Feel the Burn: A Day of Walking in SF

Fueled Up and Ready to Go!

Surpringly and conveniently there’s a French community around the corner from the hotel.  So we opted for Café de la Presse for brunch.  We knew we were in good hands as the majority of staff and patrons were speaking French – unlike many other American versions of French bistros where if you order in anything but an American accent you get a blank stare from the server.

Julie had a delicious croissant sandwich and I an omelette w/ epinards et féta  -- equally delicious. 

We hiked down to the Embarcadero and Pier 14 which was now bustling with people compared to my earlier visit.  After snapping some shots of the Oakland Bay Bridge we squeezed our way in to the Ferry Building.  The sheer number of people made it a bit of an effort to move around but the shops were excellent and we picked up some artisanal salame for later.

Walking slower than anyone else in the city of San Fran we sauntered our way over to Fisherman’s Wharf with a number of rest stops.  We knew it’d be a long day as we tend to refuse to use any mode of transportation other than our own two feet. Fisherman’s Wharf reminded Julie of Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls with its over-stimulating array shops and gimmicky restaurants. As we reached Pier 39 we could hear the distinctive noises of the resident Sea Lions.  If you’ve never seen a Sea Lion lazing around you’re missing out one of the great comedies of the animal kingdom.  These massive animals ranging from 200lbs – 2200lbs lay on top of each other, smack each other with their flippers, nudge one another off the docks all while making the craziest grunting noises. We spent a good amount of time watching these playful animals who can amazingly jump out of the water onto the docks 2-3' feet out of the water. Here are some videos of the sea lions in action; being playful and noisy videos.

From Pier 39 Alcatraz is in clear view perched atop its island. We continued along the waterfront stopping to watch break dancers who warmed-up for 45 minutes only to put on a 5 minute performance – after which they asked for 5, 10s, or 20s.  We gladly tossed in $2 which Julie said seemed high from what she could see in the tip box.  We didn’t feel bad as they all piled into their Lexus’ and left.

Alcatraz from Russian Hill

Taking a break and shortcut up the stairs

Debating a cab back up the killer hills we decided to tough it out and make the hike.  It only took a few minutes to know we had made the right decision.  The views were amazing with ample opportunities to break and take pictures.  It is unbelieveable that you can walk uphill for 2 blocks, insanely uphill, only to walk back down the same grade the next 2 blocks and do it all over again, and again and again.

Once back at the hotel we punched in our trek and day 2 saw us clock just shy of 10k of walking.  Not bad.  Here’s our route .

Long story short.  I want to move here and Julie secretly does but won’t admit it because she knows the rest of the trip would be me looking for a place to live.  She’s smart. The city vibe is great.  Everyone seems very young, everywhere.  Very relaxed atmosphere and amazing views no matter where you are. Plus the city accommodates both Julie and my weather preferences.  There’s an equal amount of people wearing short sleeves and shorts and others with jackets, boots, scarves and mitts.  Surely we both would be happy here!