So i lucked out yesterday, very soon after i got out and started walking, the sun came out, and it stayed sunny and warm the rest of the day...did a TON of walking around the city yesterday! Walked along the waterfront on Embarcadero, from Fort Mason (where my hostel is), all the way down to the Ferry Marketplace, not too far from the Bay Bridge...along the way, visited the Pampanito, a WWII-era sub that's been turned into an exhibit, as well as the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, a WWII-era cargo ship that's also been turned into a floating museum of sorts...briefly walked down and checked out Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, pretty touristy and schlocky so didn't stick around long...did see the sea lions at Pier 39, lots of tourists crowding around and taking pictures, but i've already seen a ton of sea lions on this trip (in Monterey and Santa Cruz), so i didn't stick around too long for that...the Ferry Marketplace is really neat, a cool glimpse into northern california artisan cuisine culture, lots of cool little shops selling all kinds of high-end/locally-produced/etc. meats, cheeses, breads, wine, a very good place to just walked around for awhile and take in all the sights and smells...
after my waterfront walk, i walked through the Financial District (including a brief stop in the Wells Fargo museum) and Chinatown. Luckily my "Lonely Planet San Francisco Cityguide" describes a bunch of good self-guided walking tours that help you get a feel for the various neighborhoods...stopped in at a bar called Vesuvio in North Beach; apparently, this was a big beatnik hangout back in the day...Kerouac and Dylan Thomas both hung out here at times.
Had a couple beers at Vesuvio, then had to find my way over to the Lower Haight to meet up with my friend Shannon, who i've known since the 6th grade...pretty confusing! there's lots and lots of public transportation options in this city, and every person you talk to seems to have a different recommendation for how to get from Point A to Point B...i did finally make it over to Shannon's apartment, we hung out there for a bit, then went out into the neighborhood...had dinner at an Indian restaurant in Lower Haight then walked over to a bar in the Mission, definitely a cool place, big backyard with lots of picnic tables set-up, hung out there and had a couple more drinks...at that point i did not feel like trying to negotiate the public transportation system again, so i grabbed a cab to take me back up to the hostel...only cost about $15, not too bad...
...as for today, my plan includes finishing the self-guided tours in this guidebook...that'll take me through North Beach, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, the Mission, and Haight-Ashbury. I bought a 3-day pass yesterday which gives me free access to all trains/buses/etc. so that should make it easier to get from neighborhood to neighborhood...beyond that, just playing it by year. if i can get those wrapped up today, i can try to do the Alcatraz thing tomorrow and maybe also rent a bike and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, taking the ferry back from Sausalito...i guess i should also make an effort to ride on a cablecar...and oh yeah! i keep forgetting, i gotta look into doing the Anchor Steam brewery tour...shit, so much to do, so little time...
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