Wednesday, March
10, 2010
San Francisco: Fisherman’s Warf, Haight-Ashbury,
Painted Ladies, the Embarcadero
Today we’re changing hotels, but we can't check in to
the new hotel until 3:00. So after checking out of the
Best Western, we stored our luggage with the bellman,
then headed off to see more sights. The Muni Passports
worked out so great yesterday, we bought three-day
Passports today to use for the rest of our stay.
Alcatraz
Island
Since we were already in the Fisherman’s Warf
area, that seemed like a good place to start this
morning, beginning with Pier 39. The good stuff:
Sunbathing sea lions and great views of the Bay and
Alcatraz. The bad stuff: Tacky shops, tacky
restaurants, tacky attractions, and tacky tourists. I
can appreciate a certain amount of tackiness, but here
it’s gotten out of hand!
Lounging sea lions,
Pier 39
Docked at Pier 45 are the USS Pampanito, a World
War II submarine, and the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a World
War II liberty ship that participated in the D-Day
landings. You can view them from the pier for free or
go aboard for $10.
SS Jeremiah
O'Brien
I had to relocate a group of Japanese tourists
who were looking at the sub so that Tom could take my
picture as Rosie the Riveter. I got a round of applause
from the Japanese gentlemen, and then they all took
turns posing as Rosie the Riveter as well.
Jana the
Riveter
Also at Pier 45 is the Musée Mécanique, a
collection of over 200 coin-operated musical
instruments and antique arcade games in working
condition. It’s free to enter and a quarter or two per
game. I went through a few quarters here. A very cool
museum.
Musée
Mécanique
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical
Park includes the Hyde Street Pier, an outdoor museum
of historic boats. Free to walk around, $5 to go
aboard. From the Hyde Street Pier we watched some
crazy, thick-skinned locals swimming laps in the cold
water of the Bay at Aquatic Park.
1907 Steam tug
Hercules
Next we went to The Buena Vista Cafe for a couple
of their world-famous Irish coffees, the best Irish
coffee in the U.S.A. My friend Leslie, who lives in
Santa Barbara, recommended this place, and it was a
great tip! If Leslie hadn’t had a baby four days ago,
she probably would have joined us. Congrats,
Leslie!
After coffee, we took buses to San Francisco University
and walked downhill to Haight-Ashbury. What was once
the crossroads of the hippie world’s antiestablishment
counterculture now has a Ben & Jerry’s on the
corner. The times, they have a-changed.
Hippie
Tom
The corner of Haight
and Ashbury
We had lunch at Asqew Grill in the Haight, and
then took photos of what was at one time the home of
Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. It was painted
purple, but otherwise looked like all the other
houses.
Hmmm...
Caught another bus east, then got off and walked
to Alamo Square Park, where we had a wonderful view of
“The Painted Ladies,” six side-by-side Victorian homes
painted in vibrant colors. The afternoon sun was in the
perfect spot to illuminate the homes and the downtown
skyline behind them.
The Painted
Ladies
Next we returned to the Best Western, picked up
our luggage, and rode the F-line streetcar over to the
Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, where the National Court
Reporters Association Midyear Conference will be held
over the next few days. If not for the conference, and
the resulting group rate, we would not be staying at
such a grand hotel, but it’s nice for a change to see
how the other half live.
Inside the Hyatt
Regency
Our room at the Hyatt was very nice, on the 11th
floor, with windows opening to a view of the Ferry
Building and the Oakland Bridge. The high-tech minibar
senses if anything in it is touched, resulting in an
automatic charge to the room. (We were afraid to go
near the thing!) For the first time ever, I utilized an
iron in my hotel room, as my “business casual” clothing
was way worse for the wear.
Our view from the
Hyatt
Tonight we ate at Harrington’s Bar & Grill,
245 Front Street, just a couple of blocks from the
Hyatt. Harrington’s was a happening little bar full of
the after-work crowd, with great pub grub. Our burger
and roast beef dinner were delish.
Oakland Bridge after
dark
Tom Goetz's
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