San Francisco – from the Outer Sunset District to the Financial District: 30 April 2016

I decided to walk through San Francisco on Saturday. I started the ramble in the Sunset District and headed north along Ocean Beach. Then it was up to Sutro Heights to visit the site of Adolph Sutro's Mansion. After which, I headed east on Geary Boulevard and California Street to Montgomery Street, where I concluded the ramble. The weather was perfect.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph

Street art in the Outer Sunset District as seen on the side of a house on Irving Street.

A map of the route. The approximate distance traveled was 9.6 miles (15.4 kilometers). The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 777 feet (237 meters). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. 

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the hike. Click on the image to see the full-size chart.

An apartment building on Irving Street. 

A view of the Cliff House and Seal Rocks. This picture was taken from the Ocean Beach pedestrian walkway. The glorious Marin Headlands are in the background. The view is looking north. 

A picture of the third of five Cliff Houses built on the same site. This photo was taken in 1896, the year the third Cliff House has been constructed. Interestingly, the photograph was taken by a camera held in the air by a giant kite. After the kite was at an appropriate height and the camera was facing the preferred direction, the camera's shutter was activated by a person on the ground. He or she pulled a wire which was connected to the kite and attached to the camera. 

You had only one opportunity to take a picture. After the photo had been taken, the kite was reeled in; the camera was removed from the kite. The camera was then taken to a 'dark room' where the exposed image became visible after the film was submerged in three different liquid chemical baths. 

Taking airborne pictures of terrain and manmade objects in the late 1800s and early 1900s was very popular. 

The third and most beautiful of the five Cliff Houses was destroyed by fire on 7 September 1907. 

The Cliff House and Seal Rocks as seen from Sutro Heights Park. The park is on the National Register of Historic Places. Here are some old photos that were taken at Sutro Heights Park. 

A game of volleyball on Ocean Beach. 

Looking south, towards Ocean Beach. Montara Mountain is visible. The photo was taken from Sutro Heights Park. You will not see anyone swimming in the ocean and very few people wading in the water. There is a good reason for that. Ocean Beach and most beaches in Northern California can be deadly to humans if people venture into the water or are too close to the water and a rogue wave pulls them in. The ocean's violent and powerful rip currents have pulled many thousands of people out to the ocean from Ocean Beach. The frigid temperature of the water can disable a person within a few minutes. Most of the people pulled out into the ocean have drowned, unfortunately. 

Another photo of the Cliff House and Seal Rocks. The Marin Headlands are in the distance; the view is looking north. 

A statue of Diana the Huntress. She is located on the site of the old Sutro Mansion. She and her animal friend are looking a little tired, but please remember that they have been at this location since 1886. 

A picture of the Diana the Huntress statue was taken in 1886 at the same location. One of the many gardeners who maintained the gardens looks at the camera. 

A photograph of Diana the Huntress is seen from the rear. 

This San Francisco firehouse was built in 1928 and is located on 41st Avenue at Geary Boulevard in the Outer Richmond District. It is Firehouse #34, whose primary function is to serve as one of two San Francisco Coastal Rescue Units. The firehouse is not far from Lands End, and there are many locations in Lands End from which a careless or foolish person can lose their footing and fall off a cliff. 

A picture of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral on Geary Boulevard in the Richmond District. 

A four image panoramic photo looking east towards downtown San Francisco. The photograph was taken from Masonic Avenue. 

On Geary Boulevard in the Richmond District. 

                                                                ...........

"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 posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

 These photographs were taken with a Sony camera.

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

Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco: 5 April 2016

The Conservatory of Flowers, a San Francisco treasure, is located in Golden Gate Park. It has been at the same location since 1879. It is, in fact, the oldest public glass and wood greenhouse in North America.

We did a little ramble from 9th Street and Irving Street through Golden Gate Park, stopping at the Conservatory of Flowers and the MH de Young Museum. We then walked through the North of the Panhandle neighborhood, past St. Ignatius Catholic Church and the University of San Francisco. We finally cruised through Alamo Park, the Western Addition, and had a bite to eat in Japantown. After this, we boarded the Muni Metro 38 bus on Geary Boulevard and disembarked at Powell Street. Donna joined me on this ramble.

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

The Conservatory of Flowers.

The approximate distance traveled was 5.6 miles (9 kilometers). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track. 

The Conservatory of Flowers. 

Here is a view from the enclosed glass tower of the de Young Museum. The California Academy of Sciences is the building with the earthen roof cover. The large buildings behind the California Academy of Sciences are part of the University of California, San Francisco. Sutro Tower overlooks the scene. The view is looking south. 

St. Ignatius Church sits on top of Ignatius Heights, a 354-foot high hill (108 meters). It is the tallest structure in the area and is a true San Francisco landmark. 

This is a Victorian house in the Western Addition neighborhood.

Here is a view from Alamo Square Park. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"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.

   Either a Sony camera or an Olympus camera was used to take these photographs.

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

Circumnavigating Briones Reservoir: 3 April 2016

The last time I circumnavigated Briones Reservoir was about 25-30 years ago. I thought this would be an appropriate time to do it again. When I last did Briones, I ran around the reservoir; this time I walked around the reservoir. Both adventures were enjoyable.

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

Briones Reservoir's earthen dam is visible.

Briones Reservoir is approximately 8 miles east of Berkeley, as shown on this map of the area.

A map of the route. The approximate distance traveled was 13.5 miles (21.7 kilometers). The approximate cumulative elevation gain was 1,843 feet (562 meters). Mile markers are displayed on the GPS-generated track.

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the hike. 

Briones Reservoir.

This photo, looking southwest, was taken from the top of the Briones Reservoir's earthen dam. 

Bear Creek Trail.

Donna joined me on this ramble. 
-----------------------

"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 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.

A ferryboat ride from San Francisco to Sausalito: 12 March 2016

Bob Lawrence is an army buddy from when I was stationed at the 7th Ordnance Company in Korea during 1968-1969. Bob and Muriel, his wife, recently visited the Bay Area from their home in New Jersey.

Their main reason for coming to the Bay Area was to go to the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday evening. There in all his glory, was Stephen Curry along with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors played the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night. Yes, the Warriors won the game.

Bob and I got together on Saturday morning before the basketball matchup and took a ferryboat ride from San Francisco to Sausalito. After our return ferryboat trip to San Francisco, we boarded a streetcar and rode to Fisherman's Wharf, where we got a bite to eat.

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

Bob is at the San Francisco Ferry Building before we boarded the Golden Gate Ferry M.S. San Francisco for a ride to Sausalito.

The ferryboat route between San Francisco and Sausalito. Click on the image to see the full-size map.

Here is a view looking southeast from the San Francisco Ferry Building pier. Yerba Buena Island is visible. 

Flash-Back Korea: Bob is taking a photo of children in a rural village. I took this picture in July of 1968.

Flash-Back Korea: April 1969. A woman is washing clothing along the riverside in Suksu-Dong. Bob asked her if he could take a picture; she happily agreed. 

Flash-Back Korea: April 1969. I took this picture in the Suksu-Dong recreation area. Within two weeks, we will leave Korea for Fort Lewis, Washington, at which time we will both be discharged from active military service. 

Ok, now let's return to the Twenty-First Century. Anchors aweigh, and off to Sausalito. The western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is visible. This view is looking south. 

This is another view of the western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. A ferryboat is heading towards the San Francisco Ferry Building. 

El Niño is visiting northern California; it's cold, windy, and drizzling. 

This is a view of the eastern side of Alcatraz Island, as framed by the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Here is a view of the north side of Alcatraz Island with San Francisco in the background. This view is looking south. 


Alcatraz Island

The Golden Gate Bridge. This view is looking southwest. 

The site of Camp Reynolds. This Army base, located on Angel Island, was established in 1863 during the Civil War. The view is looking east. 

Here is a view of Tiburon. 

Belvedere Island. The view is looking north. 

 Richardson Bay, Marin County. This view is looking north. 

Bob is standing in front of a statue at the Vina del Mar Park in downtown Sausalito. The statue was originally a part of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. 

-----------------------------------

"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