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If I only had Some Hair
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  • CWBuff

If I only had Some Hair

After once making a fast all-day stop on our Alaska-CA cruise in 2006, we are now descending on the City of Hippies and Summer Love (albeit in the Winter)
And, as stated in the title - If I only had Some Hair I'd surely wear some flowers in it :) Read more
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  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Dinner in Chinatown and North Beach

    January 7 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    I met Molly (a cousin of "Sleut" John B) and her friends for a fast drink right on the outskirts of North Beach.
    Then Molly took me into Chinatown to her favorite place, Yet Lee Seafood Restaurant, where we enjoyed some Chef's Special Wonton Soup and Sum See Chow Fun.
    Then we said our goodbyes, and I strolled back to hotel through part of North Beach and "Little Italy " (more hopping than Little Russia)

    A Tribute to the Firemen monument at Marini Plaza with the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in the background (think earlier reference of Joe DiMaggio's wedding)
    Coit Tower at night ( we'll get to it in a couple of days)

    And thus ends another day in The City by the Bay    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Dinner in Chinatown and North Beach

    January 7 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    I met Molly (a cousin of "Sleut" John B.) and her friends Terri and George for a fast drink.
    Then Molly took mecto her favorite place,' Yet Lee Seafood Restaurant, where we supper on Chef's Special Wonton Soup and Sum See Chow Fun.
    After we said our goodbyes, I walked through a part of North Beach and "Little Italy"
    A Tribute monument to Volunteer Firemen in Marini Plaza against the backdrop of Curch of Sts. Peter and Paul ( previous reference to Joe DiMaggio wedding).
    Coit Tower ( will get back to it in a couple of days)    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Taversing

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    So, all in all not bad. There are a couple of places where they have chain-link fences, but through the main span, there is nothing. Still I think I had a much worse case of vertigo on that Portomarin bridge during my Camino.
    Coming up on the 1st tower.
    Commemorative plaques on it.
    A shot straight up from "inside" the beams
    The Rock in the distance
    PACIFIC, not Atlantic! 🫢Y!!!
    2nd tower
    Welcome to Marin County
    Hmm... seems my speed is 38mph 😯
    Looks like I've made it!🙏🙏🙏    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Vista Point

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    The main Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point is a popular, easily accessible viewpoint on the north (Marin) side of the bridge, offering iconic, sweeping views of the orange structure, San Francisco skyline, and Alcatraz.
    We were here once before as a part of the tour during our 2006 Alaskan cruise.

    A couple of RVs (Laurie's late infatuation)

    The Lone Sailor statue in San Francisco is a tribute to all sea service members, located at Vista Point on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, dedicated in 2002 to represent those sailing out for duty. A replica of the main statue at the U.S. Navy Memorial in D.C., this bronze figure, modeled after Petty Officer 1st Class Dan Maloney, stands on a compass rose with surrounding plaques honoring the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine, offering a poignant farewell view of the Pacific for departing service members.    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Sausalito

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

    So, the initial plan was to do an R/T on the Bridge proper, however before the walk, I struck a conversation with a bicyclist who told me he took a ferry to Sausalito and then biked back from there and across the Bridge.
    That appealed to me, be it that I have yet to get on the water. (Preliminary plans also included a Bay Cruise with a stop at The Rock, but unfortunately, they didn't materialize). So I hiked to Sausalito instead (2.1 miles)
    Again we were here in 2006 as part of the same tour/cruise.

    Sausalito is a picturesque, affluent bayside city in Marin County, California, across the Golden Gate Strait from San Francisco. It's known for its Richardson Bay houseboat enclaves, built by artist squatters after WWII, stunning views of the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, Mediterranean-style architecture, vibrant art scene, and famous houseboat communities, offering a charming, laid-back atmosphere with art galleries, boutiques, waterfront dining,

    I hung around the waterfront, the Historic Downtown District and then jumped on the ferry.

    Sausalito on the hills.
    On the waterfront (mind you all these houses facing me and the Bay is behind me... you can get the picture)
    A monument to Phil Frank, an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the political-satirical San Francisco-based comic strip Farley and the artist on nationally syndicated comic strip The Elderberries. He and his second wife, Susan, lived on a house boat in Sausalito
    Waypoint plaques telling the story of Sausalito before The Bridge.
    Angel Island - "The Ellis Island" of the West
    Various art pieces from art galleries.    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    The Ferry ride

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Riding the ferry to Pier 41
    Way too many birds are on that roof!😊
    The pesky Brown Pelican just doesn't waht his picture taken 🤨
    Different views of The Bay.
    Back on the dry land

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler
    2

    PM Cable Car line

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Took a very fast ride on one of the fabled and famous cable cars.
    Noisy little thing 😆
    Interesting to see how the driver operates this machinery

    The Powell–Mason (Line 59 or PM) line, follows a common route with the Powell–Hyde line, running north and steeply uphill from a terminal at Powell and Market Streets, before crossing the California Street line at the crest of the hill.
    This line has been in operation since 1888

    Check out a bokoo load on cable cars here - its pretty amazing

    San Francisco cable car system - Wikipedia https://share.google/ZgdRJMOj03fjy3a3G    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Cable Car Museum

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    The good cable car brought me right to the Cable Car Museum, which is not only a museum but is an operational hub for all 3 lines!!!!
    This is incredibly stupefiedly amazing!!!

    The P&M (Powell-Mason) Cable Car Museum, officially the San Francisco Cable Car Museum, is a free museum at 1201 Mason Street that showcases the history and mechanics of SF's iconic cable cars, located in the working powerhouse and carbarn for the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines, where visitors can see the giant engines pulling the underground cables. It features historic cars, displays, and offers a unique view into the operational heart of the systemRead more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    And took it back to the hotel

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    ...even stood on those standing platforms. Can't really film anything for the fear of dropping the phone.
    Again, the whole thing is just mind-boggling for the car to be "gripped" to a cable that constantly runs underground.
    Now, being "more informed," I listened for it on the street and actually did hear a sound of the cable running under the rails    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Dinner at Kaiyo

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    For tonight, I have tickets to Cirque du Soleil "ECHO" and was recommended Kayio as a good place to grab dinner, which is near the venue.

    It's an upscale rooftop bar with a tropical theme, serving Japanese & Peruvian bites, plus cocktails. As per their website:
    "Dive into a unique culinary journey at Kaiyo in San Francisco, where Peruvian flavors blend with Nikkei traditions to create a delightful dining experience."

    A Japanese/Peruvian place, huh!?
    Ok... so I got the "combo"
    A sushi roll (WHAAAT?! 😳) and a Peruvian Lager 😊

    And enjoyed the views, even catching some sunset and dusk

    BTW, passed by the Oracle Park - home to San Francisco Giants - on the way to the venue.    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    ECHO

    January 8 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    What can one say about pretty much any Cirque du Soleil show, except that it's Cirque du Soleil?!!! 😁

    ECHO is a Chapiteau-style venue, "where poetry, stagecraft, daring acrobatics, and cutting-edge technology come together to explore the delicate balance between people, animals, and the world we all share. This 20th Big Top show offers bold new visuals, a unique aesthetic, and vibrant characters that bring a universe of color and wonder to life. Inspired by youth's optimism, inventive power, and the value of empathy, ECHO captivates with inspiring music, astounding lights and projections, and never-before-seen acrobatic feats. Join us on a journey of infinite possibilities and immerse yourself in a world of spectacular performance."

    And it sho' captivated. A delightful entertainment!

    I hope the short video clips came out OK. Surprisingly, they did allow photography and video, but there is no way to film the whole show and even if I did, everyone understand it's not nearly the same    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Walk through North Bay

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

    Going through "Little Italy ".
    Another group of us, perhaps 6 or so, is joining Adam this morning on the walk through Little Italy and onto the Coit Tower.

    A street marker for Barnaby Coast Trail - a marked trail that connects a series of historic sites and several local history museums in San Francisco, California. Approximately 180 bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalk mark the 3.8-mile (6.1 km) trail, and relate primarily to the period from the California Gold Rush of 1849 to the Earthquake and Fire of 1906, a period when San Francisco grew from a small village to an important shipping port.

    The hearts of Little Italy signified by the Italian flag-colored crosswalk

    Yet a couple more hills to climb, the 2nd one is probably 30-33 degree grade
    (It's like paraphrasing Sounds of Music's: "Climb Every Hillside"

    A view down yet another hilly street, this one is with even steeper grade 🫨    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Coit Tower

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Coit Tower (also known as Coit Memorial Tower) is a 210-foot (64 m) tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California, overlooking the city and San Francisco Bay. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built between 1932 and 1933 using Lillie Hitchcock Coit's bequest to beautify the city of San Francisco. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 29, 2008.
    Coit Tower - Wikipedia https://share.google/geZMHnQo8WoSc5q1F

    Coit Tower was paid for with money left by Lillie Hitchcock Coit (1843–1929), a wealthy socialite who loved to chase fires in the early days of the city's history. Before December 1866, there was no city fire department, and fires in the city, which broke out regularly in the wooden buildings, were extinguished by several volunteer fire companies. Coit was one of the more eccentric characters in the history of North Beach and Telegraph Hill, smoking cigars and wearing trousers long before it was socially acceptable for women to do so. She was an avid gambler and often dressed like a man in order to gamble in the males-only establishments that dotted North Beach.
    Lillie Hitchcock Coit - Wikipedia https://share.google/CbA3mxaPX6KKBCsmP

    The monument to Volunteer Firemen we saw in earlier footprint has a connection to Lillie as well.
    Also, the top of The Tower resembles a fire hose    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Coit Tower Murals

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Tucked away in the tower, one of the greatest works of Social Realist art in America lies hidden away. A set of murals created by 26 of California’s best artists (DiegoRiverais not one of them), it documented California life in the 1930s from a socialist perspective: romanticizing workers, illustrating inequality, and sometimes even winking at the Soviet Union. They were created as part of the New Deal programs that supporting artists following the Great Depression. But controversies sprang up over the murals' perceived pro-Communist imagery and the value of public art.
    It was controversial, sure. But as a work of art? Nobody could deny that it was stunningly gorgeous.

    Coit Tower Murals - ARG Conservation Services, Inc. https://share.google/crLcUNwaSInf0rvYg    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Oh that Filbert St

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    With a 31.5% grade, the honor of steepest street in San Francisco is shared by Filbert St and 22nd St in the Castro. Filbert is shorter, but wins top marks for end-of-the-world views.

    I can't even imagine learning how to park a car like that 😕 😳

    When we walked past it on the way to the Coit Tower, the Sts. Peter and Paul Church was open, so I decided to try my luck and gingerly sashayed (! 😉) down Filbert to it.
    I was in luck indeed - the doors were open.    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler
    2

    Sts. Peter and Paul Church

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Saints Peter and Paul Church (Italian: Ss. Pietro e Paolo) is a Catholic church in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. Located at 666 Filbert Street, it is directly across from Washington Square and is administered by the Salesians of Don Bosco. It is known as "la cattedrale italiana dell'Ovest", or the Italian Cathedral of the West (the use of the word "Cathedral" is merely colloquial, not an official designation), and has served as the home church and cultural center for San Francisco's Italian-American community since its consecration. It offers English, Italian, and Cantonese-language services.
    The church is prominently featured in the Clint Eastwood movies Dirty Harry (the Church, and nearby Dante Building, are the scene of sniper attacks by the "Scorpio Killer"), and The Dead Pool. Scenes from Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 version of The Ten Commandments were filmed at the church while it was under construction. Also featured in What's Up, Doc? in which Judy Maxwell, portrayed by Barbra Streisand and Dr. Howard Bannister, portrayed by Ryan O'Neal, borrowed a Volkswagen Beetle during a car chase. Parts of Sister Act 2 were also filmed here.Both the exterior and the interior of the church were prominently featured in the 1994 movie Getting Even with Dad, starring Macaulay Culkin.

    (I already mentioned the following in my Lombard St. Footprint)
    After their civil ceremony in 1954, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio returned for photographs on the steps of this church.DiMaggio was married to Dorothy Arnold in the church on November 19, 1939, but later divorced. Still married as far as the Church was concerned (having not obtained an annullment),he could not be married in the Catholic Church.

    Cool Nativity Scene
    St. Anne
    Mary
    Awesome mosaics
    Stained glass windows
    Jesus the child of Prague (I'm not even going to attempt to guess...🤔)    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    The (not so) Painted Ladies

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Along the eastern side of Alamo Square Park is one of the most iconic and most photographed sights in San Francisco. These pastel-colored homes, standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the gentle slope of Steiner Street, are called the Painted Ladies. Also known as "postcard row" for their scenic beauty, these Victorian homes (still occupied by locals) are a beautiful reminder of the San Francisco of old, while the gleaming downtown skyline of new San Francisco shimmers in the distance.

    Most visitors have this location at the top of their San Francisco bucket lists, as it has been featured in some of the most popular stories set in San Francisco—perhaps most famously, "Full House."

    The nickname, the Painted Ladies, is a more recent one. The name took hold in 1978 and doesn't specifically refer to these specific houses but rather their style.

    Well.. there ya go - a "hype" is a hype!
    IMHO, they need some paint!

    Literally a block away, there are some other houses that undeniably look better

    ("Like", if you agree 🤣)    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    City Hall

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    I decided to go for another "stroll" (only 3 miles to the hotel) but then I spied this imposing building with huge dome.
    I thought it would be The Cathedral, but it turned out to be The San Francisco City Hall.
    No matter as the interior was GAW-JAS!

     Re-opened in 1915 in its open space area in the city's Civic Center, it is a Beaux-Arts monument to the City Beautiful movement that epitomized the high-minded American Renaissance of the 1880s to 1917. The structure's dome is taller than that of the United States Capitol by 42 feet (13 m). The present building replaced an earlier City Hall that was destroyed during the 1906 earthquake, which was two blocks from the present one.

    Many movies were filmed here and as you can see it's quite popular place to take wedding photos (there was a healthy line to do so)    Read more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler

    Todays offerings

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    So we have these little "tapas " (for the lack of better description) and a guava-tini along with some life entertainment for the 4pm hotel daily activity. The guy is pretty good all in all but I have to leave this party for something betterRead more

  • CWBuffIf I only had Some HairTraveler
    2

    Winter, spring, summer or fall

    January 9 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    Winter, spring, summer or fall
    All you have to do is call
    And I'll be there
    You've got a friend

    And here we are in St. Ignatius Curch (reckon today is AllThe Saints Day )
    which is on the campus of the University of San Francisco (USF) in San Francisco, California. The church serves a parish of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and is the university's chapels. Saint Ignatius Church is staffed by priests of the Society of Jesus and is dedicated to the Society's founder, Ignatius of Loyola.

    Saint Ignatius Church (San Francisco) - Wikipedia https://share.google/vsPypBHoQ6CHUJWHY

    As to the venue... it's one of the Candlelight concerts and even as I already gave you a clue somewhat, I'll let the music announce itself

    (Then, brothers, it came. Oh, bliss, bliss and heaven. I lay ... , my gulliver on my rookers on the pillow, glazzies closed, rot open in bliss, slooshying the sluice of lovely sounds. Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh.)

    Ok, not exactly, but methinks you get the meaning    Read more

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