first day

san francisco museum of modern art
Going to a museum when you are in a place like San Francisco? If you love art, experiencing wow-moments, beauty, creativity, SFMOMA is a must. The morning we spent there delivered all of the above…for all of us. Wondering how a human expels creativity visually has always intrigued the four of us. Half a day passed and the only way we realized time was lapsing was the feeling of exhaustion. Leaving the museum one of the boys said, “That was not nearly enough time!”

city lights and chinatown
City Lights Bookstore sits on the edge of Chinatown at a intersection. Founded in 1953 its masthead states A Literary Meetingplace since 1953. A person enters a place of historical value and immediately senses power, wonder, and unapproachable significance. Such was the aura of City Lights. Tall wooden book shelves stuffed with titles, creaking floors, narrow passageways, tall ceilings showing evidence of craftsmanship from a prior time, noteworthy authors in photos lining the staircase, and those of us who love books was this place.

The building next to City Lights housed Vesuvio, a bar known for entertaining literary geniuses such as Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg. This was a perfect place for resting, getting something to drink, and deciding what to do next.

Definitely a culture change walking down the street from Kerouac’s hangout. The restaurant Y and Z where we ate delivered noteworthy Chinese food. Our waiter spoke very little English but did help us navigate menu. 

ty segall
Actually the name of the band Ty Segall was with was one I never could remember. The boys went somewhere, sometime after I went to bed, to hear something I’m sure I would not appreciate. San Francisco is like that…giving you a chance to hear live music. 

going to san francisco

the atlantic coast
California State Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, merits every poetic description attached to it. Traveling this road to San Francisco was one of the boys’ stated requirements for the trip. The vistas were on the out-of-this-world scale. Some may disagree with California’s way of viewing everything, but they got one thing right. They know how to protect the wildness and beauty of  their coast, at least the portion we saw. The entire coastline was a state park or off limits to human habitation. Water, waves, rocky shorelines contributed to a car ride worth remembering.

san francisco mission district
Google Maps can direct a body to any specific place, but it is terrible in helping a soul find a locale. The first night in the city we wandered an area called the Mission District. We agreed that we were hungry and wanted to eat something that was characteristic to the area. In our wanderings we found something for which San Francisco is known….murals. An alley connecting two major streets provided art, education, and culture. Truly a good find.

best burrito
In a list of favorite foods, I’m guessing that many eaters would list Mexican. In fast food America, people flock to Mexican restaurants because they're cheap, good, and usually fairly fast. Passing up a chance to eat the “best burrito” was not gonna happen on this trip. La Taqueria’s burritos did not disappoint us. We were lucky, too. One minute after we stepped through the outside gate, the proprietors locked it.

santa cruz

this is like the Delta
The land between Yosemite and Santa Cruz is where the avocados, plums, and almonds that I eat grow. In fact, we traveled between diverse fields of fruit growing trees, row after row of labor intense vegetables, and farmland bursting with produce. Sarcastically, someone commented that the area “was like the Mississippi Delta.” Contradicting this notion was instantaneous, but on further reflection maybe it is a legitimate claim. Water for our edible crops is necessary. Water for soybeans, rice, cotton, and corn raised in the Delta is necessary. Both places are actively depleting water sources: aquifers and rivers. The respective places are labor intense which demands numerous, low paying workers. Both have exploited the vastness of those realms, all be it, the Delta many years ago. The sheer expanse of land dedicated to plant growth is enormous for each singular piece of the world.  In viewing the immenseness of this life support system I was humbled. In a word, the beauty of farming was quiet spectacular.

the beach
As humans we are condemned to compare. We can not refrain from viewing a place and thinking about another. Such was the fate of Santa Cruz for me, to compare this beach town to the ones along the Gulf of Mexico. A beach with sugar-like sand was not Santa Cruz, but tourists and fantastic views of the Atlantic ocean were. High rise buildings with miles of straight-line coastal highway was not this California coastal town, but rocky shorelines, curving roadways, and streets lined with homes next to the water was. People whether local, seasonal, or tourist were everywhere. Now that aspect was familiar.

riding a bike
The last time I rode a bike ended in a fall with a bleeding knee at Nissan Stadium in Nashville before a Rolling Stones concert. Getting on a bike to follow three skilled bike riders through congested traffic and to negotiate an unknown bike path had me a tad bit apprehensive. But a view of the Atlantic on a bicycle erased any fear. Getting hot while pumping pedals was not a problem. The coolness of the outdoor wind was perfect for watching surfers from high above the waves. They made surfing appear so easy. I wish I could make bike riding look effortless.

yosemite

big rocks
Arriving in the dark at Yosemite was a singular experience. Driving into the valley between those rock mountains gave me the sensation of arriving in a place where giants live. I couldn’t see the entire stone faces, but the moon bounced enough light on them to define smallness. Nobody prepared me for the massiveness of those solid mountains.

big trees
As luck would have it the Marisopa Grove of Giant Sequoias was closed to visitors. We visited the Tuolumne Grove. The 2.5 mile round trip hike had an elevation change of 500 feet. The first sight of one of those trees was the reward for the punishment I gave my lungs later. Mountains are huge, oceans are big, the sky is massive. But trees? I didn’t feel small next to their giant-ness. I felt safe. For me, forests and woodlands resonate with calmness. Sequoias are a special breed of serenity. Standing in that place I understood instantly why writers personify trees with wisdom and patience. Sequoias create a peace that is unavoidable.

swimming
Ending the day in the cold water of the Merced River was one of those “Do you remember moments?” Heading out of the park was the goal, but it became secondary to finding somewhere to get into water. It wasn’t tap water cold; it was snow melt cold. Definitely, the best way to end the only day we had in Yosemite. But all of us agreed; we are going back.