San Francisco Fleet Week: 12 October 2014

The Navy and Marines participated in San Francisco Fleet Week. There was no Fleet Week event in 2013 because the Federal Government decided to pare expenses. I have been going to Fleet Week over the years, and it has always been an enjoyable event. Here are some pictures I took while at Fleet Week 2006 and here are some pictures I took while on a cruise on the SS Jeremiah O’Brien during May 2003. Jeremiah O’Brien is a Liberty Ship, and she is docked in San Francisco.

This year I decided to cover more ground before I arrived at the San Francisco Marina to view the Blue Angels do their fabulous close-quarter acrobatic flying. I took the Muni Metro to the West Portal Station and began my trek from that location. I walked through the lovely Forest Hill neighborhood; I then ascended Mount Sutro and proceeded to drop down Mount Sutro past the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. Then a quick stop for a bite to eat at Whole Foods in the Haight-Ashbury district. Now satiated, I walked through the Jordan Park neighborhood and then the Laurel Heights neighborhood. From there, I proceeded to climb Divisadero Street, walking through the Pacific Heights neighborhood. And then, finally, at around 2 pm I dropped down Divisadero Street to the Marina District and the Fleet Week extravaganza which was in progress. By the way, it was twenty-five years ago this week, on 17 October 1989, that the Loma Prieta earthquake struck. The majority of the damage in San Francisco occurred in the Marina District.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph.

The Blue Angels. Note the four Coast Guard vessels and the cleared channel in the Bay over which the jets are flying. 

The map illustrates the route traveled, with mile markers shown. The approximate distance covered, as measured by a GPS receiver, was 11.8 miles. 

A graph of the elevation changes during the ramble. The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 1,372 feet. 

A mansion on Divisadero Street is all ready for the trick-or-treaters who will be dropping by on Halloween, which is in two weeks. 

This building is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of 10th Avenue and Noriega Street.

A view from Mount Sutro. The two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge are visible. The hills on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge are a part of the glorious Marin Headlands. 

Another view from Mount Sutro. The treed area in the middle of the photograph is Golden Gate Park. The treed area in the northwestern part of San Francisco is Lands End Park. 

Rambling along the West Ridge Trail in Mount Sutro Forest. 

 I am now at the Marina. The Patriots Jet Team was the air display taking place when I arrived.

A United Airlines Boeing 777 made several loops around San Francisco Bay in the area just north of San Francisco. A beautiful sight to see. 

The United Airlines Boeing 777 coming by for another pass, with the Marin Headlands in the background and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge completing the picture. 

Just before the Blue Angels made their appearance, “Fat Albert,” a Marine Corps C-130 cargo plane that is a component of the Blue Angels support team, did a few fly-bys. 

Then, finally, the main event took place. The Blue Angels flew in close, very close, formation in front of Alcatraz Island. 

The Blue Angels performed for about one-half hour. 

It seemed to me that there were a gazillion people at Fleet Week. Ok, well, that may be an exaggeration… but not by much. The bay shore was jammed with people for a distance of at least four miles. 

It was a happy, festive crowd enjoying themselves in the delightful weather. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com