"San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art. Every block is a short story, every hill a novel. Every home a poem, every dweller within immortal…”
—Williama Saryoyan
San Francisco is a tie-dyed, technicolor haven for free spirits and open-minded sentient beings and it was great to revisited it. Bill and I off-loaded our bikes from his SUV near the Chase Center indoor arena, the home venue of the Golden State Warriors in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco. We then made our way to Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team in South Beach, and began our 3-mile roadway ride—with pauses in between—on the Embarcadero waterfront, one of the most cycle-friendly coastal stretched in the city. This palm-tree laden coastal parkway is a cyclists’ dream. Embarcadero means “pier” or “a place to embark” in Spanish. We then paused at Rincon Park, where the Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s massive “Cupid Span” sculpture depicts a colorful bow and arrow angled downward.
Sea lions made their appearance on pier 39 in the Embarcadero more than thirty years ago, and became a permanent fixture. Waddling and raucous barking and behavior has captured the imagination of tourists and residents alike. Last year, a hand-painted series, illustrated by Bay Area artists of six-foot-tall colorful fiberglass sculptures in their likeness were spread across the waterfront, downtown and Golden Gate Park as part of a yearlong art Installation celebrating their 30th anniversary (now 31) of their takeover of Pier 39, following the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.
The historic Ferry Building that serves as a terminal for ferries first opened its doors in 1898, played a major rule in the city’s growth and commerce leading up through WW2. It houses one the city’s most vibrant marketplaces. On top of the Ferry Building sits a 245-foot clock tower with four clock deals, each 22 feet in diameter (photo). Coit Tower is a 210-foot tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood can be seen from the Embarcadero district.
Of course, the main attraction is the iconic Golden Gate Bridge which is actually dark reddish-orange. It is a stunning piece of architecture and the pride and joy of San Francisco. The American Society of Civill Engineers voted it one of the Modern Wonders of the World. For all its beauty and charm it is considered one of the most photographed in the world.
The last two times we biked across it, it was shrouded in fog. The other day we were blessed with a clear, albeit windy day and as we approached the bridge the view was absolutely breath-taking. There were more walkers than bicyclists. We were able to see the skyline of the city and the notorious Alcatraz Island that once housed America’s most infamous prisoners like Al Capone. It closed in 1963 and re-opened as a tourist attraction in 1973.
As I approached the bridge proper, I could feel the anticipation growing in my stomach as I had felt before. The great tower and cables loom bigger than life. An electrical surge of joy overcame me. The gust of wind was invigorating. Everyone seemed to have a smile on their face. It felt more like a pilgrimage to a sacred site. In many ways it “is" a sacred site.
On the way back over the bridge we stopped at Vista Point. I had the good fortune to meet a senior monk from the Dhammakaya Meditation Center in Morgan Hill who is originally from Thailand and was also enjoying the sites. His familiar saffron robe, fluttering in the wind brought me back over ten years ago when I did a three-week silent meditation retreat at a Burmese Monastery in Lampang, Thailand that was well supported by the business community in Bangkok. It is the only city in Thailand that still uses horse carts as a means of transportation.
Postscript: Bill and I were admiring the Powell & Wide Street Trolley when the driver offered to take our photos in front of it. He informed us that Krispy Kreme was giving away free donuts for showing our vaccination card through the end of 2021. Maybe, next time:-)
