Advertisement
Published: April 18th 2011
April 9 through 12 - San Francisco, California
We drove into San Francisco over the Bay Bridge - the same bridge I had been driven over in the late 1950's to Alameda to see my mother's best friend, June. The same bridge Lynn and I crossed in a Gray Hound Bus in February of 1967, when I came back for six months to find my mother.
For me, driving back into the city was a visceral experience, as if my DNA remembered it, as if my blood surged a little faster, and my muscles puffed in anticipation of coming 'home.' I have no picture of 'the house' I grew up in; we moved too much. But if I am from anywhere-- it is this city. San Francisco.
We drove straight to the Red Victorian on Haight Street, right by the Golden Gate Park, my old stomping grounds in 1967. It is still an eclectic neighborhood. The Red Victorian is an old victorian Bed & Breakfast. It was built in 1904; I'm sure the Red Vic started out life as the well-to-do residence for one family. Later in life she became a grocery store on the street level,
and a boarding house above. And later the food moved out and a movie theatre was established. When Sami Sunchild bought the Red Vic in 1972--she didn't know it was zoned ONLY for a hotel. But that's what she found out.
So she painted the facade red and little by little she fixed it up, room by room. And she established not only a bed & breakfast, but also a 'Peace Center,' where she brings folks of all nationalities and ages together over a table where they talk about what each can personally do to nurture peace. We sat with a couple from Istanbul, France, and the USA.
The Red Vic is VERY European in its demeanor. No elevator, no bellman, no TV. You take your bags up the victorian staircase. Our room, number 23, was called the "Friends Room,' From the inside there is a wonderful view of Haight Street, but also an inner window adorned with mannequin heads, wigs, and faces [all stuff Sami found in the back closets of the Red Vic when she moved into it.
Oh and Gigi. I can't forget Gigi. She was a full sized stuffed woman made from a
pair of panty hose--who sat in a chair on the stair landing right outside my doorway. For the first two nights she gave me a start every time I opened our door. Then we started having fun with her--taking her shoes off, putting her hands on her head. Who knows how long Gigi has lived in the Red Vic. If only she could talk....
The first day we decided to walk to Golden Gate Park . Tim decided to walk to where the car was parked to retrieve something and I told him I'd meet him on the green, right inside the park. There was a nice gentleman playing a guitar so I sat beside him and we struck up a conversation. He plays his guitar throughout the city, but was originally from Seattle. I told him about my book tour and he gently nodded his head in a way that made me feel he knew what I was talking about from the inside out. He played half a song and then Tim was back to get me. I said, "Good bye, Seattle." And
he answered with a "Good bye, North Carolina."
We walked on to Arguello Blvd. As we walked toward where I used to life, Tim commented that that was a long way for a little kid to go--and seeing it as an adult made me realize it also. But as a kid, I just had the run of the entire city--so it was nothing. I found our old house, then we walked over to a neighborhood eatery and had lunch. We looked for a bus the entire way back, but by the time we got to where they were we were almost at the Red Vic.
That night we went to an India restaurant just across from the Vic. I ordered some kind of rice mild And Tim got some dish he really liked. It's just nice to have the choices of food one has in the huge city. Before we left two young girls came in, sat at the table beside us, and ordered Hookah. I asked her what it was and she told me I must stay and try it. Then the manager, Bill,
brought this exquisite glass container, that looked a lot like a super sized bong. Bill let some coconut charcoal and the girls demonstrated how to Hookah. Next I took a puff. Ummmmm---peach. I don't smoke and don't like smoking, but this was exquisite. Within minutes my sinuses were clear and peach was filling all my inner nooks and crannies. I loved it. Even as I slept that night, I would get a hint of 'peach' though out my dreams. The girls were wonderful...they both write, so we exchanged Facebook names. Then it was back to Ms Gigi at the Red Victorian.
After my delicious breakfast of yogurt and fruit at the Red Vic, Tim and I decided to head to Market Street, their main street, in downtown San Francisco and walk from there to Chinatown. We took the #71 bus to Market. The bus costs $2.00 and you can get a transfer ticket to take any other bus somewhere else. We boarded the bus and I sat up front on one of the side seats. As I looked toward the back, who do I see, but Seattle sitting in the very back of the bus! So
I got up and wobbled back there. "Hi Seattle," I offered. "Hi North Carolina," he returned. He had his guitar and was headed down town to play. We talked and this time exchanged real names. His is Will. We exchanged emails and I gave him my book card. We hit Market Street and Tim motioned me to get off--so again, I said--"Bye Seattle!"
First thing we did was go into a huge Apple store right off Market Street. When we started this trip we thought the On-star phone in our car would be sufficient. However, our car has been parked for 3 days and we don't really want to walk to the car park to make a call. So we began thinking we needed a cell-phone--hence Apple. We thought of an i-phone because we could look up directions . We talked to Scott, got all the info and went on our way to Chinatown. You know when you get there! We began looking for Ross Alley because we'd heard about a 'fortune cookie' maker there. We turned the wrong way and ended up in front of one of the last privately owned Chinese hospitals. It is being closed,
unfortunately. We asked a Security Guard where Ross street was and he not only knew that! "Oh going to the cookie factory!" He gave us history of the Chinatown and a tip on where to eat a fabulous Chinese lunch at little cost. While we were there, he pointed to a store across the street that had fish tanks in the window. Everyday the Chinese will go in there and point to a fresh fish or a frog, buy it, and take it home and eat it. And the Chinese use ALL of the frog, not just the legs like the French. They get their veggies and meat daily. While we were there a gentleman walked into the store, reached in an tank and pulled out a frog, went to the register paid and waked out.
We continued on to the cookie factory on Ross Alley. It was just a tiny side building. There appeared to be three work stations where men and women sat as the machine poured the cookie doe, which then circled around and came out the other side on its side where the operator picked it off with their fingers, put a fortune inside, folded
the cookie, and set it in a tray to be bagged. How they don't have burnt fingers, I don't know. The gentleman guide grabbed a flat cookie off the machine and handed it to me. I folded it once, but by the time I tried to fold it again--it was too hard. "Oh, you no come back the next morning!" Then he did the same thing with Tim, who promptly did it all correctly, ending with a neat little fortune cookie. "You comah back tomorrow. You okay." We bought some X-rated fortune cookies, plus another bag of just round cookies and went on our way up the alley. At the other end we looked for Sam Wu--where we were going to eat lunch.
You walk into the kitchen at Sam's and up the stairs. If you didn't know it was a restaurant, you'd never walk in there. Upstairs there ware little tables, we took one at the back by the windows. The amount of food you get for under $5.00 is amazing and it does taste good. There I met a man, and his son, with oriental features who was a native of San Francisco. We talked about not
wanting to be in that building if there was an earthquake. Then we noticed he had an i-phone. We told him we were thinking of getting one. He said he loved his. He got the 3G and uses it all the time. I told him I was still deciding. I was thinking of the 3G, the lowest plan with no texting. He laughed and said, "Oh no, get texting. You think you won't use it, but you will." Good to know.
Next, I went next door and bought 3 scarves. This girl can never have too many scarves. Then we walked and walked and walked...did I mention we walked? We did. We found 'City Lights Bookstore,' the old hangout for Jack Kerouac and Alan Watts. Tim walked in and out and I said I'd just go in, look around, and come out. But wouldn't you know it! A book jumped out and hit me! So I bought a book at Alan's old hangout, and I have the City Lights paper back to prove it!
Then we continued to walk. As we walked we left Chinatown and entered Japan Town, after which we entered Italy. All within the same
city! By now we could see the bay so we kept walking until we got to the wharf. We almost decided to take an Alcatraz tour, but soon realized that the sun was going down and it was getting colder. Not a good time to get on a boat. So we caught a bus back to Market, went back to Apple and got ourself an i-phone! Oh what fun. That night, we just got dinner at the Red Vic and soon it was lights out.
Our last full day in San Francisco, and we did finally make the Alcatraz tour. It is well worth it. When I was a little girl in San Francisco, it was still a prison. I used to run up Presideo Hill, look at Alcatraz and wonder why the bad guys didn't just swine to shore. All those questions and more were answered during the tour. The views from the island are amazing. There were those guys, seeing the lights and life of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and not being able, because of their own choices, to be a part of it.
The tour took most of the afternoon.
So upon our exit we took an F-train to the Boudin Bread factory, where Tim bought a modest loaf. Then we took the F-train back to San Francisco, caught the number 71 and went back to the Haight. We bought ourselves a Hookah and some fix in's. Ou-yah!
On our way back to the B & B we heard a band playing and singing in a doorway. A small crowd had gathered and we joined them. They were good. They played various instruments, a violin, harmonica, guitar, and the big guitar looking thing. They harmonized well also. So we bought one of their cd's and we play it in the car.
Then it was home to the Red Vic--where Gigi welcomed us. We packed our stuff, Tim moved the car into a space near the Vic and we sat at our window above Haight Street and watched people--one of our favorite actives. I'm gonna miss this city--it feels like home.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.106s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 12; qc: 30; dbt: 0.0376s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
joie
non-member comment
trip to san franisco
loved it I was right there with you...you were in your element...Yes I do believe you are made to travel.. it is in your soul..travel safe..love