Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
 Yet another jumper... |
San Francisco, California, and the left coast! Although I've been to San Francisco a few dozen times (I lived in Los Angeles and Montery for many years), it wasn't until a 2005 visits that I got a really good look around while trveling most of city on foot and bicycle. Despite California's (along with most of our country) overpopulation problem I still love visiting there. The beautiful scenery, fantastic weather, and wonderful diversity make it a great destination. So, if you see something questionable on this page it's not because I'm poking fun at California (except maybe for the hemp shop photo or proselytizers) but because I found it interesting or significantly different from my experience at home in Colorado... |
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Click Here for pix of the Sierra Club training that took me to San Francisco this time around... |
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Click Here for photos from the Sierra Club's 2005 Summit in San Francisco! |
1. Golden Gate Bridge:
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On my last evening of Sierra Club training 14 of my fellow students joined me for a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Even from downtown San Francisco it was easy getting there - $1.25 bus fare took us right up to the visitor center, at the base of the bridge, where we began the 1.7 mile walk to the other side.The view is spectacular! A thick coat of paint protects the bridge from a constant sea breeze that was pretty darn refreshing after a day in class. As you can see from the upper-left photo there was a bit of construction going on to retrofit the bridge for seismic safety - it didn't pose a problem for walkers or riders.
In the lower right-hand corner are two girls huddled beneath a blanket about half-way across the bridge. They sat there for nearly an hour - I'm not sure what they were doing but they happily agreed to having their picture taken!
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2. Oakland Bridge:
Most of these shots were taken from the Farmer's market that takes place along the wharf.
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3. Gay Wedding Ads and Proselytizing:
I saw quite a few advertisements for gay wedding photos. And, like everywhere else in America, the Bible-thumpers were thick as flies...
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4. Governor Schwarzenegger and the Homeless:
In the left-hand photo it appears Arnold's popularity slid considerably from his "Hollywood" start (Pretty much like that other California governor who did so much harm as president). The next couple of photos are some of his homeless constituents. I captured the first two on camera only because I saw them lying in the exact same spot for over two days. The guy in the orange sleeping bag obviously wasn't too concerned about camouflage...
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5. Haight-Ashbury, Hemp and Water:
Looks like I was 40 years too late for the Haight-Ashbury district! Nevertheless, hemp is still for sale albeit not smoking. Water, in the right-hand picture, seemed to be an issue at our hotel (the Chancellor)...
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6. Sunset:
On Friday evening I walked from 2nd Street (Sierra Club National Headquarters), through Haight-Ashbury, along Golden Gate Park and finally to the beach at the Pacific Ocean. It was 8.5 miles, one way, and probably the nicest walk I've ever taken through any city. I reached the ocean, just in time, to catch this sunset...
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7. BART:
Almost as good as Japan's transit system, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is clean, efficient, affordable and just downright fun! For about $14, roundtrip, I took it from downtown San Francisco to almost Bay Point and then back to the airport. Add all the bus and Muni connections and you can get just about anywhere without a car! BART is the best!
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8. Miscellaneous:
Playing Chess in San Francisco seemed to be pretty popular in a couple of places. That huge antenna array, up on the hill, is really visible from all over the place. And, of course, what page about San Francisco wouldn't be complete without a picture of a cable car? Even at $3.00 per ride these cars were always full!
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9. Some Personal History:
During the mid 70s, while serving in the Coast Guard, I lived in Petaluma (north of San Francisco) and Monterey (south of the Bay Area).
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10. San Francisco's Howard Langton Garden
(September 9, 2005)
Garden Mirror
Garden Flower
Garden Gate
In the fall of '05 I was in San Francisco for a Sierra Club meeting and found myself in this wonderful city garden at sunset on a Friday evening. There was somebody meditating, in the garden's quiet, so I did my best not to disturb anyone or anything. I must have done pretty well as the person got up and locked the gate behind himself as he left! Luckily I was able to catch him, with just a whisper through the tall bars of the security fence, as he walked away. Apparently he assumed I was a "local" because he seemed so surprised when I asked for instructions to access the gate's lock. So, I enjoyed the garden's peace, a bit longer, before locking the gate behind myself as I too re-entered the hectic life of big-city existance...- Roger J. Wendell
September 2005
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