San Francisco, I think I’m going to like you
The Quintessential view of the Golden Gate Bridge from Golden Gate Park
It is hard to imagine that I might be here, in San Francisco, for a while, and yet I have been imagining exactly that for the past two weeks. Every day I walk down a new street and make mental notes about what I see. I want to remember this city not because I might never see it again, but because I know that I will see it over and over again. Over and over in the sense that I will LIVE here. I will need to buy groceries, so I need to know where the grocery stores are. I will want to have a nice dinner now and then, so I need to know where nice dinners can be had. I will go Christmas shopping here, so I would like to know where the perfect toy store is. I will get married here, so I need to have a list of places for my guests to visit. I will work here, so I need to understand the bus system. I will travel from here, so I need to know where the train stations, airports, taxi stands and rental cars are. I will live here, so I need to know where I want to live.
San Francisco has been the end-goal for us ever since we left Portland in June of 2008 to travel in Thailand. We knew that if we were ever going to come back to the States, this was our town. We consider it the most beautiful and interesting city in the country that we know of, so why would we live anywhere else? It meets all of our requirements for a city: big enough to explore without ever getting bored, natural beauty, career opportunities, a few good friends, great apartments, close enough for our families to visit, and close enough for us to visit our families. Yes, Mom, I know it’s still not close enough, but a 5 hour flight is much better than a 15 hour one, right?
So here we are. After a couple weeks staying with friends, we have moved into an apartment of our own. We are both looking for jobs (if you know of any good architects in town….let me know!), but trying to take advantage of the free time we have in the city before real life kicks in. Today we were supposed to do the big grocery run, but we decided not to carry loads of food 8 blocks in the rain. That will happen tomorrow. The next sunny day we have, I’ll take photos of the apartment, because it is really nice for what it is.
In the mean time, here are the photos I have taken along the way. I’m still in absorbing mode. I only take my camera out sporadically, and my photography has suffered because of that. I will take some serious neighborhood photos soon, and I already have lots of ideas for my San Francisco City Guide. I am going to do better about blog posts because funny and interesting things are happening, and I want to capture these moments in our new city!!!!
The Ferris Wheel at Musee Mecanique
On one of our first days in town, Nik and I stumbled upon the Musee Mecanique on Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf. It was an arcade like I’ve never seen before. Most games outdated me, but were still functioning and hilarious. I wish we had had more quarters to play, but I guarantee that we will be back!
An early version of Foosball with red and blue crocheted jerseys
3 strikes and you're out!
One of three or four huge functioning amusement park models. This man is the airplane ride attendant.
I can't remember what this lady said, but it was funny!
"Sing Along" Pinball - Nik scored 1,389 points!!
Ocean Beach, the most originally named beach in the world.
A red-tailed hawk perched on a tree in Golden Gate Park.
Nik eating lunch outside the Warming Hut
The Warming Hut...great for sandwiches and coffee and California National Parks posters.
Black Bird
Dandelionesque flowers
Walking across...we walked all the way to Sausalito and then took the ferry back.
Cable details
Downtown SF from across the bay.
The ocean from Mt Tamalpais State Park
Walking on the Ridge
Bolinas Lagoon Preserve on Highway 1
A male sea lion vocalizing while the female sleeps on Pier 39
The rest of the raft resting near by.
Pine cones along the Coastal Trail in Lincoln Park
Seeds cling to the bare branches.
Crazy surfers waiting for waves near Lands End
Seal Rocks Beach
Nik and Val watching the waves crash into the huge rocks.
The Golden Gate Bridge from the west along the Coastal Trail.
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