San Francisco

I started my morning by climbing the 400+ Filbert street steps jump to Coit Tower . Although I grew up in the Bay Area, I had never visited Coit Tower. After learning that the elevator was not working (a common occurrence), another 234 steps to the observation deck 13 stories up. The advantage to that is that the murals are only visible by climbing the steps; when the elevator is working, they can only be viewed by taking a tour. Apparently, controversy over the heavy social criticism present in almost all the murals delayed the official opening of the gallery from May until October of 1934. They were influenced by the activism and style of Diego Rivera. Coit Tower itself was built as monument to Lillie Hitchcock Coit who left a $125,000 bequest to San Francisco to be spent “for the purpose of adding beauty to the city which I have always loved”. My Garmin GPS failed to find a satellite anywhere on the streets of San Francisco, but it finally caught at the top of Coit Tower (which is open to the sky). I also found a CA state shot glass in the gift shop, completing my collection from all 50 states.

I then headed over to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s wharf . I don’t I have been here for decades and honestly, I had no specific recollection. I walked around the shops and the wharf and stopped at the historic Eagle Cafe for an iconic lunch of clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Thus fueled, I walked the 4+ miles along the Bay Trail to the Golden Gate Bridge. Having accumulated well over 10 miles, I treated myself to a rather expensive ($30) Lyft back to my hotel.

Tomorrow will be museum day.

Additional images can be found in the Gallery .