San Francisco, Part One - A Walking Tour

For San Francisco’s 47 square miles of compact space while simultaneously being California’s fourth most populated city, doesn’t let its size put a damper on how much there is to do there.  When travelers think of San Francisco, the top few landmarks come to mind; The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the famous, crazy, crooked, one-way Lombard Street.  All wonderful things to experience in the Golden Gate City… on your first trip.  This was my fourth time going to the only city I thought about moving to when I was growing up.  I had done most of all of the major tourist spots in years prior (which I’m relieved I’ve already toured Alcatraz as they say recently it is falling into unsalvageable disrepair and may need to close permanently in the near future) and was ready for something a little more personalized.  I was looking for a holiday that was relaxing but also allowed me to tick off a few bucket list items.  I would be traveling to see Little Boss, with our friend (we all worked at the same hotel years ago) who still held a hotel career.  We each put effort into planning, with our friend booking the hotels and having some knowledge of their whereabouts and amenities.  I was in charge of flights, and Little Boss was to pick out some local activities, as she’d been living and working in San Fran for a couple of years and got a few pointers from her dad, who is a long time Fog City resident.  Little Boss went above and beyond and became our 4 day personal concierge.  She had done her research and emailed us a thoughtful and well planned tentative schedule that included restaurants with mention to nationality or style, museums, notable views, and most importantly, coffee.  We tried to follow the agenda, only moving things around throughout the short week, and still only managed to get through about half of her hand-picked options.  We truly wanted to do it all but ran out of time or other ideas came up.  San Francisco is not for visitors who are short on time.

L.B. coincidentally booked a last minute trip to L.A. so she picked the same flight as us going north and her dad picked us up at San Jose International airport, closer to their house.  We switched cars, bid Dad a farewell, and forged on toward the city.  We had to drive across the Oakland Bay Bridge which made me uneasy.  Although I was young, I remember watching the news coverage of the San Francisco earthquake of 1989 and like an image burned into my mind; I can still clearly see the section of the double decker bridge that collapsed on that terrifying day.  Known for being vocal, I mentioned my discomfort as we drove along the upper side of the bridge.  Like a trained docent, L.B. was able to calm me down by pointing out the newly built and seismically sound sections of the bridge.  Our first stop was right off Pier 39.  As we drove passed the Port of San Francisco, we commented on the not so busy weekday crowds, the lighter than expected traffic, and the two naked guys just casually walking the pier.  For our friend, she pointed out that last time, there was a nude bicyclist.  Oh My!

Oakland Bay Bridge from the backseat perspective.

Breakfast was at a Korean-American fusion place with views of the water… that even though the patio was empty, it was reserved for weekend patrons only.  Bummer.  Still, the food was good and filled us for the remainder of what would be a long day.  Our next stop was Crissy Field, a former U.S. Army airfield turned recreation area and park that is part of the historic Presidio of San Francisco, where we would be spending our afternoon.  Parking is free at Crissy Field, a rare find in a city with its own additional tax, simply known as the San Francisco Special Tax that seems to be charged at random.  Crissy Field offers a tiny beach with picture perfect views; to the left, the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, seeming as though it was only arms-length away; to the right, the prisonerless prison Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery duked it out on in “The Rock”, Alcatraz.  From this point, our unexpectedly educational self-guided tour began.

Across the street from the extended coastal parking lot was an enormous domed structure that I knew nothing about, my travel mates had heard of.  They would be first time visitors with me.  The Palace of Fine Arts was not on my must see list but the incredible stature of the main building and historic carved Greek and Romanesque statues were breathtaking to even the most novice art enthusiast.  Originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and used to house the art on display for the event, The Palace of Fine Arts and its adjacent theater has had a rollercoaster of a story to tell, from filling the theater with art then military storage, to a full reconstruction to be end up being one of the most photographed sites in the city.  But with much to see, we pressed on, on foot, towards our next agreed upon location, which was not where we ended up.  While following the Google map towards the Walt Disney Family Museum, I noticed something L.B. had listed on our itinerary specifically for me, The Yoda Fountain.  At the time, I didn’t think about why it was there, but it was a short detour from our destination so we changed course.

View of the dome from underneath

The water surrounds the landmark's grounds with views of Painted Ladies across the way.  The Victorian row houses carry this descriptive name for their eclectic style. 

We walked up from a small industrial street into a tree-lined neighborhood, the houses, chipped, shabby-chic style white slats for exterior walls and small covered porches, all seemed to be a copy and paste version of the house next to it.  Oddly, there are canons and military statues next to plastic kids playground toys in the yards of these partially lived in houses.  As we further our walk, there is a sign with a short description of our locations history.  We are in the heart of the Presidio.  While we take in our surroundings, a clear picture of bygone days appear.  The two story building to our left was the main hospital ward with a covered glass walkway on the second floor to attach it to the next unit.  This is a soldier’s city with hospital, living quarters, and all things needed for Civil War survival.  The history of this fort goes back over 200 years to when Spain put their stake in these native peoples land in 1776 and it was a military post for Mexico before becoming a U.S. Army post in 1864.  The Army left in 1994 but looking at the architecture surrounding us, I had a hard time believing electricity ran throughout.  A few more steps and we found the Yoda Fountain.  A small, square fountain, like you would find at a mall, but the very top was the life-sized (two and a half feet) concrete version of the Jedi Master.  We took photos and offered to photograph the other Star Wars fans that made the pilgrimage to where I finally realized where I was.  An employee passing by the fountain told us that if we were quiet, we could enter the building behind us and check out some props and take photos of the classic characters that were on display in the cozy lobby of Lucasfilm, home of Lucasarts and Industrial Light and Magic studios, all of which bring many movies and special effects to the big screen.  I wished Little One was there with me as I goofily bounced around the lobby pointing out pop culture figures to myself.  L.B. and our friend were taking in the scene as well but not to the extent of movie quotes and nuance noticing that Little One would have appreciated.

Vintage and foreign movie posters.

   

This looks like a gun that shot first.

The lobby end tables are adorned with memorabilia and Tiffany lamps. Another table had the bold stained glass lamp paired with the bright red bust of Darth Maul.

Cardboard movie theater promotional prop.  Could access it due to a walking meeting in that sun-room.

The weather was perfect to continue our walk.  We made a quick stop at the Presidio Visitors Center, then across the street through The Main Parade Ground (a big grassy field) to the row of historic bright red brick buildings.  This used to be training grounds and barracks for soldiers but now is the home of one of my bucket list destinations; The Walt Disney Family Museum.   This museum is to me what visiting the Vatican is to Catholics.  Walt Disney has always been a hero of mine and holds a solid lock on my heart and in my memories.  (Look forward to a separate blog all about that soon)  The museum is not owned by the Disney Corporation.  It was started by his family and is run and staffed by die hard Disney fans, some of whom were ex Cast Members.  Admission was pricey, but this time couldn’t be argued by folks saying it’s the company’s greed.  (We found discounted tickets on Goldstar.com and because the museum is privately owned, I can’t take advantage of my Cast Member discount)  It takes a lot of money to restore and house historical artifacts such as the Multiplane Camera, created by Disney animator and friend Ub Iwerks, to give the illusion of depth in animation, and first used in the now famous “The Old Mill” in 1937.  I was so excited to see one of those cameras there as the only other one I know of is housed in the Disney Studios in Burbank but only visible from the ground level.  The museum offered a view from the top that allowed me to see things from Walt Disney’s perspective.  Downstairs from the main level was the restrooms and event space.  The rest of the building was the museum with its in-depth history of Walt’s family and youth, a small retelling of his wife’s family, and how the company was started from the bottom up.  My attention was pulled in every direction.  Most of the information I was reading or items on display I already knew about from years of having done all my biographical papers on the man this place was dedicated to.  My favorite exhibit, even more than the camera, was a miniature model of Disneyland.  I took joy in pointing out to my friends where Toontown now sits and the upcoming Star Wars Land plot, making note that in the 80’s Fantasyland had a major overhaul that moved rides to free up tight walkway spaces, and sadly seeing many attractions no longer at the parks.  Just outside of the ticket taking counter was the gift shop and tiny café.  The café was reminiscent of the retro theme still found sprinkled throughout the Disney Studios.  There I ordered my long awaited coffee.  I had a 6am cup at the airport before flying out but this was the coffee I’d been waiting for.  It was late afternoon when I got the creamiest mocha latte I’d ever had.  Sweet with whole milk, not an overabundance of chocolate like with most mochas.   It was just one guy running the café but he knew what he was doing.

Training field and barracks turned family friendly community space and businesses.

Gift shop.

More cafe seating downstairs.  All the glitter reminds me of the store I work at.

The entrance to the museum was coated in wall display cases filled with trophies and awards for Walt and his contributions.  Here is the Oscar awarded to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the first ever animated full length feature.

A replica of the apartment Walt secretly kept above the fire station on Disneyland's Main Street.  He would use it for late nights at the park and for seeing the park from a different perspective.  Always learning and altering to give the guest the best possible experience.

Hooray for Hollywood!

At eye level you can see the separate layers in the camera. Each layer got a different cell to create motion and depth. Multiple hand painted cells, constantly moving, created a new precedence in animation.

Disney was contacted during WW2 to make propaganda films.
Some were very controversial but Walt felt he was doing his American duty, and it helped fight his case when he was called out as a Communist. 

The Skeleton Dance is one of my favorite Halloween shorts.

These were all of Walt's hot spots in Southern California for a time.  On the map shows Charlie Chaplin Studios in Hollywood, which is now the Jim Henson Studios.  The Disney Corporation would later acquire franchising rights to some of the Muppets, making Walt's connection closer than he would ever get to see. 

A view from the inside of the museum.  Once Walt had found a tiny bit of success in California, he couldn't imagine living and raising family anywhere else.  This view is quintessential California: The Bridge, the Ranch style home, palm trees and pine, the ocean, and some mountains. 

 

Like a teen girl at a Beatles concert in the 60's, I got way overjoyed to see actual paint chips and samples from the original studios.

This photo taken in 1955 freezes in time.  Though Walt died decades before I was born, this sign still stands at the same corner location today as it did then, as does the theater auditorium pictured here as well.  I have seen it many times in my trips to the Studios.

Storyboard concept art from Mary Poppins.

Interactive auto animatronic bird.
Controlled as they were when first invented.
The technology has come a long way.

I had no idea the Olympic torch was designed by a Disney artist.

Hard to pass up these great looking teas!

The art displayed on the gift shop window is of one of the two trains that currently runs at Disneyland.  Walt had a strong affinity for trains and brought scaled down versions to his parks.  The Lilly Belle is named after Walt's wife, Lillian, for whom he also had an affinity for.   

After visiting the gift shop and chatting up the staff, we took the walk back to the car with a slight breeze coming in from the water side.  That was almost enough walking for the day.  We made a pit stop in Chinatown to try to get some egg tarts but they were going to be sold out throughout the weekend; it was Mid-Autumn Festival/Moon Festival time, so we weren’t all that surprised.  L.B. said that a line forms most days for the tarts and not seeing a line, she knew they would be out.  From there we got dinner at a Hunan style Chinese restaurant.  wonderful in Millbrae is known for its smoky and crispy pork sausages that hang above a cooktop, visible from the dining room, and don’t you dare misspell their name.  The food was savory and the tea was never ending. 

Day one was packed with so many activities and walking that I actually knocked out when my head hit the pillow at our hotel that night.  Already, I was getting a customized and unique view of San Francisco and its surrounding areas.  Stay tuned for part two.

I love the architecture of Chinatown.  A different culture but also from a different era.