This might not be a good idea. We leave home at 5.30 in the dark. As we approach San Francisco on Hwy 280, the fog blankets us. It will probably be foggy at Baker Beach and we may not be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge.
First stop though is Peet’s on Geary for a coffee and quick perusal of the SF Chronicle. This is the same Peet’s where I left my pack earlier in the year. I made sure I kept my eye on my pack this time. While sitting there doing my Sudoku puzzle, I noticed a homeless guy outside on the sidewalk trying to get my attention. He stood there for about five minutes but I did not look directly at him even though he was waving at me. Tom was completely oblivious being immersed in his newspaper. I felt distinctly uncomfortable and was pleased when he shuffled away having failed to get me to look properly at him.
(Click the image for a larger version)
At 7.30 a.m. we were back in the car heading along Geary Blvd towards the ocean. I find the streets of San Francisco fascinating. Always something different to catch the eye; unusual architecture, funky shops, interesting pedestrians. Even the derelict buildings demand attention. There was an old boarded up movie theater with a sign outside still trying to tempt customers to ‘Come On In’.
We turned right on 25th Avenue and headed north to Lincoln Blvd. One thing I noticed is the number of shops selling fresh fruit and vegetables. Even at this time of the morning they are open and their goods arranged outside.
On Lincoln, we turn left onto Gibson Road, carefully avoiding several joggers out doing their early morning thing. The car park at Baker Beach was almost empty.
The fog is thick. Just across the water the Marin Headlands are hidden and as we walk onto the beach only the bottom part of the nearest pier of the Golden Gate Bridge is visible. We can’t even see the roadway. Tom decides that taking photos is not a good idea. There is a slight drizzle as well and this is not good for the camera lens. We decide to go and find somewhere for breakfast. (See breakfast log).
At 8.30 we take the same route back to Baker Beach. The fog has lifted slightly - the roadway and the bottom part of the far pier are now visible - so we set off to walk down the beach. Now on a sunny day this is a great place to visit. There is a long sandy beach and a wonderful view of the bridge. I remember my first visit here. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before so I won’t bore you again with the details. Suffice it to say that there is a nudist beach at the eastern end and neither of us were aware of that fact beforehand.
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July 23 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
Normally this is not the sort of place we would ever think of going to. It’s on Geary and 21st Avenue in the Richmond District. We asked in Starbucks, where Tom bought the New York Times, if they could recommend a good place for breakfast and this was it. As we had been cruising around for fifteen minutes searching for somewhere to eat, we decided that, like it or not, we would give it a try.
To say we were skeptical is putting it mildly. One of the big signs outside said ‘Thai Me Up’ menu and that was enough to put us off. Taking a deep breath, we opened the door.
Right from the start it was off putting. The first section is a video store and the cafe is behind. The tiles on the floor made it look like a restroom and there is a vague, undefined smell. It’s not overpoweringly obnoxious, just faintly disturbing.
It’s a large place with bright red vinyl seats. We chose a booth in the window. The seats are not at all comfortable, being kind of low. We were tempted to walk out but there was nowhere else to go so we grimaced and bit the bullet.
The menu is limited and no specials were on offer at all. There was oatmeal for $3.95 but I asked if was cooked in a microwave and the server said yes. So that’s a definite put off. I chose eggs and bacon with fruit instead of home fries or hash browns, and with wheat toast ($6.95). Tom ordered eggs, Italian sausages, hash browns and English muffins ($7.95). No coffee though as we’ve already had that earlier.
Now the decor. Lots of movie posters on the walls, some going back to the 1980’s - ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Superman IV’. There were some more modern ones though like ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Time Machine’. Amongst all the posters and faded cut out movie adverts is one large photo on the far wall of the World Trade Center.
The food arrived. Our eggs were small and clumped together. My bacon looked dry. As I’ve said before, the bacon in the US is not at all like the back rashers in the UK. We both cleared our plates so it couldn’t have been that bad. We were not impressed with the cutlery - way too flimsy. Press too hard and the forks bent. Tom also complained his fork had a metallic taste.
Now I do like to say something positive so here’s the good points. My fruit was fresh - cantaloupe, water melon, banana and grapes. Definitely not out of a tin. The preserves were not pre-packed in plastic containers, though the jars were a little grungy.
I didn’t relish the visit to the restroom but, for the sake of completeness and because you have all now come to expect it, I made the sacrifice. The Ladies was a bit grubby but I have been in worst places. The only decoration, if you could call it that, was the handwritten sign, Scotch taped to the wall, which said:
PLEASE DO NOT OVERFLOOD WITH TOILET PAPERS, PAPER TOWELS AND SANITARY SUPPLIES. Thanks
Our conclusion - if Dennys is your usual breakfast haunt you will probably like it but we will not be coming again. Note from Tom: I think I might like Dennys better.
July 20 2008 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
At 6 we hit the road. It is light already but also cloudy and the rising sun is not visible. I don’t
know what makes this time of the morning so magical. The flowers look bright and fresh; the trees green and even the grass looks golden and not brown. Then we hit Highway 101 and nothing can make that freeway beautiful. Rank weeds and litter decorate the edges; numerous pylons tower within view; power lines are draped everywhere and idiot drivers abound. The state of the pavement is pretty good now, especially between Sunnyvale and San Mateo. There is always something interesting to catch the eye, like a new construction or the solar panels near Palo Alto. At Moffet Field the police stop the traffic for five minutes. When we eventually pass there was no sign of a wreck, just two vehicles pulled over and several police cars. At Millbrae there were flares laid down as they were cleaning the left shoulder.
As we approach the city, it is shrouded in fog. Parking in San Francisco is always a problem. With the bikes we could not park in a multi story and there are parking meters along all the main streets. In the end we found some street parking without parking meters at Brannan and Delancey. It is cold and there is a slight drizzle and here Tom is with his cycle shorts on. After our last cycle ride I took the precaution of wearing leggings on top of my cycle shorts. Ah well, here we go again!
Our ride starts on the The Embarcadero just to the south of the Bay Bridge. I asked Tom whether we could ride over the bridge but there is no bike lane on the section between the city and Yerba Buena Island although there will be one on the new section between the island and Oakland.
The Embarcadero sidewalk is wide and we are able to ride on it. Along the way there is much to be seen. We meander along, stopping frequently to gaze at something different - the fire boats moored at the end of a short peer; a small rowing boat tied up but barely afloat; the Bow and Arrow sculpture which is half shrouded while maintenance work is carried out and the Crouching Spider sculpture which replaced the two enormous females made out of scrap metal (we much prefered the latter).
We are both in need of a hot drink but the Java Coffee House is closed and padlocked. I hope it is because it is too early and not permanent. Two women and a boy walk towards us holding cups of coffee so we stop and ask where they’d got it from (the Ferry Building) and had an interesting chat. They were interested to know where we came from when they heard my accent.
Soon we hit the Ferry Building where it is a hive of activity with storeholders setting up for the farmers market which is held in the Ferry Plaza from 8 am to 2 pm every Saturday. Even though is it only 7.30 a lot of people are already busy buying the fresh produce. I guard the bikes while Tom goes into Peets and spent my time people watching.
We sat on a bench looking out over the bay and the ferry terminal while we drank our coffee. Then we were on our way again, exploring each pier along the way.
Not so long ago the Ferry Building and the buildings on the piers were abandoned and dilapidated but a lot of work has been done to restore them. As we cycled past, we peered into windows. In one we spotted a series of color photos hung on a wall showing views of the old buildings.
A lot of fishermen were about and it appears to be a good day for fishing. We saw a recently caught, good sized, striped bass panting on the ground. The angler told us it would make a decent meal but I’m not so sure I would want to eat anything caught in the Bay, especially so soon after the recent oil spill.
Pier 3 is where the Hornblower Cruise ships are moored -the California Hornblower, the San Francisco Belle (a paddle boat) and the Santa Rosa - all huge but very different. The Santa Rose was sporting a big advert advertising three Dinner Wine Cruises, which look exciting.
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June 05 2008 | Neighborhoods and Special Places | No Comments »
Well, we should not be here at all but that’s a different story and you will have to wait for the next post!
Finding somewhere to have breakfast in San Francisco has been a hit and miss affair for us because we do not know where the good places are. We have been to the Cafe Rain Tree several times before so we headed for there before going to the De Young in Golden Gate Park.
It is on the corner of Irving and 8th Avenue. With a green awning outside, it is easy to find. Here you can get an Irish breakfast with two Irish bacon rashers, two Irish sausages, two eggs, homefries, black and white pudding, grilled tomatoes with toast and jelly for $9.95.
The place is quite small but a miror inside makes it look bigger than it really is. There are no booths, just scarred and pitted wooden tables with old fashioned, red upholstered and chrome chairs. At the counter are 10 stools. This is a bit of a dive but, heck, they serve a proper breakfast.
Tom ordered cheese omelet with hash browns and English muffin (7.50). For me it was the usual oatmeal ($3.75). I also ordered banana to go with it (50c extra). In no time at all our food was served. Tom always asks for his hash browns to be extra crispy but these didn’t look as if they were. The omelet to me looked small with just a slice of cheese inside. My oatmeal came on a plate in a small deep bowl with brown sugar, raisins and milk in small stainless steel bowls (much better than the plastic pots a lot of places use). I was expecting slices of banana on top of the oatmal but what I got was a whole, peeled banana on the plate which I had to cut up.
Tom’s verdict on the omelet and hash browns was mediocre. My oatmeal was good. Only complaint from me being there was not enough milk but there was a jug of milk on the table so I didn’t have to ask for more.
There were five paintings, or should I say canvases, on the walls and they looked original. There was no other ornamentation at all.
The unisex restroom was as you would expect. It was tucked away at the back and had cracked tiles on the floor and was grubby and old fashioned but at least the water was hot.
Verdict - OK and we will come again if we do not find something better in the vicinity.
February 09 2008 | Breakfast Log | No Comments »
From the Embarcadero we drove to the Marina to visit one of the best kept secrets of San
Francisco. I refer to the Wave Organ.
It is situated at the end of a short trail behind the Yacht Club. From there you have a marvelous view of the Gold Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island and the streets of San Francisco. You can even see the cable cars climbing and descending the hill. What is the Wave Organ? I hear you say.
It is a collect of pipes set into the water. When you place your ear against the open end of the pipes you can hear the the sound of the waves. The pipes are set at different levels so each one can produce a range of notes. For a good write up on this free attraction visit RoadtripAmerica.com.
This is one of the most relaxing places in the city and so few people visit it and hardly anyone has heard of it.
Here’s the view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Wave Organ. Click on the image for a larger version.
November 03 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
From Hunters Point we drove north. We drive passed the AT&T Ballpark, the home of the San
Francisco Giants. It is a beautiful ballpark and we have spent many happy hours here watching some exciting games.
Parking in the city is hard to find and expensive but on a Saturday you can park in the Howard Street car park (which is just off The Embarcadero) for up to four hours it is just $5. It is the closest parking for the Farmers Market which is held outside the Ferry Building every Saturday morning from 8 a.m - 2 p.m. There is also a Farmers Market here on a Tuesday as well at the same time.
It is just a short walk from the car park to the market but there are a lot of distractions along the way. The Embarcadero itself is a show stopper all on its own. for many years, this part of the city was overshadowed by the Embarcadero freeway which ran above the road and separated the city from the waterfront. During the 1989 earthquake it was badly damaged and was pulled down. Thanks to the then Mayor, Art Agnos, it was never rebuilt and the city and the waterfront became reunited.
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October 31 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
Today we decided to go up to the city. A drive of about 60 miles.
Our first stop was Warm Cove. Not many people in San Francisco would even know where that is I guess. I do not recommend it as a place to spend the day. We had never heard of it either until we stumbled across it. We were investigating Hunters Point, which is a not very nice location near the docks. It is full of warehouses, some dilapidate and very run down.
Warm Cove is a small and very scruffy park on the edge of the bay with a huge power plant looming over it. Am I tempting you to visit? There are a lot of signs around forbidding graffiti and saying “do not deface” which gives you some indication of the regular clientèle. (Tom interrupting: spending some time here could yield some great photos. I’d kind of like to explore this area a little more). At this time of the morning though it was abandoned, only the accumulated litter giving evidence that other people use it.
But it was not without its beauty. There were a few flowers around and some cacti and the fragrance of wild fennel. We spent some time watching the egrets looking for food as the tide came in and enjoyed the sight of the sun as it rose over Oakland.
October 28 2007 | Neighborhoods | No Comments »
This might not be a good idea. We leave home at 5.30 in the dark. As we approach San Francisco on Hwy 280, the fog blankets us. It will probably be foggy at Baker Beach and we may not be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge.
