San Francisco

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About Pigeon Point, Willy wishes to add that you should look at the lighthouse at night, because it is an active spectral presence with its rotating bright Fresnel lenses.

In the morning, we headed into the hills through Pescadaro toward San Francisco. The elderly San Francisco bicyclist advised us that going north up Highway 1 was not an option because of a landslide. The hill route was very exciting and winding, with many dark stands of coastal redwoods, much bigger than the trees we saw at Big Sur.

We looked with interest at the horse country and estates around Woodside as we descended the hills and approached Interstate 280. Entering the Financial District, I parked the car and headed toward a Kinko's that Denny had spotted, to reserve a room at the Hilton just three blocs away, as it turned out. Travel tip: Hotwire is a good way to make last minute reservations at nice places. We had good luck with it, notes Willy.

After refreshing ourselves at the Hilton, we headed toward Fishermen's Wharf, to lunch at IHOP and stand in line for Alcatraz ferries, only to find out they were sold out.

So we headed west to Golden Gate. From Vista Point, I took them a bit out onto the bridge. But I was nervous because of the height and the stiff winds. I held their hands so tightly that they complained.

The highlight of the day was to ascend from Vista Point to Hawk Hill, far above the upper reaches of Golden Gate. From a 1942 artillery bunker, we saw spread before us the entire Bay area, the Marin headlands and ocean to the West, and the Marin hills shrouded in clouds to the North. All in golden late afternoon sunshine.

Back at the hotel, we poked around Chinatown. Denny had to buy a hooded fleece jacket because of the windy cold weather. Not many places besides San Francisco where merchants can sell warm gloves and coats in July!

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