SAN FRANCISCO
LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE, I HAVE HAD A LOVE AFFAIR WITH SAN FRANCISCO THAT BEGAN BEFORE MY FIRST VISIT IN 1962. IN THE 80's AND EARLY 90's I ENJOYED THE CITY NUMEROUS TIMES AND BECAME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND INTERESTING PEOPLE. THIS TRIP I SPENT FIVE DAYS RECONNECTING DURING THE HIGH ENERGY OF A WORLD SERIES WIN BY THE GIANTS AND "OVER THE TOP" HALLOWEEN SHENANIGANS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE BEAUTY OF THE PLACE AND ITS SETTING ON THE BAY IS OBVIOUS, BUT EXPLORING THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES REVEALS SOME HIDDEN TREASURES AND INTERESTING BITS OF HUMANITY............
A CLAES OLDENBURG SCULPTURE IN THE DE YOUNG MUSEUM GARDEN AND A CLEVER HALLOWEEN COSTUME BEING DEMONSTRATED BY THE YOUNG CREATOR WHILE SHOPPING WITH HIS MOM IN COSTCO
GAL IN HER FUR COAT IN THE MISSION DISTRICT (IT WS 80 DEGREES OUT) AND A FAMILY CHECKING OUT THE LUCHA LIBRE (FREE FIGHTING WRESTLERS) OUTFITS ON 26TH ST.
ALAMO PARK, WITH ITS ICONIC SKYLINE VIEW IS A VERY FRIENDLY "OFF LEASH" DOG PARK WHERE EVERY DOG OWNER HAS A LATTE IN THEIR HAND.
THE BAY AREA IS QUITE DOG FRIENDLY AND WE FOUND A GOOD NUMBER OF OTHER PLACES TO GET OUT AND RUN.
BUNGEE MADE SOME NEW FRIENDS AND WE ENJOYED RETURNING TO ALAMO PARK SEVERAL TIMES, IF ONLY TO BE AWED BY THE VIEWS.
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| ALAMO PARK WITH CITY HALL IN BACKGROUND |
NORTH BEACH
BUNGEE AND I HUNG OUT AT THE CAFE TRIESTE IN THE NORTH BEACH AREA, A COLORFUL COFFEE SHOP THAT HASN'T CHANGED MUCH SINCE THE LATE 1950's WHEN IT WAS A HANGOUT FOR THE BEAT GENERATION AND THEN THE HIPPIES. YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL THE PRESENCE OF ALLEN GINSBERG AND JACK KEROUAC.
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| NORTH BEACH REGULARS |
BELOW IS THE BUILDING ON STOCKTON ST. IN THE HEART OF CHINATOWN WHERE I ENJOYED STAYING FOR A WEEK IN THE MID 80's ABOVE A GREEN GROCER IN A B&B THAT WAS RUN BY AN INTERESTING ARDENT ENVIRONMENTALIST AND ART COLLECTOR NAMED BAMBI WHO HAD NEWBURYPORT CONNECTIONS.
THIS TRIP I HAVE BEEN STAYING IN KEVIN AND TRACY'S NEAT 4 LEVEL LOFT IN A CONVERTED TANNERY IN BERKELEY AND ENJOYING KEVIN'S COMPANY IN THE EVENINGS. TRACY AND ZAN ARE COMING DOWN FROM ASHLAND IN A FEW DAYS.
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| OAKLAND'S HUGE MUSEUM of CALIFORNIA HISTORY |
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| OAKLAND FOLK ART |
THE FIRST DAY HERE I EXPLORED UC
BERKELEY AND SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AS
OAKLAND, WHICH DESPITE MASSIVE RENEWAL EFFORTS IS OBVIOUSLY HAVING A HARD TIME WINNING THE BATTLE WITH URBAN DECAY.
UC BERKELEY'S MAIN CAMPUS GATE, SITE OF MANY SOMETIMES VIOLENT PROTESTS IN THE 60s, HASN'T CHANGED A LOT WITH A NEW GENERATION OF MORE PASSIVE COEDS.........EXCEPT MAYBE THE DRESS CODE............
THE SAN FRANCISCO MISSION DISTRICT HAS NOT AGED WELL AS THE BUILDINGS ARE IN BAD SHAPE AND THE AREA HAS LOST SOME GOOD LATIN AMERICAN SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS, BUT THE STREET MURALS ARE AS VIBRANT AS EVER
THE MURALS AREN'T JUST ALONG THE MAIN STREETS, THEY POP UP IN BACK ALLEYS AND BEHIND BUILDINGS.
THE NEW DE YOUNG ART MUSEUM IN GOLDEN GATE PARK IS RATHER PLAIN AND INDUSTRIAL LOOKING ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT AN EXCITING AND INTERESTING SERIES OF UNUSUAL SPACES ON THE INSIDE, THE TOWER OBSERVATION ROOM OFFERS GREAT VIEWS OF THE PARK AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD.
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| OBSERVATION TOWER AT THE DE YOUNG MUSEUM |
VIEWS FROM THE TOWER ATOP THE DE YOUNG MUSEUM IN GOLDEN GATE PARK
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| 1861 PAINTING OF SINGING BEACH, MANCHESTER, MA WHERE BOTH I AND MARY BRENEMAN LIVED AND RAISED OUR KIDS LONG BEFORE WE MET IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MX |
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TRANSLUCENT CAST GLASS LIFE-SIZED FIGURE AND A PAINTING I LIKED IN THE DE YOUNG.
A QUICK GLANCE TO THE LEFT, AND THERE IS A MEMORABLE SUNSET VIEW ON RUSSIAN HILL WAITING FOR HOPPER............ HARD TO SNAP A BAD PICTURE IN SAN FRANCISCO!
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| WHAT WAS THE SCULPTOR THINKING? (THAT'S A THUMB) |
THE MANDATORY "WHEN IN SAN FRANCISCO" PHOTO OF ALCATRAZ
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| PALACE OF FINE ARTS in MARINA DISTRICT |
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| FINANCIAL DISTRICT |
I HAVE HAD A SUPER TIME AS USUAL IN SAN FRANCISCO AND I WILL RETURN, NOW IT'S TIME TO HEAD DOWN THE COAST TO SANTA CRUZ AND SEE MY FRIENDS, TIM AND JEAN IN NEAR-BY WATSONVILLE.
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