Good evening, friends. It's 10 p.m. in San Rafael, California, where I'm still staying with my friend. I spent the day in San Francisco and the surrounding area—none of it on a train!
We woke up and wandered around San Rafael for a few miles. We walked past so many fruit and vegetable plants: orange, avocado, pear, and peach trees, blackberry bushes. That was shocking for me. So many edible things just grow on Sid's morning walk.
What was more shocking for me, though, was the Bay Area's microclimates. San Rafael was a solid 10-15 degrees warmer than San Francisco and hardly as foggy, despite being just a short distance away. I had packed my bag for a New York summer—shorts and t-shirts, exclusively—and was unpleasantly surprised by the 55-degree morning today. Fortunately, Sid had a sweatshirt to lend me. (Unfortunately, it was Virginia Tech-branded.)
After our walk, Sid and I went to Target to replace the Grand Junction headphones (phew). Just look at the view from the unassuming Target’s parking lot. Tremendous.
Then we picked up another friend from the airport and spent the afternoon walking around downtown San Francisco. We walked through the Prasidio, an old military installation, to this fountain of Yoda at LucasFilm HQ, and then towards the Fisherman’s Wharf near the water.
The constant fog around Downtown was, throughout, constantly unnerving. I cannot be convinced that this city is of our world.
We ended the evening with dinner and a drink with another friend who lives in the area, then drove back to San Rafael. Tomorrow, we're spending a little more time in the City—I'm hoping to walk the Golden Gate Bridge—and plan for my next leg, leaving for LA the day after.
More tomorrow,
–JBG
Your photos remind me why I was so enamored of San Francisco when I visited it several years ago. I’ll be interested in your view of L.A. when you get there. Have fun and stay safe.