When I arrived in the city I was quite tired, so I hastily checked myself into a Hotel on the corner of Van Ness and California Streets and proceeded to shut my eyes and slumber for a few hours. I then awoke and took a late lunch. While eating I realized I was not more than a half hour's walk to the modern Beat aficionado's Mecca itself.
Visiting City Lights for the first time was certainly an honor and a privilege, and would also prove to be a fortuitous stop along my journey. It was quite a remarkable experience to browse the books and photographs along the walls and pick up a few sentimental suviniers.
After stopping at a local watering hole on my way back, I retuned to my room and promptly and happily returned to Dream State.
humble scribbler's hotel room.)
The next day I was fortunate enough to take in the Golden Gate experience.
From the Golden Gate Bridge you see excellent views of the city and, of course, one of the most famous stopovers for law-breakers in our nations history.
After surveying the Bridge I continued my Golden Gate adventure by heading to the park.
Golden Gate Park is an extraordinary place. I spent the afternoon strolling through its green grasses and enjoying immensely its Botanical and Japanese Tea Gardens respectively, as the clouds parted and the afternoon sun progressively peaked its rays out of the sky.
As foreshadowed above, my trip to Mr. Ferlinghetti's bookstore the night before was not only and incrediable experience of its own, but would also prove fortunate in finding a place to rest my head for the next two evenings.
Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, and a perhaps overly bragadocious "check-in" to Facebook, an old friend from the great north woods invited me to visit her home the following day.
After leaving Golden Gate Park, I headed to the home of the undeniably hip Maridawn Lamb, and her gentleman boyfriend Jason Mylen, 40 minutes south of the city in Mountain View, California.
After being graciously welcomed into their apartment, I was delighted, and somewhat mystified, to be sampling some of my own homeland's fine nectar.
Maridawn belongs to a beer club at her work and part of this month's investigations included the very beverage pictured above. I was flabbergasted and delighted!
The next day we headed back north to the Golden Gate Recreational Area to embark on grand and beautiful 11 mile hike that covered three mountains and over 3,300 feet of elavation. Again, I barrow from renown information gathering database, Wikipedia:
"The park is not one continuous locale, but rather a collection of areas that stretch from northern San Mateo County to southern Marin County, and includes several areas of San Francisco. The park is as diverse as it is expansive; it contains famous tourist attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument, Alcatraz, and the Presidio of San Francisco. The GGNRA is also home to 1,273 plant and animal species, encompasses 59 miles (95 km) of bay and ocean shoreline and has military fortifications that span centuries of California history, from the Spanishconquistadors to Cold War-era Nike missile sites."
At "Pirate's Cove" we met this little four month old treasure, Tigger. I can assure you Gentle Reader, she was as sweet as she was adorable.
We ended the evening sipping a few suds back at my gracious hosts' home while watching this fellow fade from the sky:
This morning I bid farewell once again to yet another set of wonderful hosts and set back out on the open road. Currently I find myself in Bolder Creek, California
located in the breath taking, and winding road sporting, San Lorenzo Valley. I'm on my way to visit Big Basin Redwoods State Park where I will hug a tree larger than ever I have seen afore.
I'll see you in the cyber salons of the future Gentle Reader.
Courage,
-Z
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