San Francisco – Crissy Field
Full Moon over the Golden Gate Bridge
There was not only a full moon last night but it was also the biggest moon in fifteen years. As today promises to be a nice day, and hopefully no fog, we decided to leave really early (we were on the road by 5 a.m.) and drive to Crissy Field in the city to see if we can get some nice shots of the moon and the Golden Gate Bridge. Crissy Field is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Presidio of San Francisco
(Click on the image for a larger version)
At 5.55 we were on Geary in the city, waiting outside Peet’s, for it to open. We watched as the chairs were taken off the tables inside and the outside tables and chairs were arranged. But we were not the first customers. As we got out of the car, somebody nipped in front.
We sat for half an hour drinking our coffee – black for Tom with a muffin and a small, light vanilla latte for me. Tom read the New York Times on his Kindle. I, as usual, wrote.
It was still dark when we turned off Park Presidio onto Doyle Drive. The view of the city, Angel Island and Alcatraz, lit up and silhouetted by the moonlight, was amazing but it was insignificant to the sight which was to astound us momentarily.
We parked in the East Beach car park at Crissy Field. If you have never been to Crissy Field, let me tell you about it. It is a large tract of land between the Marina and the Golden Gate Bridge. Originally it was a salt marsh. It was the site of an international exposition in 1915. During World War II it became an army camp and a military airfield. In the late 1990′s, work began to restore the site back to a salt marsh. Today it is a magnet for walkers, joggers and dog walkers. The beach is sandy and the view of the Golden Gate Bridge is unrivaled.
The Palace of Fine Arts is a landmark to the south of Crissy Field. It was built as a ruin for the 1915 exposition and was intended to be demolished afterwards but it is still standing. During World War II the building was used by the army for storage. By the 1960′s it was in ruins and designated as unsafe. In 1964 it was demolished and reconstruction began. It opened as a museum in 1969. Now it house the Exploratorium and a 1,000 seat theater.
Our timing was perfect. It was 6.45 and still dark. The moon was huge and suspended over the bridge. Fog is always a possibility in the morning here but the sky was clear. We jumped out of the car. Tom took his tripod and camera out of the trunk and I grabbed my camera. Immediately we started taking photos and for the next hour we didn’t stop. There were a few other serious photographers around, some with very good cameras and lenses, all intent on getting that perfect shot.
I have never seen since a marvelous sight. There were tears in my eyes. A man, who was walking along the edge of the beach, was on his cell phone. I could hear him telling somebody that they should get down to Crissy Field as quickly as possible. I took shots from lots of different angles as the moon slowly dropped towards the southern tower. At one stage it appeared to be right on top of the tower. As it sank even lower, the sky behind me gradually became lighter. Just before 7.45 it disappeared out of sight behind the Marin Headlands.
Tom and I made our way back to the car. It was now fully light and indeed it is going to be a nice sunny day. I just hope that some of our photos can recapture a few of those moments but we won’t know until we get home.
Related posts:
- Crissy Field, San Francisco
- San Francisco – ‘The Spire’ at the Presidio
- Baker Beach, San Francisco
- San Francisco – Wave Organ
- The Embarcadero, San Francisco
January 18 2009 02:52 pm | Special Places
