Travels with Twinkles: Haight is Love

August 12 - 13, 2013:

Monday a return to San Francisco, this time by bus for a different view. Again, the weather in the city was cool and cloudy until noon when it cleared and actually turned warm. Our original plan was to ride up, down and all around the cable car system, but we somehow became side tracked at City Hall. We went into City Hall to look at the beautiful architecture and found a number of wedding parties there doing photos. Even a gay couple in cowboy garb ! Continuing on we saw Haight Street and hopped on a bus to check out the psychedelic area. We got off at some point to walk and went into a cafe to get a coffee, went into an outside patio area decorated with Indian art. We sat down next to a young guy there who started talking to us, it became quite strange. He claimed to be from Australia, but had been hanging out in SF for the past year, he then rolled a joint, started smoking it, the woman who seemed to be running the cafe came out, told us he was supposed to be in the Olympics, Water polo, but that "Pot" got in the way. We finished our coffee's, wondering how much of this was BS, but had something to talk about for a while. We then walked to the epicenter of Peace and Love, Haight-Ashbury. I had been there once before in 1968 for a brief moment, but I don't recollect anything about it, sad to say. There is a young gathering of hippie want to be's there now, but I would saw they lack purpose. Otherwise it's pretty much of a nostalgia show, but still very entertaining, fun and photogenic. I bought a souvenir, a tie dyed tee shirt that I really do intend to wear. We had a very healthy lunch loaded with bean spouts and then moved on. Next stop was the Powell Street Cable Car turnaround where we waited in line with all the other tourists to ride a cable car down Powell Street. By this time, clouds were again rolling in and the air was getting cold, we were tired and it was time to find our way back to the route 70 bus. Twinkles did an excellent job of directing, I would still be wandering around. It was another long day in the city !

Boondocking in front of City Hall

Wedding ceremonies inside City Hall

Beautiful architecture

City Hall interior

The Orpheum Theater

Outside patio at the Cafe International

The Jimi Hendrix Red House

Lots of Grateful Dead tee shirts

Cold Steel Tattoo parlor

Janis, Jimmy and Jerry

Colorful street scene in Haight Ashbury

The Summer of Love

A true Hippie

The Powell Street Cable car

Street musician's sign

Looking down the street from the Cable Car

Tuesday was a break from the city to Point Reyes National Seashore. We stopped at the visitors center first to learn about the flora, fauna and history. Sir Francis Drake is credited with being the first European to "Discover" this area in 1579 when he arrived at present day "Drakes Point Beach" in his good ship, "The Golden Hind". He soon found a peaceful band of indians, The Milwok's, who gave them food. Of course, Drake claimed their land for Queen Elizabeth I. We then took Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. The closer we came to the Lighthouse, the heavier the fog became and once there, we could barely see it. Every once in a while the fog lifted a little so you could see the sea, the cliffs and coast. There were some very windblown cypress trees and colorful plants, a very beautiful place. We then went to the Point Reyes Beach South and to Drakes Beach. Drakes Beach is on the Bay side and is a beautiful sandy beach with huge white cliffs. It is the place where Drake landed. We then took Estero Road through the grazing cows to a trail for a 2 mile or so hike through a meadow and forest to a Bay inlet. As you ride through the National Seashore, you ride through many large privately owned cattle ranches. We also saw about six bull Tole Elks grazing in a field, much to our surprise.