searcyf@mac.com – Page 108 – Travels with Fred

San Francisco – Day 3

22 June 2016

If you have seen a map of San Francisco, have you ever noticed a curve of land into San Francisco Bay near Fort Mason near the Presidio? I was searching for something before the trip and I saw this and wondered what it was. (You can see it here, or Google “Municipal Pier, San Francisco.”) It is a pier and the location of the Maritime Museum, a national historical place. The pier is actually a part of the national park service so the term municipal is misleading. Since that time, I read it is the best place to see Alcatraz from the city, the city skyline with Coit Tower and the Transamerica building. It also has a not too shabby view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

An article I read in the San Francisco Chronicle said the pier is decrepit and in desperate need of renovation but the cost is so overwhelming for the park service it would eat up the annual budget for all national parks. It will probably be declared unsafe for pedestrian traffic soon and I wanted to see it before that happened.

The view is pretty spectacular. Here’s the view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the pier.

Here’s the view of Alcatraz from the pier.

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And here is the city skyline.

It is a shame the cost is so prohibitive to repair and probably the foot traffic is not significant enough to justify city monies. There was a sprinkling of foot traffic, some bicycles, Segways, and some fisherman, but not much else.

Tom Green is sharing my opera tickets this trip. He decided he would like to see the pier also, so we took the J line to Civic Center and the boarded the 19 bus to Hyde Street pier. What we didn’t notice was we got the bus going the opposite way. In our defense, the 19 line was on a one way street, so there was only one place to board. As we were taking the grand tour of the 19 line, a woman got on in an American flag jump suit. We found she was from New York and Miami, so the outfit fit.

After we got off and back on the 19 line in the correct direction, we made it to the pier. Tom and I walked the pier and then headed to Ghiradelli Square at the foot of the pier and had lunch. We then spent a small fortune on Ghiradelli chocolate and someone who I will not name left their chocolate on the street car as we headed back to the guest house. In any case, we boarded the 19 line to retrace our steps and who gets on the bus with us at another stop but old glory herself. Long may she wave. We did to her as we got off.

About the opera…. I’ll post my review later on my website when I get home but just a few words here. The opera was Don Carlo and this was new to me. It was 5 acts with 2 intermissions and ran for 4 1/2 hours! You needed an iron butt to sit through it but I have to admit it didn’t seem that long. I think this opera had the greatest collection of male voices of any opera I’ve heard. Tenors and bassos were amazing. The lead soprano (Elisabetta) was good but the soprano cast as Eboli (yea, I also think the virus) was better. As a matter of fact, I would have sworn Elisabetta in the first act was different from the Elisabetta in acts II, III, IV, and V. Either that or she warmed up to the music.

Tonight we dine at Petit Crenn, one of Dominique Crenn’s restaurants. She was voted one of the best female chefs in America (seems sexist to me, why not just say best chef). The opera tonight is Jenufa.

Twin Peaks Day Hike

21 June 2016

A couple of years ago, I ran across a web site by Bill Choisser describing an urban day hike to Twin Peaks, the second highest mountain in the city of San Francisco. I carefully made notes for the hike and following his route, I made it to the top. It almost killed me. It’s a 700 foot climb in elevation to 910 feet, straight up. Yes, it’s paved most of the way, with stairs in several places, but it’s a killer if you are not in shape.

I later met Bill and his partner and treated them to dinner in the Castro. Strangely, Bill grew up in Fort Lauderdale and went to Pinecrest as a kid when it was on Broward Blvd. You can read his hike description at http://www.choisser.com/hiking/twinpeaks/html.

I decided to retrace my trip and fortunately I didn’t have to rely on my notes (they got soaked with sweat and were virtually unreadable by the end). Bill made the web site readable on the iPhone and iPad so I could easily follow his description this time.

You start on 18th Street and Castro. You immediately walk past the Harvey Milk School and get to view some interesting mosaics done by the students.

The walk takes you through some wonderful neighborhoods and everyone seems to be quite the gardener. You get to see plants totally foreign to south Florida because of the very temperate climate of San Francisco.

On Douglas and 20th Streets you take your first set of stairs. There are 92 steps and you walk next to an apartment complex with no internal stairs to each apartment since the 92 steps allow you entry into each apartment.

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Eventually you make your way to Corbett and Hopkins. Hopkins is a steep climb, probably the steepest of the trip. When you look back, you see a little reddish brown house at the bottom. The house is notorious for runaway cars crashing into it from loss of brakes down the steep grade. Bill relates one went through the entire house and hung off the other side as it crashed through the outside wall.

Next are four sets of stairs. The first is 40 steps, the second is 62, the third is 34, and the last is 55 (not that I’m counting). It’s at this point you are at the Trailhead to Twin Peaks.

Now you get to climb to the peaks and then you get to climb each peak. Bill says the names of the peaks are seldom used but the south peak is Noe Peak and the north peak is Eureka Peak. Sutro tower is not on either peak but off west of the two. A drive forms a figure 8 around the peaks and this is where the danger comes in. There have been many traffic fatalities from speeding cars interacting with day hikers.

From either peak you can look west and see the Pacific Ocean. A look to the northwest shows the Golden Gate Bridge. Due North lies the city with a good view of the Transamerica pyramid building, and a straight shot view down Market Street to the Embarcadero.

Transamerica building and Market to Embarcadero.

I had my water bottle, day pack and I stole a banana and tangerine from the guest house so I paused on Noe Peak for refreshments. Both peaks have steps made from cross ties but you still need to be careful going up and down. My first hike, I fell going up Noe Peak and hurt my knee. I’m pleased to say I made this trip without damage. I must also be in better shape. It was a lot easier this time but I do admit it was disheartening to see several joggers running up the stairs past me.

San Francisco Day 1

20 June 2016

My day started around 4:30 am EDT and is now winding down at 10:00 pm EDT. Needless to say, I’m a little wiped. The first “good” news was the flight was delayed 1 hour. The other “good” news was I was number 1 on the upgrade list for first class. The bad news was it was a direct flight so there were no options for others to change to another flight. Alas, I flew economy. The best news was they threw caution to the wind and used up a lot of fuel to keep us only 45 minutes behind schedule. The 6 hour flight turned into a 5 1/2 hour flight.

I immediately purchased the week long Muni pass at the information desk and took BART to Civic Center. It was a $20 round trip on BART versus a $50 one way taxi ride. From the Civic Center, I hopped the Muni to Church Street and walked three blocks to Parker Guest House.

The guest house has been in operation since 1997 and I’ve been staying here since 2000. It’s location, location, location. I’m 3 blocks from the underground Muni, one block from the “J” line and 4 blocks from the Castro. I can literally be anywhere in San Francisco in 30 minutes, with transfers.

The house now has absentee owners (they moved to the Russian River) and it has suffered over the years from a little neglect even before they left, but I still come back year after year. They have a wine social in the evening and you meet world travelers. Breakfast is excellent and the staff are very competent and friendly. The ground are really nice.

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I had scheduled a 3 pm massage at M Spa, a nine minute walk from Parker. Matthew was unusual. I would tell you he had no massage experience except he hit every sore muscle and relieved a great deal of pain. He would also talk to himself and even chant during the massage. Whatever, it worked. I had a bad case of swimmers shoulder and he certainly helped that issue.

From there, I walked to the Castro and had my obligatory martini at the Twin Peaks Bar at Castro and Market.

I did some shopping and as I walked down the Castro, the Bank of America allowed a makeshift memorial to Orlando on the outside and sidewalk of their building. A little further down, someone had written in chalk the 49 names of the victims on the sidewalk. It was very moving.

Orlando victims' names. — Orlando victims’ names.

Tomorrow, I hope to climb Twin Peaks for the second time. I brought a day pack, my camera, water bottle and boots. Stay tuned. You may be sending flowers for a funeral.

Mural Tour of Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL

21 May 2016

Holley and Jim had gotten us tickets for a walking tour of Central Avenue arts district. It’s a lot edgier than the beach front of downtown St. Petersburg with lots of kinky and kooky stores, restaurants, and the home of Florida CraftArt located at 501 Central Avenue.

The tour was to start at 10 am and we were promptly welcomed into the Florida CraftArt store for a quick look around at what was available for purchase by local artists. The tour was led by the executive director of CraftAft, Diane Shelley. She normally doesn’t do the tours but she was training someone, so we benefited.

Diane Shelly (blue dress and straw hat in center) leading the tour.

A lot of the tour was built around the block of 6th St and Central. It was scheduled for demolition (the entire block) and development but then the bottom fell out of the real estate market. It sat undisturbed and vacant and falling into disrepair until someone had the idea of asking the landlords of the buildings to offer the space for artists to live and paint for 1/2 of the price of their rent. They agreed and it took off.

The CraftArt building was the first to have a mural. It was completed in 2012 and it still looks in excellent shape.

Mural on the back of the CraftArt building. Completed in 2012.

Once the idea took off (and eventually backed by the mayor and city hall) other buildings were painted. Most of the murals are not done with regular paint from paint stores but from either auto or airplane paint sources. Much of it is spray can (Diane would tell us the number of cans used on a particular mural) or done the old fashioned way by brushes.

This mural was so popular, it became the city icon.

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Artists began clamoring for space and many became nationally known for their work. Eventually, organizations got involved and AARP has actually sponsored several artists and projects. One of which is to give AARP members ideas about second careers in life.

Mural sponsored by the AARP. This portrays the founder of the AARP as part of "What to Do In Retirement" series. — Mural sponsored by the AARP. This portrays the founder of the AARP as part of “What to Do In Retirement” series.

The center of this represents a hurricane that struck St. Pete just as the artists were brought in to do murals. It's an entire building wall. — The center of this represents a hurricane that struck St. Pete just as the artists were brought in to do murals. It’s an entire building wall.

Donnelly is a name that kept appearing. He’s done several in the 6th Street/Central Avenue area. One of his more famous is the one below.

Donnelly has done several murals in the area. This is one of his more striking.

Most artists don’t use their real name. The reason is most started doing graffiti when it was illegal. Instead, they used street names as Pale Horse and BASK.

Pale Horse (right) and BASK (left) are street names of artists.

Diane says much more is planned for the area and now the area has become far more upscale because of the murals. The city has now sanctioned the idea and even touts it on advertising for St. Petersburg.

The tour was hot and sweaty but CraftArt provided water. I suspect as the summer gets into high gear, the walking tour will begin much earlier. This is well worth the time and the price of the ticket. On the whole, Miami Design District probably has better art, but this is more diverse, scattered through the 6th St/Central Ave area and probably better known.

A Day at the Dali and Chihuley Museums

20 May 2016

I got a good nights sleep. It’s hard getting used to the dearth of traffic and sirens in St. Petersburg. It’s like the town is deserted it’s so quiet. You can walk across a street without taking your life in your hands.

Hampton Inn and Suites does a very nice breakfast for free. After breakfast, I strolled around downtown before everything opened. It was peaceful along the harbor.

Jim, Holley and I met in the breakfast room and we did a leisurely stroll to the Dali Museum, just a few blocks from the hotel. The site is certainly stunning.

Holley had a coupon plus Jim and I qualified for the senior rate. The first view of the inside of the museum is stunning.

The permanent collection is said to be the largest collection any where in the world. In reality, about the same amount was on view as in the old museum I visited many years ago. There was also a Disney and Dali temporary exhibit but I have developed a dislike of Disney so I didn’t spend much time there.

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From Grazzi, we walked to Paciugo Gelato and Caffe, the number 1 “restaurant” in St. Pete according to TripAdvisor. It was pretty special. I had coconut, coffee and mocha, and sea salt caramel.

Next, Jim and Holley treated me to the Chihuley Museum. The collection was not as extensive as the exhibits at Fairchild Tropical Garden but were worth seeing. He certainly knows how to market his work and the shapes and colors of glass are spectacular.

Dinner was at the Parkshore Grill. Jim had steak and Holley salmon and I had the shrimp cocktail. We’ve kinda eaten our way through St. Pete. After dinner we walked around and ended up at the American Theatre to see a production of songs from the “drunken” American Song Book. There was a piano player, a torch singer, a saxophonist/clarinetist and a drummer – all superb, playing to a sold out audience. Did I mention the booze flowed freely with the songs?

Songs from the "drunken" American song book — Songs from the “drunken” American song book

The performance was held in the lobby of the theater so everyone could see and hear quite well and we were all steps away from the bar and bathrooms (not sure which was more important). We were their initial performance with two more nights to come. They were excellent.

Tomorrow, we do a walking tour of murals of St. Pete and then head for home. St. Pete is a very neat city and I’ll be back.

A Visit to St. Pete

19 May 2016

I’ve been wanting to get back over to St. Petersburg, FL for a while to see the new Dali museum. Years ago I toured the old museum. I was easily able to convince Jim and Holley to do the trip even though they had already seen it. We decided to stay at the newly renovated Hampton Inn Suites in the downtown area. They had a good experience here a few years ago when they were in town for a wedding.

We left Fort Lauderdale around 8:30 am under the threat of rain but we really only encountered a sprinkle or two on the way over.

Our first stop was a Starbucks for a bathroom break and a chance for Jim to use his Starbucks’ app to pay for coffees. Thanks Jim!

We then stopped in Venice and Jim found a really charming place called the Crow’s Nest for lunch. It was perfect. It over looked the bay.

View from the Crow's Nest — View from the Crow’s Nest

We arrived around 2:30 pm in St. Pete and decided to do a little touring by taking the trolley around town at the exorbitant price of $0.25 for seniors, $0.50 for non-seniors. It was an excellent way to get a feel for the landscape.

After the trolley tour, we decided to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and we took advantage of the special $5 Thursday nite special admission. This is a nice museum with a limited collection, but every single item in the museum is prime. Georgia O’Keefe, Monet, etc. were all stuff you had seen in art books as kids.
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There was a special class of adults coloring in adult coloring books as well as music and wine on the patio.

We then took a walk around downtown and decided on dinner at The Moon Under the Water, a mix of British, Indian, and south Florida seafood.

After dinner, another walk around town, down by the bay where they were showing outdoor movies and while waiting for dark to fall, live music. The walk along the bay was quite beautiful, particularly with all the activity in the park fronting the bay. In Fort Lauderdale or Miami, it would have been prime condo territory.

We ended the night in the hotel pool with a bottle of champagne and cookies from Betty who couldn’t make the trip.

Tomorrow is the Dali museum!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

13 May 2016

I’ve been coming to the Smokies since I was a little kid. Dad took a photo of my mother, my brother Archie and me (in pajamas) somewhere in the park. I figure I was around 4 or 5.

Mom, Archie, and me in pajamas. I remember I got got car sick from the curves.

I remember the tunnels, especially because back then if you stopped in a tunnel and honked your horn, it would sound like it was raining in the tunnel. Of course, you cannot do that today. You would be rammed from behind by a car following you. The Smokies are far and way the most visited park in the U.S.

I’ve been to quite a few national parks and each has its own beauty and charm, but to me, the Smokies are special. The Appalachian chain is much older geologically than anything out west and it has a mature beauty – a comfortable feel when you travel through the park. I honestly think it the most beautiful drive anywhere in the world.

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The trip out of Gatlinburg gave emphasis to the name of the place. There were several patches of fog hanging around and plenty of the “smoke” from the killer trees Reagan spoke about. There were a couple of times when I rounded a bend or curve and the fog cleared and the horizon opened up for a spectacular view of the rolling, rounded peaks and it simply took your breath away.

Archie and Mom playing around for the camera.

I will never tire of the Smokies. It’s been a part of my life as long as I can remember and will always return. It nourishes the soul in a way nothing can.

I Wimped Out

12 May 2016

Hammock sleeping is interesting. You keep slipping down where your feet are higher than your head. It could be the slickness of the fabric. How the fabric withstands the pressures amazes me. The hammock and fly is 2 lbs lighter than my tent but yet seems as strong. I also realized the sleeping bag in the hammock was not enough. There’s the old rule of camping of having more under you than on top of you. The temperature dipped into the 50’s and my back got cold because I compressed the down. Next time, I’ll use the air mattress with the sleeping bag to give a little more insulation. However, I got a good nights sleep.

Around 4:30 am, it started lightning and thundering. I counted the time between lightning and thunder and divided by 5 (gives you the distance in miles) and fortunately, it was moving away. I got up around 6:30 am and packed up, had a breakfast bar, did my ablutions, and hit the trail. I had planned to go back to the Deeplow Trail junction (0.4 miles) and got a little confused with the trail signs. I needed to hike another mile to get to the trail to Martin’s Gap where I would rejoin the Deep Creek Trail for a camp at site 58. The total distance would be another 4.3 miles. I got to the trail head and whimped out.

The day before had drained me. Eight miles for this old body, all uphill, is too tough. I can give a lot of excuses: rain forecast, poor trail signage, an all uphill day, running out of water, etc. but the reality is 6 miles a day is about my limit. I hiked back down the Indian Creek Trail. That was approximately four miles downhill, and I could tell I was dragging even with the downhill. It was a good decision. Later in the day, it probably got a huge downpour, even though I was prepared for rain.

I got to the jeep, loaded up and headed to Gatlinburg. When I go to the Smokies, I like to stop at Clingman’s Dome (highest point) then Newfound Gap, and then Gatlinburg. The way is via Cherokee, NC and the last time I was through Cherokee, it was very run down. Gambling seems to have made a difference. It looks better, and even the old tourist stops have improved their look. The play Unto These Hills is still playing I think I saw it when I was 8 years old.

I have backpacked with Charlie Cooper out of Clingman’s Dome, so it’s always a little nostalgic. We hiked a ridge from there that was a sheer drop on either side and would get your blood pressure elevated.

Whenever I took students to the Smokies, we would always stop at Newfound Gap for a photo op, particularly at the memorial for the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Honoring the CCC's contribution to the park at Newfound Gap. — Honoring the CCC’s contribution to the park at Newfound Gap.

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The one place I didn’t stop was at Chimney Tops, my favorite hike in the Smokies. Cars were parked all along the road to the trail and the parking lot was full. There must have been 50 people on that trail.

Crag Knox and I hiked it one winter where we took two steps forward and slipped one back because of the iced trail. Two young teenagers passed us and we asked them if they had hiked the trail before. They said they were Chimney Tops virgins but grandma, just down the trail, hikes it several times a year. We were much chagrined with our slipping and sliding.

Another year, Charlie Cooper and I did something really stupid. The Chimney tops are called chimneys because they form two perfect chimneys or flues. We decided to repel down using just our hands and legs to brace us against the sides. Unfortunately, they widen as you go down and if you drop, it’s about a 100 foot fall. We made it, but we’re lucky. It’s also illegal which we found out later. About halfway down I dropped my walking stick and it fell the 100 feet and I thought it was gone forever. Amazingly, I found it at the bottom.

Gatlinburg looks a lot like it used to. It’s a little more touristy, but it always has been. It is still that way but is still neat. I always think of taffy here. As a kid, my parents always bought salt water taffy. The store is still in business!

I found a decent rate at the Park Vista, a DoubleTree by Hilton. It’s at the top of a mountain and I’m on the tenth floor with a mountain view. The hotel is old and not particularly well run, but the view is to die for.

I head out for home tomorrow with a stop in Tifton, GA for the night.

What I’ve learned on this trip is that I’m best with day hikes and two nights in a tent or hammock is my limit. Personal hygiene suffers, particularly when there are no showers at Deep Creek. This was ok in my 20’s but less so in my 60’s. Six miles is a long day, not to mention 8.3. I drink water like a salt water fish. I almost emptied a three liter water source in one day and had a sparse amount to last two more days. I could always boil the stream water and I did have a filter, but that was for emergencies. After all that water, I peed constantly after setting up camp. The deer was happy.

Campsite 51

11 May 2016

The morning started with a peal of thunder. It was around 5 am and I decided to get everything packed and in the car before it rained. I was at the Deep Creek Trail head by 7:23 am and on the trail by 7:30. I decided to hike to Juney Whank Falls ( yea, I know, what a name) before starting the trail. It was a steep climb and a good test for what was to come. The falls are only 0.3 miles but it is all up hill. Then it’s 0.3 down again.

After viewing the falls, I decided to do the Juney Whank loop trail which ties into Indian Creek, my main destination today. It was a mile loop. One half was quite a climb. I met some park workers clearing the trail and doing upkeep. Their day stated at 7 am and ends at 5 pm and everything needed for trail maintenance had to be packed in. Let’s just say they were physically fit. All spoke and when questioned, loved their job.

Once on the Indian Creek Trail (a rocky road in reality) I began a steady climb. Interestingly, two joggers passed me. It’s a popular jogging trail.

Indian Creek joins the Deeplow Trail (a misnomer if ever there was one) which carries me to campsite 51. Again all up hill. I made it to the campsite by 12:30 so I had been hiking for five hours.
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I’ve learned not to be in a hurry uphill. Small steps and frequent rest stops and water breaks. As it happens, I hiked 8.3 miles today. Still it was a tough day. I didn’t have a dry stitch on me. I also haven’t bathed in two days and I smell a little rank. No even the bugs want me.

I found two suitable trees and hung the hammock. Dinner tonight is Cana Masala!

I decided to rest a little in the hammock and after a while I needed to find a bush. As I got out of the hammock, there was a doe not ten feet from me, calmly eating. She didn’t bolt but kept on eating and then calmly walked away.

Later, I realized the deer was as the spot I had chosen to relieve myself. Apparently, it was the salt in my urine she was after. TMI!

The campsite had bear protection for your food. It was really neat. A metal cable about 15 feet above ground had pulleys with wires and hooks to lift your food away to protect from roaming bears. It’s the best system I’ve seen. I simply raised my entire pack.

Deep Creek Campground, Bryson City, NC.

10 May 2016

I never can sleep well the first night. I think I got around 4 hours. The biggest problem was I couldn’t find my inflatable pillow (yes, it’s luxurious camping) and I had to make do without it. Good news! I found it just in time for tonight.

It’s interesting what you forget. I meant to bring a towel, wash cloth and soap for the campground. I stopped in Tifton, GA and found most of what I needed at the Walmart market and the rest at Fred’s Dollar Store. Didn’t know they were still around. Deep Creek has no shower. Oh well, at least I have it for the next time.

The welcome center on the outside of Bryson City is the nicest I’ve seen. It’s what they all should be. They had rhododendron and dogwood blooming in profusion all around the place with a very nice gift shop inside.

I took SR 28 into Bryson City. This is a very fun road to drive with twists, turns, “S” curves, and sheer drop offs all the way in to town. I put on the “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and cruised in with mountain music.

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Now, the campground is much expanded to include group camps, picnic area, bathrooms (nonexistent then) and a ranger cabin. All the roads are paved. It took me a while to find the trail head. Fortunately, they did not pave that.

The forecast tonight, tomorrow and Thursday is 57F with possibility of rain and thunderstorms all three days. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

No posts for the next two nights. Nonexistent signals.