Travel Log: San Francisco Bay Area June 18-20

Getting to Los Angeles

This time the Metro 460 bus from Disneyland to Los Angeles was far more crowded, and I paid the freeway fare.  I believe the crowding was due to nicer weather.

There was an incident involving a skinny white man in a baseball cap who felt overcrowded and didn’t appreciate the recently boarded black woman telling him to move.  He stormed out, declaring: “Fuck this.”

At the station I had to pay to check my folding bike this time. Also there was less friendliness and warmth in the station. I lucked out on a few counts last week before heading to Salinas, apparently. 

On the Coast Starlight

This was the first time I got seated (on the Coast Starlight) next to someone not sharing my destination. They were only headed as far as Santa Barbara, a short jog by comparison.

This time I was dreading a lonelier and less friendly trip.

However, on a trip to the café to get hot water, a man welcomed me to his table when he saw me looking for places to sit. He was a big man and kind of reminded me of John Goodman.

We talked for the rest of the trip, and it flew by. He also enjoyed plenty of beer throughout the journey, whereas, I enjoyed plenty of coffee that I brought myself and sunflower seeds.

He was an oil rig worker.  He told me that one day he started going to a new place every week in order to stay vibrant.  Among all the things he shared, I learned that he was one of the people who’s worked in Antarctica, I was blown away. I told him that's like going to space! 

He told me that he likes to be spontaneous. I told him I'm a planner, I prefer to minimize difficulties.

 

He also regaled me with stories of having delicious barbecue in Santa Cruz at night with outdoor pits ablaze throughout town, or was it the beach? It captured my imagination despite the fact I'm a vegetarian.  He also shared similar dining stories regarding San Luis Obispo, where I was headed the following week. 

He was currently living in Idaho. I think he was bound to transfer in Portland. He spoke of having some hearty barbecue as a homecoming reward for a long journey, as he had visited family in Orange County.

We also spoke of the romance of steamboats and how sublime it could be riding the train to a place like New Orleans then boarding a steamboat, that would really be a double whammy. 

He invited people to sit with us from time to time.  A Polish girl joined us briefly.

He couldn’t get enough of the scenery.

At one point he asked me, "Do you see that?" And I looked and saw nothing at first, so I said no. Then the brilliant lights came into view, and then the magnificence of a huge stadium set against the backdrop of sunset amidst some wetlands (or so it seemed). It turned out to be Levi’s Stadium, I pointed out that this was where the last Super Bowl was played, which he seemed not to know. Then some young foreign men at another table near us informed us that a big deal soccer game was going on right then and there! 

We were getting close to Oakland so we parted ways and returned to our seats.

Oakland

It was a little unsettling arriving in Oakland after dark, even though it was a nicer, tourist-friendly area. I tried to make it to a local supermarket, but figured I’d better give up when I lost the directions.

Jack London Square turned out to be a cool place, more relaxing and classier than Fisherman’s Wharf.

I got some Ben ‘n Jerry’s since I missed the opportunity to dine on-board and had a bit of a wait before the next ferry was due. I still like Baskin Robbins better, partially because they're cheaper. 

I rode the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco. I enjoyed the Embarcadero stop. The Ferry Building is my favorite San Francisco landmark, but I had to get off at the Wharf.  

I then had to navigate the bike paths for the first time.  When I arrived at the basic area, I found that the steep street leading up to the property was nearly pitch black.

HI-Fort Mason, my lodging, was located in a National Park and it was quite big.  Yet, I enjoyed Monterey’s amenities more. 

I had some good banter with the desk attendant, who reminded me of the Culkins. In fact, when I hinted at this the chemistry started to die off. I then had another sleepless night.

Unfortunately, they had metal beds, which resulted in terrible squeaking, and the room was terribly hot. A Bay area room should easily be cool, if not cold!

Berkeley and Marin Headlands

I had to catch a transbay bus to get to Berkeley. It was going to be a challenge to get there in time for the desired sunrise shots.  Unfortunately, I missed the bus I really wanted due to being unable to locate the particular “island” the stop was located at.  The transbay bus terminal encompasses a huge central array of stops, which seems like an “island” in and of itself. Four adjoining city blocks surround the bus terminal.  A worker pointed me to the island in the middle of one of the streets and I caught the next bus. 

I arrived in Berkeley later than ideal but still with some decent sunrise.

I made it up to the Big C, a hilltop with iconic views, in good time.  I was surprised to find wild turkeys up there. 

Then came the most challenging part: the Botanical Garden, specifically, the Mather Redwood Grove. Getting there required the most physical exertion as it required a long ride mostly uphill.  I made it up there and had the grove almost entirely to myself.  This is a true hidden gem of the Bay Area and California. 

Next, I visited the top of Sather Tower and got some shots while testing my fears.  The bells blasted my ears early on.  There are no windows, just openings, making it a potentially breezy and unnerving place.

I had lunch at the UC Berkeley Crossroads Dining Hall.  Overall, it was good, but not as good as NYU or UCSB on better days. Actually, it was quite mediocre, but cheap.

Finally, I checked out the Berkeley Amoeba before heading to the BART.

The BART was tricky because it showed 20 dollars automatically, and I was not prepared to pay that.  Then I saw the options to add and subtract $1 and realized I needed to hit the subtraction option until I got the desired 4 dollars.  BART trains get more packed than LA Metro and they’re smaller, making the bike experience inferior to that of the more spacious LA Metro experience.  However, BART does offer great speed, but once again, it loses points for neglecting all of northwestern San Francisco.  It also loses points for not having day-passes or any other unlimited ride time-based options. 

Then I photographed a bit of the Embarcadero and the Oakland Bay Bridge before finally visiting the inside of the ferry building, which featured mostly specialty products, impeccably displayed, but also offered up some over-priced staples in a convenience store.

My memory card was full at this point and I had to return to the hostel to transfer my photos to my tablet and clear the card. 

After I was ready to go with a clear memory card, I rode out to Point Bonita despite not having enough time to arrive in time to cross the tunnel.  I took the “tunnel route,” which was pretty relaxing.

On the way back I took the Coastal route, which required me to hike much of it due to it being a one-way street, which I was traveling against, and being at an extremely difficult grade to conquer as I lacked the necessary stamina. Reaching the top was a grueling affair, but highly rewarding.

Unfortunately, the day was dwindling so I decided to drop Sausalito.  Heading back across the bay was a lonely, windy, and cold experience. Did I forget nerve-wracking? 

I showered and changed at the hostel.  I headed to Tadich Grill, one of the oldest seafood restaurants in the country and a staple of San Francisco dining, which apparently closed early that night. 

Instead, I found my way to a Safeway and bought a watermelon, a cold Frappuccino, and 100% apple juice.  It was one of the best watermelons I’ve had, but I'm damn good at selecting them. This one was from Mexico. 

I then tried to sleep.  I woke up at 2 or 3am and decided to hang out in the common space.  I ended up sleeping on the couch (I’m sure it was against the rules), which was free of squeaking beds.  It was like having my own room.

Last Day

I woke up and got some sunrise shots then gathered my stuff and partook in the free breakfast in the café.  The breakfast was pretty lame, but at least I got caffeinated.  I then had more of my leftover watermelon and apple juice then left the rest for remaining and future guests.  One older woman was happy to be able to have some of my watermelon and I bragged about my excellent watermelon selection skills.

I tried to make it to Union Square before going back to the train station but it was not to be.  I arrived on time, being lucky enough to have boarded the correct BART line, which I didn’t bother to verify until after we crossed the bay.

The train ride home lacked any spur of the moment companions and I was relieved to finally transfer to the Pacific Surfliner from LA to Anaheim and then get home. Apparently, there was a film shoot of some sort going on at a nearby platform in Union Station that night.