San Francisco is an interesting place. This past summer was my first time visiting, but I have been to New York many times. In my opinion, San Francisco is like the New York City of the west coast, except more hilly. It is a big place, so that is why I have some tips for people who are traveling there. As I said, I have only been there once, but I learned a few things.
We were lucky enough to meet a local San Franciscan in the laundromat. She was quite a character. Also, while on the topic of laundromats; don’t just choose any laundromat on a whim. Shop around a little. See if they have wi-fi. Some have little coffee shops and bakeries inside. Some charge you just for being in there. Some have working machines. Some don’t. Although, I guess it’s a trial and error type thing. For us it was.
Anyway, this lady gave us a lot of advice once she heard that we weren’t from there. In fact, we told her we were from Texas and her response went something like this: “Texass! Boyy! Why you so pale?” I had just spent my whole summer swimming. I’m talking like, 4 hours a day in the Texas sun.
According to her advice, first and foremost, avoid the guys in Golden Gate Park. Sh said that there would be guys who whispered to you from the bushes and the tunnels. She wasn’t kidding. We traveled all day to get there, the famous Haight Ashbury area, and decided to check out the park. Within five seconds of setting foot past the “Golden Gate Park” sign, we suddenly knew what she meant. The first guy was businesslike. We walked past him and he called out to us, “Trees.” Now, there are trees in the park, but he wasn’t simply stating the existence of them. “Trees, $2o a tree.” He didn’t look up while he said this, but kept his face down in an issue of a Victoria’s Secret catalog. We took this opportunity to scurry along. The next guy came on a bike, about ten seconds later. Dreads, slippers, and crossed eyes. “Yo boys. Got some leaf. Lookin’ for that leaf.” It appeared that his offer spurred the first man to get up and close the catalog. They both then walked along side us, arguing over who would get the sale, apparently with no idea that we weren’t interested. They kind of got caught up in their own debate, so we took that as another opportunity to continue on. Long story short, the dealers are like Robin Hood’s merry men, hiding in the forest. They were everywhere. We didn’t stick around in the park long, but on our way out, we did notice the two bike cops arresting two of them. Just another day I guess. So far, the laundromat lady was 1 for 1 on her advice.
Secondly, she warned to know your bus routes. Always know which bus you are taking, where you are taking it to, and if there are any transfers. Like I said, this is a big, hilly place. We tried to pay attention, but all I could really notice was the bit of chicken salad hanging from her lip. So, we decided to wing it. At first, we just kind of roamed the city to see what there was. Then, we looked up bus routes on our laptop while in the laundromat. There was no printer, so we snapped a picture of the screen with our digital. That proved to be a mistake at the end of the day. We did end up getting to Fisherman’s Wharf, which was awesome. It was very relaxing with plenty of good places to eat and tons of little shops. The only problem came in getting back. We looked at the various bus stations, but the routes didn’t seem to add up. So, we walked around looking for the right bus stop, and before we knew it, we were in the residential area. Just hill after hill, street after street of apartments. So, we figured that if we were going to walk, then we may as well find some neat little bistro. Mistake number 2. Basically, we walked about 10 blocks uphill, 10 block down and ended up at a Subway. This subway didn’t even have the $5 foot long deal yet. Also, don’t think that the walks downhill will give your feet a break. They are both equally as hard in the midday sun. Therefore, laundromat lady was 2 for 2.
Number 3. In her opinion, the Golden Gate Bridge is uncrossable. “That bridge is swingin’ and swangin’. No lane dividers either. Gots to worry about people drivin’ all in your lane.” She told us that she hadn’t crossed the bridge in over ten years. She only traveled south. That is why she told us she made it down to Houston at one point for some conference, but it wasn’t much of a story. Anyway, we knew that we needed to go across the bridge and didn’t think much of it. For some reason, I think she thought that the bridge swaying was a bad thing, but I didn’t feel like getting into architecture with her. So, we eventually made it to the bridge on our way to Sausalito. My GPS managed to send us in a few circles, and I burned out my clutch. (Really! Be aware of how steep the hills are. If you drive a standard then use your e-brake on stops.) So, the bridge was nice. There are no land dividers, but there are cones. I also blew through an ez pass lane without a tag, but I never got the ticket in the mail. so, if you are from out of state, be sure to take advantage of that. Apparently, this would make the laundromat lady 2 for 1. Still, I’m glad we met her.
Have fun in San Fran.
