy Stewart. I did a mock reenactment of the scene. I am no Kim Novak.

Fort Point is interesting with lots of history and on a day like today it is a place with the most spectacular views of the city, the bay and the ocean.

We walked up the hill and back towards the Inn. It is hard not to notice all the road work and construction going on. It looks there is a lot more to do. In fact, all of the Presidio seems like it is a massive unfinished work in progress. It is a lot of fun getting to know this part of the city better.

Dinner tonight is at Sociale.

wekewoody

dog owners, yikes.

Bostonblondie226

We went for a spectacular jog around there. Hard on the legs, but what a great work out. Highly recommend if you are fitness types.

janisj

BostonBlondie: J>>Highly recommend if you are fitness types.

wekewoody

Hey bostonblondie,

Thanks for topping this as I sort of "forgot" to finish it.

Sociale was great. Another neighborhood place. Unique setting. Semi-upscale. Delicious.

Looking back on the trip, the only thing I would do differently would have been to walk to Greens for brunch that Sunday instead of driving. Turns out that on Sundays there is a farmer's market at Fort Mason that everyone shops at and parking was impossible. I had to drive almost as far back as the Presidio to park, so it would've been easier and quicker to walk. We were meeting friends at 11:00 and finally sat down to eat about 12:30. I like brunch at Greens, but not THAT much.

It was a great trip and perfect way to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary.

Tomsd

Weke - did you walk along the Marina Green - and out to the Golden Gate Bridge? Used to jog along there from our apt on Union St (near Gough) and loved it. Also used to like to get a Proscuitto and Provolene sandwich from a little deli on Chestnut Street and take it to the benches by the little Marina Green and watch the windsurfers go over as far as Sausalito.

My friend also saw Joe Dimaggio once - in line ahead of him at the Marina Safeway - a "social" market of sorts.

wekewoody

Interesting article about the future of the Presidio...

http://www.sfgate.com/business/botto...um-5006438.php

enzian

Interesting indeed! Haas money is hard to resist---just ask Stanford. thanks for the link