San Francisco is a great city. It's a place I've always wanted to visit, and now I'm glad I finally have. Although we already have plans to come back for a longer stay. Typical for a PC gamer, I keep finding it how eerie the accuracy of the city's re-creation in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is. San Fiero in that game is a spitting image of the real thing. I actually recognize landmarks by what I saw in the game. I keep having to suppress the urge to yank the driver of the first car I see out by their hair and start driving pell-mell through the hilly streets like a maniac.
The Red Victorian, our lodging, is a pretty famous B&B in the Haight-Ashbury district. It started as a hotel called the Jefferson in 1904, and was purchased, renovated and re-opened as the Red Vic in 1977 by an amazing woman named Sami Sunchild. Talking
with her is an experience; she personifies the spirit of peace, love and understanding that one associates with the area. Hers is an incredible story, and she has created something very special.
The morning started out wonderfully sunny as we walked a bit to take in our surroundings, but the weather rapidly degenerated to on-off heavy showers of rain that put an edge on the cool temperatures. As we made our way down to
the water by the Golden Gate Bridge, I was forced to rethink my optimistic clothing choice of short-sleeved shirt and light windbreaker and buy a fleece pullover at a gift shop.
The bridge is a site to behold, bracketed by steep cliffs on either side. It's funny; through movies and TV I always thought GGB was red, but in person you find that it's actually painted what they call 'International Orange', a dull almost-rust colour that still somehow seems to work for it. They must like it, because they keep repainting it the same colour time after time as the ocean salt has its way with the structure.
Fort Point, at the base of the bridge, is worth a visit too. It's the only brick fort of such a design
on the West coast, and was such a unique structure that the designer of the GGB built a mini-span over it at the end to keep from demolishing it. We were fortunate enough to arrive at the fort just in time for a guided tour, which was very interesting even though no shots were ever fired from Fort Point in combat.
We then had a great lunch of chowder in a bread bowl over at Fisherman's Wharf, but by the time we were finished it was solid
rain coming down, so instead of a cable car tour we just took a streetcar to within shouting distance of Haight street and walked our way back down to the Vic in weather that had at least improved to 'not-showers'. Still a bit chilly though, by the time we arrived back to the B&B we were chilled to the bone. We'll probably just stay close to the Vic tonight, as it's an early start tomorrow for our 14 hour flight (yipee) to Tokyo and Taipei.
I'd close by saying I left my heart in San Francisco, if Sherry didn't already own it lock, stock and barrel.
The Red Victorian, our lodging, is a pretty famous B&B in the Haight-Ashbury district. It started as a hotel called the Jefferson in 1904, and was purchased, renovated and re-opened as the Red Vic in 1977 by an amazing woman named Sami Sunchild. Talking
with her is an experience; she personifies the spirit of peace, love and understanding that one associates with the area. Hers is an incredible story, and she has created something very special.The morning started out wonderfully sunny as we walked a bit to take in our surroundings, but the weather rapidly degenerated to on-off heavy showers of rain that put an edge on the cool temperatures. As we made our way down to
the water by the Golden Gate Bridge, I was forced to rethink my optimistic clothing choice of short-sleeved shirt and light windbreaker and buy a fleece pullover at a gift shop.The bridge is a site to behold, bracketed by steep cliffs on either side. It's funny; through movies and TV I always thought GGB was red, but in person you find that it's actually painted what they call 'International Orange', a dull almost-rust colour that still somehow seems to work for it. They must like it, because they keep repainting it the same colour time after time as the ocean salt has its way with the structure.
Fort Point, at the base of the bridge, is worth a visit too. It's the only brick fort of such a design
on the West coast, and was such a unique structure that the designer of the GGB built a mini-span over it at the end to keep from demolishing it. We were fortunate enough to arrive at the fort just in time for a guided tour, which was very interesting even though no shots were ever fired from Fort Point in combat.We then had a great lunch of chowder in a bread bowl over at Fisherman's Wharf, but by the time we were finished it was solid
rain coming down, so instead of a cable car tour we just took a streetcar to within shouting distance of Haight street and walked our way back down to the Vic in weather that had at least improved to 'not-showers'. Still a bit chilly though, by the time we arrived back to the B&B we were chilled to the bone. We'll probably just stay close to the Vic tonight, as it's an early start tomorrow for our 14 hour flight (yipee) to Tokyo and Taipei.I'd close by saying I left my heart in San Francisco, if Sherry didn't already own it lock, stock and barrel.
Signage by a not too big a fan of the internal combustion engine.
Pointing at Fort Point. Get it? Man, we're clever. No one else has ever done that!
'
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