San Fransisco was Deb's idea. I was kind of so-so on the concept, but as usual it was a lot lot nicer than I imagined. (Similar to Las Vegas, 1999.) The city is very distinctive and photogenic in most places, which means that it is good to look at even if you're not making pictures. It is very culturally diverse and it makes you feel very comfortable as a visitor seeing so many "kinds of people" who live there. Chinatown and the Italian district blend together at the boundaries. The Italian Heritage parade had as many Asian groups included in it as there were Italian groups. The Coast Guard, the Navy, the Police, several biker groups, local artists groups were in the parade too. About as completely "American" as democracy gets.
We walked everywhere, and the city is very economically diverse also. I have to say there is the highest % of homeless people out on the streets as any place I have ever been. It was quite a shock to me. On the other hand, we walked through the most beautiful "neighborhood" I ever experienced (Cow Hill). It made me almost lethargic to pass through it, even though we had to hike up some serious hills to do it. Extremely passive feeling about the place, and I got envious of people who can afford to live in that part of town.
The Cow Hill area ends at the "Presidio" which was a prison 150 years ago but is now a wonderful park that includes the Palace of Fine Art (that we passed over to walk the beach, after lunch and a few drinks at a pub called Liverpool Lil's).
By luck, we got here during "Fleet Week" and the Blue Angels did shows over the weekend. It would take an expert cinematographer (maybe a whole team of them) to capture the energy and emotion of what these guys do in the air. Even their plain vanilla fly-overs (with afterburners lit) sent chills up your spine. Then they'd get adventurous and your jaw would drop open stay that way for the next hour. (So glad these guys are on "our side".)
The Wineries Tour . . . well, I survived, but if you are seriously into wine (I am seriously into wine drinking, but I'm not into wine as a cultural item), don't take the bus tour. Grab a car and rent a room out in one of the valleys for a few days. The bus tour is barely one step better than flying over in a helicopter and pointing to things on the ground while the flight attendants serve you wine samples.
Gay people . . . how could I not comment about gay people in my notes on San Fransisco ? . . . My great respect for this city is due to its great respect for diverse people. That's my comment on the topic. If you have a problem with people who are not like you, this is a good city to stay out of.
Alcatraz . . . again, I was wrong, thinking that this was stupid. Turned out a very interesting tour. If you are thinking of becoming a criminal, you should visit a prison first. That would probably change your mind, and save the rest of us a bunch of tax money to house you for the next 20 years or so.
The Golden Gate Bridge . . . I am a bridge junkie (retired engineer). . . have lots of books on bridges . . . have read all the gushing commentary on this bridge, and I must say that in person, this is a seriosuly beautiful structure. I took some nice pictures of it, but they all fall short of the real-life experience. Seeing it enveloped in the ever-changing fog (and its effect on the light) almost makes the bridge a living thing, the way it looks changes constantly. Very captivating (if you are in the mood to let a bridge "captivate" you).
Walt Disney . . . there are no pictures here of the Disney Family Museum (they don't allow photos), but it was a great few hours spent there. This is not a kids place; it's a chronicle of Walt Disney's life, wrapped around by personal items, films, sketches, etc. Very interesting. He was an exceptionally driven person . . . driven to make his fantasies into realities. And it was not an easy path. I'll skip the details, but WD is now on my list of exceptional people who can plow through failures and disappointments and setbacks and "make their dreams come true" (to be simplistic about it). An unusual combination of passion, vision and resilience.
"Oh, Dave, I just love the hills, don't you?" . . .
"No, Debbie, the hills suck, that's why God gave us brains enough to invent cable cars."
Wedding pictures at the "Palace" (have no idea who they are) . . .
page written by Dave Leo