August 1 and 2, 2008: San Francisco

We're staying at the King George hotel near Union Square, which (along with being clean and small and charmingly decorated) has the advantage of being next door to a real, vintage Americana diner. And I LOVE diner breakfasts. The kind with enough artery-clogging cholesterol and fat to kill a horse. So that's how we started our day on Friday. In fact, that's how we started the day today, too. Pic at left.

After breakfast yesterday, we decided to explore the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Actually, I lie. First we had to head to Nordstroms and go shopping because I foolishly thought it would be blazing hot and left my sweater at home. And nobody can fault me for also trying on this really awesome skirt and jacket combo that Sarah had to coerce me into buying :P

On the way to the SFMOMA, we passed by the Contemporary Jewish Museum, which looks an awful lot like what I suspect the ROM's crystal was supposed to look like before they ran out of money and had to resort to using aluminum siding to finish the project. Similar contrast between the original, older structure and the new addition, but in this case, it really works - the building is part of the newly developed public space with fountains, outdoor cafes and gardens that flow into the Yerba Buena complex just to the south.


The Yerba Buena complex (across the street from SFMOMA) is beautiful, with theatres, recital halls, galleries, a convention centre and public recreation facilities. Lots of outdoor art as well (some of which Sarah is hugging on the left). Yerba Buena was created in part to revitalize an economically depressed part of San Francisco and it works really well. While we were there, the place was packed with people visiting the gardens and cafes during lunch hour. One really cool feature for the architecture buffs (Jesse, that would be you)...the gardens are actually on the roof of the huge underground convention hall. The hall has no columns, just eight steel arches that are linked by cables under the floor. By tightening the cables, the arches exert thrust upwards against the roof.

I won't go into huge detail about the SFMOMA, except to say that I really like their small but well-rounded collection of contemporary photography. And again, a wonderful cafe. With beautiful art. And really good pastries. And no school groups or camps (because they've got their own lunch facilities in the basement. Where they belong :P)

In the afternoon, we headed down to Fisherman's Wharf and had a look at Pier 39, which has been shaped into a huge entertainment complex of the tacky tourist sort. When it was refurbished in 1978, they added a closed-in harbour that proved very attractive to local sea lions who liked the fish drawn to the still water. And the sea lions proved very attractive to the tourists who were standing 10-deep taking photos. We also went on a harbour cruise that took us under the Golden Gate bridge and around Alcatraz. Very cool. Especially watching the sunset behind the bridge.

This morning the weather was too beautiful to spend indoors, so we decided to walk along the beach from the Golden Gate bridge to the Palace of Fine Arts (also the location of the Exploratorium, San Francisco's science centre). I have to say, this was my favorite part of our trip so far - being outdoors on such a gorgeous day with some really incredible scenery. Lots of folks were out and about. It became obvious that San Franciscans really, really, really like their dogs. God knows, there were enough of them. Wearing lots of cute outfits (the dogs AND the owners).

We talked to one older man who was taking part in a "Shiba Inu meet-up" that had no-doubt been organized through some Facebook group. He was looking for the other Shiba Inu owners (that's a type of very cute, miniature Husky-ish looking dog, by the way). The power of social media :)

Stopped for lunch at McCormick's on Ghiardelli Square. Yes, another food photo. I like taking pictures of food. And this one features attractively displayed seafood, too :) Which tasted incredibly good after walking for two hours.

This was followed by "the walk that will cause my knees to be in extreme pain tomorrow"- instead of taking the cable car, we decided to head up Hyde Street on foot (with its crazy steep incline) so we could see the famous Lombard Street drive that twists its way down the side of a hill. I couldn't get over how well flowers of all types do in this climate. And the city has certainly made a showpiece of Lombard Street. The neighbouring homes are pretty spectacular, and no doubt pricey, as well.

Finally, we managed to squeeze in a show at the Geary Theatre tonight. Roger Rees is doing a one-man show about Shakespeare, interweaving performances of various soliloquies with anecdotes from his theatre days and readings about Shakespeare. I really enjoyed it. He was energetic and fun, and it made for a great way to end this part of our trip. Tomorrow we're of to Point Reyes and San Rafael. If we can find our way out of San Francisco with the rental car.