My old body told me I needed to go for a run.
I put on my running gear, did some stretches, and found my way down to the lobby and out into the cool 52 degree air.
The sun was up. My goal was to run along Fisherman’s Wharf. I managed to run just past Pier 1.
This was a flat run, no challenging San Francisco hills.
Even though it was early, there was lots of activity.
Seagulls were scavenging trash bins.
I could hear the early morning squawking of the harbor seals.
Delivery workers were hustling in various spots along the wharf. Most of them could make their deliveries blindfolded.
Caretakers were hosing down entrances to dock areas, public restrooms were tidied up, and trash bins emptied.
There were runners, walkers, and bicycle riders. Some acknowledge my timid wave or quiet good morning. A few were in their zone focused, oblivious of an old fool from Virginia.
A solitary homeless man striding at a hurried pace was yelling into his phone, “I’m going to kill him, I’m going to kill him.”
I came upon the architecturally stunning San Francisco Ferry Building. This eye catching structure opened in 1898.
Before the construction of bridges, the Ferry Building was the base for the ferries that brought people in and out of the city. Today, in addition to being a smaller hub for ferries the building houses office space and a food hall.
The centerpiece for the building is a 245 foot clock tower.
I made it back to the hotel. Cleaned up, and we had breakfast.
After breakfast, we quickly organized ourselves, and headed down to meet our Uber.
It is interesting to note the differences in the personalities of the Uber drivers. I’m sure the Commander Supreme cringes, but I always attempt to chat a bit with them.
The driver this morning was friendly. However, he was more interested in pitching a ride with him to Santa Cruz. We had to refocus him on our goal for the morning— Golden State Park.
He did attempt to use music to soothe us. When we told him that we were from Virginia, he played the John Denver song “ Take Me Home Country Roads.” The lyrics mention West Virginia. I was not impressed with the driver’s smoozing.
Once we figured out our drop off point, our exploration started of this 1,017 acre park. If you travel to San Francisco, and you have a pretty day, you must come to this park. I say that because the park offers something for everyone.
Our feet did not grace all 1,017 acres, but at times we felt like we had.
Our exploration started at the de Young Museum. Here there is an amazing observation deck. Helpful museum personnel guided us to the deck. Good news, visitors can go to the observation deck for free. Admission to the museum and its exhibits is separate.
I will admit that I was powerfully tempted to tour the exhibit: Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm. I passed. In walking to the museum, I had seen some of the park’s beauty. I wanted to explore and see more. Sorry, Sir Paul, maybe another time.
Twelve unique gardens make up the park. We didn’t see them all. But, the ones we saw were stunning.
Our first stop was the Japanese Tea Garden. The origins of this garden date back to 1894. The plantings, layout, and the Japanese architecture are nicely synced together.
A bonus in Golden Gate Park is the San Francisco Botanical Garden. These 55 acres featuring over 8,000 plants from around the world doesn’t disappoint. Visitors can roam from an Andean Cloud Forest to Temperate Asia.
Most impressive to me was the Redwood Trail. This section featured the Coast Redwoods. In a setting similar to a coastal redwood forest, there is a quiet respect for these majestic trees. Adding to that tranquility are over 100 species of native California plants perfectly matched in the cool shade of the redwoods.
As the morning progressed, we were conscious of timing our stay for a walk to the Beach Chalet for lunch. It is a long walk to this ocean view restaurant, but worth the walk. Of course, I made the walk longer and more adventurous, when I suggested the wrong direction.
After lunch, we took a Uber back into the city to visit Amoeba Music, the world’s largest independent record store. I probably could have spent a couple of days there. I think we were out of the store in less than an hour.
Our next destination was to find the famous Painted Ladies houses. This required walking through the Panhandle an extension of Golden Gate Park. The Panhandle is pretty green space. It provides multiple locations for sun worshipers to start their tan lines before summer arrives.
Gradually, we made our way to Alamo Square, also a park where the Painted Ladies houses come into view.
The Painted Ladies are Victorian and Edwardian style houses that regained popularity in the 1960s when new owners started repainting them. Often the repainting was completed in a variety of colors as a way to enhance their architectural style. Located on Steiner Street, the houses have been seen in assorted movies, television shows, and marketing campaigns.
From here we took an Uber back to the hotel. We had a bit of quiet time before heading down to the lobby for happy hour.
A couple from Canada sat across from us. They were in San Francisco for her husband to participate in a training and transition program at Guide Dogs For The Blind. We learned a lot about this outstanding organization.
After happy hour, we opted to walk back to the Boudin Bakery for dinner.
We had a nice dinner at Boudin, and when we arrived back at our room we were beat.
Tomorrow, we would say goodbye to San Francisco. We talked briefly about our Saturday plans including renting a car.
We had another good day of walking right at nine miles
Today was another example of admiring the vision of people to preserve and protect land that has been converted into parks for communities to enjoy.
Golden Gate Park is an outstanding example of how space can be preserved in a variety of unique ways.
I’m thankful for people who have the vision to value how land can be creatively saved for the good of all.
I hope we can hold on to these priceless places forever.
might be baloney 