What, another bloody hill?
Mar. 24th, 2012 05:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peterbirksYesterday I set out to see Castro, the part of San Francisco a few miles south of Downtown that is home to the local gay community, and also to walk the length of Twin Peaks Boulevard.
The main part of scaling Twin Peaks Blvd actually takes place before you get to it. You walk up the very steep 17th St, then hang a left, and that brings you to the start.
The journey begins!
Twin Peaks Blvd is still residential, despite the height.
A very pretty front garden on the junction with Mountain Drive.
On the climb up, I wondered what this hill was - Buena Vista Park at Lower Haight?
Looking east. Somewhat nervous for me this, as it was a 12-second timer and I was standing in the middle of the road very close to a blind curve.
Nearing the peak. Looking east-north-east here, I think, across the bay.
I saw a few runners making this trek. One (a Japanese) was actually filming as he ran up.
Nearing the top. The Bay Bridge, Bank of America Building (in brown) and the Transamerica building can be seen clearly.
The wind was beginning to pick up now as I was no longer protected by teh hills from the Pacific. The temperature dropped rapidly.
Near the top, a view to the east, across the Bay.
At the top! This is looking north-east, so I suspect that the long straight road is Market.
At the top. This is looking south. The peaks are to the right, just out of shot.
One of the peaks. I did not climb it. The wind was so strong that, after getting about 20 feet up, I was scared of being blown off my feet. The gusts were up to 85-90mph I reckon.
I started the long trek down. There were no more homes actually on Twin Peaks Blvd - the residents on this side of the peaks choose to live off roads that run parallel to TPB, either above it or below it.
Twin Peaks Blvd, the end - a tough three-mile walk from Castro and 17th, up 17th, along Twin Peaks, and (after this) a walk along Portola Drive to get to the 37 bus stop.
The 37 bus took me back to Castro and I had a walk around, eating a burrito at the local Mexican. Castro is definably gay, not just by the rainbow flags. However, it's less ostentatiously gay than Old Compton St. I'd say it was more a place where gays live rather than a place where gays go.
Castro, 18th St I think.
I caught the F-route back to Fifth street and took a walk south of market. I was thinking of visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, but I was diverted by the Yerba Buena Park.
The Martin Luther King Memorial Water Feature
Again
From The Back. The feature has a path around the back, with excertpts from King''s speeches on the walls.
A wall of light (well, water, actually).
Me at back of King fountain
Fountain from the back
King quote.
The top level of the water feature.
Top level of the water feature. The top of the SFMOMA is in background.
Yerba Buena, top level. A beautiful peaceful area in the heart of the city.
The Yerba Buena park.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I made it into the store and had a walk around a place that reminded me of a top quality Design shop. I couldn't resist a couple of items, although I could easily have spent far more.
Another one of the streetcar designs -- Melbourne in the 1940s?
My hotel room. The fire works (in a gas-fired sense).
The view from my window
The hotel garden
And so, that's all up to date apart from today, when I walked into North Beach via the historical district around Jackson, and, this afternoon, made the Coastal Trail. Knackering. Tomorrow it's Napoleon in Oakland, so I plan to leave early and to give myself three hours or so walking round Oakland, before the film begins (at 1.30pm).
++++++++++++++
The main part of scaling Twin Peaks Blvd actually takes place before you get to it. You walk up the very steep 17th St, then hang a left, and that brings you to the start.
The journey begins!
Twin Peaks Blvd is still residential, despite the height.
A very pretty front garden on the junction with Mountain Drive.
On the climb up, I wondered what this hill was - Buena Vista Park at Lower Haight?
Looking east. Somewhat nervous for me this, as it was a 12-second timer and I was standing in the middle of the road very close to a blind curve.
Nearing the peak. Looking east-north-east here, I think, across the bay.
I saw a few runners making this trek. One (a Japanese) was actually filming as he ran up.
Nearing the top. The Bay Bridge, Bank of America Building (in brown) and the Transamerica building can be seen clearly.
The wind was beginning to pick up now as I was no longer protected by teh hills from the Pacific. The temperature dropped rapidly.
Near the top, a view to the east, across the Bay.
At the top! This is looking north-east, so I suspect that the long straight road is Market.
At the top. This is looking south. The peaks are to the right, just out of shot.
One of the peaks. I did not climb it. The wind was so strong that, after getting about 20 feet up, I was scared of being blown off my feet. The gusts were up to 85-90mph I reckon.
I started the long trek down. There were no more homes actually on Twin Peaks Blvd - the residents on this side of the peaks choose to live off roads that run parallel to TPB, either above it or below it.
Twin Peaks Blvd, the end - a tough three-mile walk from Castro and 17th, up 17th, along Twin Peaks, and (after this) a walk along Portola Drive to get to the 37 bus stop.
The 37 bus took me back to Castro and I had a walk around, eating a burrito at the local Mexican. Castro is definably gay, not just by the rainbow flags. However, it's less ostentatiously gay than Old Compton St. I'd say it was more a place where gays live rather than a place where gays go.
Castro, 18th St I think.
I caught the F-route back to Fifth street and took a walk south of market. I was thinking of visiting the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, but I was diverted by the Yerba Buena Park.
The Martin Luther King Memorial Water Feature
Again
From The Back. The feature has a path around the back, with excertpts from King''s speeches on the walls.
A wall of light (well, water, actually).
Me at back of King fountain
Fountain from the back
King quote.
The top level of the water feature.
Top level of the water feature. The top of the SFMOMA is in background.
Yerba Buena, top level. A beautiful peaceful area in the heart of the city.
The Yerba Buena park.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I made it into the store and had a walk around a place that reminded me of a top quality Design shop. I couldn't resist a couple of items, although I could easily have spent far more.
Another one of the streetcar designs -- Melbourne in the 1940s?
My hotel room. The fire works (in a gas-fired sense).
The view from my window
The hotel garden
And so, that's all up to date apart from today, when I walked into North Beach via the historical district around Jackson, and, this afternoon, made the Coastal Trail. Knackering. Tomorrow it's Napoleon in Oakland, so I plan to leave early and to give myself three hours or so walking round Oakland, before the film begins (at 1.30pm).
++++++++++++++
