Pacific Coast Adventure: Day 4 San Francisco
What a difference it made not having to drive for a day. Waking up in the same city I was going to explore allowed me to rest just enough before having to wake up early again the next day. San Francisco is a huge city and I’m pretty sure the only place where “up hills both ways” is actually a true statement.
I started by day with breakfast in the hostel. It’s nice because a lot of these places will have cereals, oatmeal, toast/bagels, and fruit for us in the morning. It’s nice not having to go out and buy breakfast. They also have kitchens for us to use, so if we wanted to go to the grocery store and buy food there we can and then we have a place to cook it. The hostel here also does a family dinner on Wednesday nights, so everyone can help cook if they’d like, but then regardless you can all eat together. I got there after the dinner, the first day, but it was such a nice concept to walk into.
After breakfast I had to remove my car from the parking garage associated with the hostel and try to find another one. The one associated with the hostel would not be okay at 5am when I would need my car, and I would be so behind if I left around 9am. Eventually I found a reasonably priced parking garage that would allow me to get my car when I needed it. It was in the China Town area so I walked around here for a bit until I found a Starbucks. Since I didn’t actually have a plan for the day, I figured another cup of tea and some Wifi would allow me to figure out a plan. Now everyone had been telling me things I needed to do and see while I was there, and they’re probably right, I probably should have done and seen all of what they were saying, but I just enjoy walking around, and my only plan was to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. I also asked the nice older business man sitting across from me in Starbucks if there was anything he recommended me seeing. You could tell he was passionate about the arts and sciences by his answer. Then he asked me how long I was there for and when I said “just today” he was like “Oh, then never mind. You should be doing these things…” So I went on to Google My Maps and located a few of the places and went on Trip Advisor and looked up things to do in San Fran. Eventually I had a pretty good list of places and things to tentatively see.
I began walking down to the Bridge, which was supposed to take me just over an hour. Along the way, I saw a sign for Fisherman’s Wharf, one of the places the man at Starbucks had suggested. So I detoured a little and went to check it out. It was really pretty over there and there were a bunch of restaurants and touristy shops. While I was walking around I wound up at Pier 39, one of the places to visit on Trip Advisor. I saw some Sea Lions and found private bathroom where I was able to change into my bathing suit. It was so hot out, the jacket needed to come out, I wanted to be prepared for the beach, and a real bra just wasn’t happening any longer.
Then I walked through a park along the water to the bridge. With two miles left I was sweating and running out of hours in the day, so I called an Uber Pool and was at the bridge in less than 5 minutes. Definitely beat walking the additional two miles there. There is a welcome center just by the bridge that provides you with amazing views and photo opportunities. I fell like I always say on here I was amazed, but really this world is such an incredible place, and I am amazed at what has been created. The bridge is huge and iconic. Think about all the people who had to work on it just for it to be built. The cables suspending the bridge are about the width of my arm. The color of the bridge was different from most bridges I had ever crossed. It’s painted international orange, in part to help ships see it, not that I think they could miss it if they wanted too. I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like in the 1930s seeing it being built, or having family members working on it. Plus everything was so different back then. They were connecting areas together, building our country more, and the safety precautions were far different.
When I was actually on the bridge, the view of the city kept catching my attention. You have so many homes and buildings built into the side of the mountain. You have parks that you can see, and the bay bridge on the other side. Half way through I texted my family to see if anyone could FaceTime. I was able to FaceTime with my mom and dad, separately, and show them the view from the bridge. The best part about technology is that even though I’m traveling alone, I can still share some of these moments with them.
Once I made it across the entire bridge, I grabbed another Uber Pool back across heading to Baker Beach. Baker Beach gives you awesome views of the bridge, but is also known for being a nude beach. You know I was all about checking that out. I had read online that you needed to stay north of the surf hazard sign, but I couldn’t find one. Eventually I just saw a bunch of naked people, so I knew I was in the right spot. I laid out my towel and got comfortable. Yes, I took my top off since everyone else had theirs off. And it is amazing how normal it is. I swear, I think nudist do it right. I had casual conversations with men and women who were naked, and no one starred, no one made inappropriate statements or made me feel uncomfortable being in my own body. Instead we talked about the area, and ourselves. G, who is from South Africa, immigrated here and then joined our Navy for years. He is an older gentleman who had a hippie vibe to him. San Francisco has been his home since he got out of the Navy, and he offered some great insight to the area. I also met a few other native nudists who were very accepting and appreciative of my willingness to try something that most people in the United States seem so opposed to. Since they knew I was a tourist, they asked if I wanted a photo with the bridge behind me, and I said yes. They got a wonderful photo of me and the only way you can tell I'm topless is by seeing my top laying in the sand next to me. I absolutely understand everyone’s concern about, “What if someone gets a photo of you and it gets out.” On a nude beach it’s not like that. We make sure not to get anyone else in the photos and photos are only taken if it’s okay with the people. At this point I’ve been to a few different nude beaches and everyone has said the same thing. It’s about respecting your self and others.
Once the sun started to go down a bit it got chilly so my clothes went back on. I said goodbye to the people I had met and went to the Ferry Building and Marketplace , a place which the Starbucks man had recommended for something to eat. Ferry Building had an amazing selection of shops and eateries but nothing was really striking my fancy. When I walked out of the market I heard treat performers playing jazz music and was inspired to see if there were any jazz clubs near by. I found myself at Club DeLuxe which was close to the Grateful Dead House and Jimi Hendrix’s home.
Leave it to me to meet the right people at the right time. When I first got there, the place was packed in the way a small local bar can be packed. I ordered a class of Californian Pino Noir. I’m not really a wine drinker, but I figured, when in Cali, you might as well try. It wasn’t half bad. Maybe my taste is growing! The woman next to me in the bar started talking to me by saying in her sweet southern voice and accent “Why what a fresh and sweet face! How are you baby?” Well that was Teré, she and her husband are the owners of three bars in Las Vegas. They were there because their friend asked them if they wanted to join him and some of his crew members to San Francisco…. on their private jet…. before they had to get back for the race tomorrow. Now when she said crew members, and private jet, I was thinking plane crew, but no, I was wrong. She introduced me to some of the guys she was with, including the owner/pilot of the private jet, and it turns out they are the crew members for an off road truck racing team. Monster Energy is on of their sponsors. They all also have real jobs that are important, but do that for fun. Like what?? I think I’ll be going to Vegas soon!
After they left, I moved seats to a table where I would be able to see the jazz band better. I talked to one of the locals who was telling me all about the place. Turns out it has been a jazz bar for 25 years and before that it was a gay bar. When the previous owner of the jazz bar passed be left it to one of his bartenders who has been running it since. Across the table were tow other guys. One moved here a few years ago and the other was visiting him. Both were originally from Singapore. We shared a few laughs, and then I wanted to get back to the hostel because they had organized a Comedy Show for the night.
I took out my good friend Uber and grabbed a Pool car back to the hostel. I was the first pick up and two other women joined me. We all began talking and I learned one of them was a financial advisor for Google. I expressed my thanks to her, since Google Maps/My Maps and pretty much been my savior for this trip. She was glad to hear it, but then we began talking about our travels. She used to stay in hostels all the time and said I inspired her by my willingness to travel by myself. She asked me if I was scared to travel and drive such a far distance by myself and I told her two things:
If I always waited for someone to go with, I’d always be waiting.
You’re only afraid of something until you do it, and then you’re not afraid any more, so I just refuse to be afraid to begin with.
For some reason, these simple beliefs are so difficult for people to understand and when I say them people really hear it and start thinking about it. I wish everyone realized these things early in life, because you’re placing yourself in a box, rather than experiencing life to the fullest.
I reached my destination and joined a bunch of my hostel members for the night’s adventures. It’s always interesting to notice first interactions. Most people staying in hostels don’t know too many people with them, or are traveling alone. You all know that you want to talk to each other and introduce yourself, but there is always a fear of the unknown and rejection. With in minutes the initial awkward hellos were out of the way and the fun began. Our first stop was a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. We all went around the table introducing ourselves and saying where we are from. The Hostel coordinator didn’t even need to start the conversation, at this point we were all exited for the night and realized we had friends now. I was hanging out with people from Panama, Ireland, Canada, Wales, Australia, and South Africa. Some of us have been traveling for months, others for days, but we all have something in common, we all just decided to go for it. We’re not restricted to our home towns and what we’re able to do in this world, and we all realize we have endless possibilities and options if we want to take them.
Before we knew it we were all cracking jokes as if we had been traveling together our entire lives. Conversation flowed as if we had practiced over many dinners who says what, and who talks next, and when. No one was afraid of insulting each other, even though a few serious topics got brought up. Everyone listened and actually heard and understood, rather than just listening enough to stay in the conversation. After dinner the cliques had formed, really just created by the ends of the tables since we couldn’t all yell across the table to talk to each other. We all went to a bar, which had a few games like basketball and skeet ball. The girls dominated at the basketball game. The guys couldn’t understand it. Our friendly competitive sides came out, yes I do have one, and we all cheered for whoever was shooting. Everyone kept talking, but this time the cliques were able to form back to one group as we all rotated where we were in the bar area to talk to one another.
After about an hour we all met up to go to a comedy club. The show was pretty good, and gave us all plenty to laugh about after since now we had a moment in common. At this point we split up into two groups again. Those going back to the hostel, and those who wanted to go to the night club. I was exhausted and opted to go back to the hostel. It was also about midnight, and I wanted to be on the road between 4 and 5 am before sunrise. We all exchanged Facebook information when we got back to the hostel. Some of us will be In LA at the same time and a few others will be in San Diego when I’m there. We’re all hoping to meet up again if it works out that way. I was about to head up to be, when one of the guys asked if we all wanted to meet for breakfast. I told them I’d be on the road long before then, and next thing I knew I was embraced in a group hug of friends who, less than four hours ago, had been strangers.