Gary-Summer: December 19, 2024 - San Francisco, Main Library

Thursday, December 19, 2024

December 19, 2024 - San Francisco, Main Library

Title: December 19, 2024 - San Francisco, Main Library
Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Walking

Trail head: San Francisco Main Library

Trail: Larkin St, Lombard, Francisco, Hyde, Ft Mason, …

Destination: Cow HollowInn

Distance: 4.00 miles

Start Time: 1:15

End Time: 4:14

Travel Time: 2:59 (1.34 mph)

Moving Time: 2:02 (1.97 mph)

Elevation Rise: 617'

Descent: 692‘

Maximum Elevation: 347'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Once again I got up at 7:30 after a good night’s sleep. I wrote up yesterday’s activities until Sherri woke up. She gets up a little after 8. We eventually made it down for breakfast at the Cracked and Battered--where we ate last time we were here. Sherri had a Belgium Waffle and I had a Breakfast sandwich.

SF Main Library-Maya Angelou

We got headed out around 10:45 for the San Francisco Main Library. We caught the 101 bus, which is not a Muni bus, but a Golden Gate Transit bus. It is a bit more expensive, but more comfortable. I am concerned because it looked like it rang up a $11 and change charge for both Sherri and I. But in reading about it, we need to tap out as well to get the funds back onto the card. We rode the bus almost all the way to the library. I tap out without issue, but it looks like Sherri may have double tapped it. Not sure what that will do-we will see when we get home.

Lunch

When we got off the bus, we started one way-the right way it turns out, but I got turned around and we walked a block the wrong way before I figured we are now going the wrong way. So we turned around and went into the library.

Stairs at the George Sterling Park

The first thing which we do is find out if we need to renew our library card-no we don’t, but the person extends the date when it needs to be renewed to 2029. That should give me time to get a few more books checked out online.

The main reason why we wanted to go to this library is that there is an exhibition of Maya Anglou. We find out that it is on the 5th floor. While we may be enchanted with stairs, that would seem to be a bit much. So we took the elevator up. And yes there is a display. Three glass cases of information, mostly concerning her time at Glide Memorial Church. We looked at the items about 10 minutes worth. Then investigated a display-more displays than Angelou about a local Chinese tycoon, Lew Hing. Interesting. We then came back and watched about 30 minutes of a PBS documentary on Angelou called Rainbow in the Clouds.

Looking down from Park

After that, we went out and found a place to sit and enjoy our lunch in front of the library, with the San Francisco City Hall looking towards us. By the time we finished up, it was about 1pm.

Gary descending down Lombard

Our next destination is Ghirardelli Square for you know what. But to get there, we have to first work up an appetite which means walking the 2 miles there. We head up Larkin Street. After a few blocks, the character of the street changed. There are more stores with iron gates as well as people seem to be wandering aimlessly. I make a remark to Sherri that this seems to be an interesting part of the City.

But a few blocks later an older man asks us a question about where a street is. We explain, we are not sure. But then I look it up on Google Maps and it looks like Pine is a few blocks ahead. We talked with him a bit. He is newly from Nepal, but speaks English well enough to pass for any of our people whose parents were immigrants. We enjoyed walking with him until he got to his street.

Alcatrez Island

Now Larkin is climbing. We reached the top of one of the ridges, only to descend again. Then up we go again. Earlier Sherri had suggested walking down Lombard Street. Not the portion of Lombard our hotel is on, but the part with the curves and flowers. This is only a block away from Larkin, so we cut through George Sterling Park where there are stairs leading into the Park and then at the end. And oh the views we saw of Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge. I was reading that from here you can see the Golden Gate Bridge as well, but I must have been out of breath. Then to top off our visit, on Hyde Street we rest a few minutes when a cable car comes by. This is a wonderful city.

Francisco St Stairs

There is a group of tourists at the top of Lombard and Hyde. Not sure if they just came up, are going down or trying to decide if they are going to try driving down it. Whatever they are going to do, we start down first. The backdrop to this street is amazing with the Bay, the City and Coit Tower lending ambience to an already magnificent street. There is a handrail for us old ones and the steps are not as steep as some of the other ones we have been on like Baker, Greenwich or Lyon. Still it is a long stairway.

Now we have a decision-go back up Lombard or go down Leavenworth. We decided that we would go down Leavenworth until we hit the Bay. But that decision was short lived. We saw some stairs leading up to Francisco Street and up we went. This drops us onto Hyde where we promptly went down some more stairs-actually I do not see any references to stairs here, so I am thinking these are just grooves in the sidewalk as a photo suggests.

We follow Hyde down to North Point and over to Ghirardelli. There we imbibe our lusts with a Mint Bliss Sundae. That is not enough for Sherri as she also enjoys hot chocolate-what could be better than hot chocolate from Ghirardelli?

Ascending to Fort Mason

When we exit Ghirardelli, there is a pretty brisk breeze which chills us. Once again, I am a bit underdressed. Our walk back to the hotel will loosely follow Route 6 in our stairway book. This will take us through Fort Mason. We walk along the Bay for a short way until we spy the stairway climbing up the cliff towards the Fort. There are some people pulling weeds along the hill side. The trail brings us around the ridge to a short set of stairs up. When we go up them, we see Battery Black. It looks like a canon from the Spanish-American War era.

After examining the canon we head to the final ascent of the days-about 15’. Here we head down a street, next to the hostel. Then slip down MacArthur and then do our final descent of the day, down into the old buildings area before emptying onto Buchanan. We slid around the streets until we hit Chestnut. Steiner comes up quickly and then our hotel room welcomes us.

We both are content to spend the rest of the evening in the room, reading and writing. Even a sandwich will satisfy us. After watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, it is time for a shower. Then bed.