My Visual Adventures: Sharing my Travel, Sports, Nature, and Animal Photography. With a little bit of life thrown in. I luv living life in Northern California.
Proud single mom of one beautiful daughter who shares my love of sports and music. She doesn't share my love of the outdoors which I find weird. I love photography and wish I had a better camera!! Maybe someday...
It's such an amazing city with so many different points of view. So much diversity and I'm glad that I am able to go their and learn about other people and cultures.
See my latest posts about Union Square and Chinatown HERE and HERE.
San Francisco also has such beautiful nature areas and the Presidio is one of these. I know the name evokes a military feeling and their is definitely a rich military history in this area. Understandably so as the very important Bay and shipping port had to be protected in times of war.
But the Presidio is full of beautiful sights and hikes and biking and beaches as well! It's a wonderful and amazing area.
Let's take a look at one small part of this awesome area.
We are starting at the Immigrant Point Overlook and will finish beside the Golden Gate Bridge. All of these are along the gorgeous California Coastal Trail.
This is a basic map so you can see just how HUGE the Presidio is. And like I said, it is chock full of trails, art, history, and nature.
You will notice Immigrant Point near the bottom left of the map, highlighted in purple. It's a beautiful overlook - accessible by car, bike, or hike. A peaceful place to appreciate the opening of the Golden Gate into San Francisco Bay and all the people who found freedom through that Gate.
My next stop was a bit further down the hill when I parked at Fort Scott and walked along the California Coastal Trail to a couple of the batteries.
I love looking at military history (well, all history, really) and also photographing ruins, so this was an awesome way to spend an hour or so.
So this picture doesn't seem to fit with the others, right? Haha, but it actually does. There was a building in the battery with a broken window (damn assholes) so, me being me, I had to stick my lens in the window and see what was inside. I used a flash, so the photo doesn't look exciting or mysterious at all! lol
Unlike the outside of the building. I was sure I would see something dark and exciting! Or at least some spiders!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy the view from across the Bay. I visited the Marin Headlands and it is also full of history and beauty.
"San Francisco is one of my favourite cities in the world...It's small butphotogenic and has layers...You never have problems finding great angles that people have never done." ~~Ang Lee
I must concur with Mr. Lee. I just love road trips to San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. There is always a new sight to see, place to visit, or person to meet. I can't even begin to recount the amazing times I've had in that gorgeous gray city.
Last summer, before Adrienne left again for USC, we took a roadie to San Francisco to spend the day with my sister Rose.
It was a lovely day and the drive was punctuated by green fields, blue skies, fluffy clouds, and probably One Direction coming out of the speakers. I couldn't resist taking pics of the sky and clouds. Even from the moving vehicle, they turned out pretty.
Love this box in the clouds! It's like God was saying, "Do you like my artwork? Check yes or no."
It was really amazing how many different kinds of clouds there were in the same sky.
You wouldn't know there was a drought going on from these pictures. Weird.
And of course, I have to post pictures of the cars that I love. Little yellow Corvette.
Almost there! A plethora of sailboats, kite surfers, and flowers.
First time driving across the newly completed eastern span of the Bay Bridge. The approach from the toll plaza is quite cool.
The old with the new. New on the left, old on the right.
Detail of the tower.
If you look closely at the old bridge, you can see that the dismantling process had begun. Very strange looking to drive by.
After passing through Yerba Buena Island, you emerge into the old familiar towers.
A tower within a tower
We took the 5th street exit and cruised by the weird looking Defenestration Building (more formally known as the old Hugo Hotel) at 6th and Howard. I guess this building was supposed to be torn down in 2009 but it hasn't happened yet.
de·fen·es·tra·tion
dēˌfenəˈstrāSHən/
noun
1.
formalhumorous
the action of throwing someone or something out of a window.
We went to Rose's house and then all carpooled over to the Presidio.
Lots of food to choose from and not too many people there yet. Luckily we got there early.
Birds! near our blankets!
I minded the blankets while Rose and Adrienne had a look around. Of course I couldn't resist sneaking a photo. ;-p
These two planes circled overhead a few times. Checking out the scene I guess.
Our FIRST COURSE! Ya know, if I did these posts in a timely manner, I could tell you what this is and what food truck it was from. Alas, I didn't and I can't. But it was good.
Now I CAN tell you what this is. It looks pretty disgusting, but but it was actually really delicious! BBQ in a Jar! Barbecue something or other in a jar layered with coleslaw and beans. Yum.
Now for something that DIDN'T work. This sounds like a good idea...
but it's not.
Bacon and nori wrapped mochi served hot. Uggghhh. Not to our taste.
But their pork belly and spicy fried rice was SO SO good!
Next on the menu was some delicious grits and greens from Sugarfoot Grits (I only remember the name because they're in one of the photos. lol).
If you've never had grits, you're missing out.
The greens don't look the most appetizing, I admit. But looks can be deceiving (see bacon wrapped mochi above) and these were very good.
I think we must have had some dessert and we definitely had a few drinks, but I don't remember the specifics and I didn't take any photos. lol
After all this lovely food and sun, we decided to go for a little walk. We chose to walk the path towards the National Cemetery. Because I love cemeteries.
But first, there was a police horse. I think the dude in orange was a bit afraid.
And another bird. This one in flowers. Walking, walking, walking. I love his little foot.
And another shot of the horse. Because I love horses. Swishy tail. And I love the tree in the background.
On the trail there were flowers and other foliage.
The views of the cemetery were breathtaking.
Here's another one with more of the Golden Gate Bridge visible.
In one section of the path are walls inscribed with a solemn poem by Archibald MacLeish, an American poet who lived from 1892 to 1982.
The young soldiers do not speak.
Nevertheless, they are heard in still houses;
Who has not heard them?
They have a silence that speaks for them at night,
And when the clock counts.
They say: We were young. We have died.
REMEMBER US
They say: We have done what we could,
But until it is finished, it is not done.
They say: We have given our lives,
But until it is finished, no one knows what our lives gave.
They say: Our deaths are not ours, they are yours,
They will mean what you make them.
They say: Whether our lives and our deaths were for,
Peace and a new hope, we cannot say,
It is you who must say this.
We leave you our deaths.
Give them their meaning.
We were young, they say. We have died.
REMEMBER US.
~~Archibald MacLeish
Another view from the overlook with Angel Island shrouded in fog.
Profusion of flowers with spinning effect.
I believe this gorgeous boy is a Stellar's Jay. You can just see the crest on his head.
Loved this path with curvy stairs.
Walking back, I took one final picture of the cemetery.
Love the effect of the hill and the bay visible in the background.
On our drive out, we stopped at Inspiration Point for a final picture. This overlooks le Palais des Beaux-Arts (Palace of Fine Arts) and Alcatraz.
On that note, Adrienne and I took our leave of Rose and headed home.
I was almost killed for this picture. And I don't blame her really. haha #SJSharks
We decided to take the Golden Gate and the back road home. Approaching the Golden Gate in the Blue Hour.
We traveled through the Rainbow Tunnel (otherwise known as the Waldo Tunnel) and left the beautiful Bay Area to return to normal life.
San Francisco is truly a magnificent city. The things to do and see are endless and incomparable. If you are ever planning a trip to the West Coast, be sure to spend a few days (at least) in the Bay Area.
