Janet's Smiles

A to Z 2021 – L is for Lombard Street and Lands End

Posted on April 14, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Lombard Street might be something that you would recognize as a San Francisco landmark. It is said to be the “crookedest street in the world” with 8 turns. It was originally a straight road but it was so steep that people were afraid to drive down it!

I drove down to the bottom but obviously I couldn’t drive and take pictures so I went around the block and found parking at the top of the hill. I got out and walked about halfway down.

I am lucky to be able to get these shots early in the morning and during the week before the crowds come. On the weekends sometimes there are long lines of cars waiting to go down this hill. So much so that there is talk of having to pay a toll or get a permit! I know I would be torn about living there; is it worth the inconvenience of having so many cars driving by or is the view enough to compensate for that?

Lands End is the other “L” I have for you, especially if you are someone who likes hiking trails. When we went to Immigrant Point Overlook the other day, Lands End was on the schedule as well. I tried to make things easier for my hubby by mapping out a route of several spots to hit in one sweep.

Because it is not easy for Bill to walk on all the trails, he let me out and parked to wait for me to explore and take pictures. I didn’t want to stray too far and take advantage of him so there is lots out there left to investigate. As you can see by the signpost, there are several different paths that you can take and they lead to many interesting spots.

I did walk a short way down one path because I was looking for the labyrinth but it turns out I was in the wrong part of the trail. No worries, once again I got some gorgeous views and the sun was out!

I was amazed by the size of that boat going toward the bridge. Then again, I’m amazed by the Golden Gate Bridge too!

Lands End is certainly a fitting name for this spot. I know that anybody who likes to hike would have an excellent time exploring all the different trails. One leads to the memorial of the USS San Francisco, a WWII cruiser that was involved in the Battle of Guadalcanal. And sometime I may even go back to try and find the labyrinth!

Disclaimer notice. The coloring book pages are from the inserts the San Francisco Chronicle put out and I mentioned them in my theme reveal so you can go to that to get the info about the artists if you are interested. I did the coloring and took the pictures.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021, Golden Gate Bridge, Labyrinth, Lands End, Lombard Street, San Francisco | 41 Comments

A to Z 2021 – K is for Kerouac Alley and Kite Hill

Posted on April 13, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Hello and welcome to the letter “K” in our A to Z Challenge this year. In an effort to be completely transparent, I am using one of the locations that was a disappointment for me, Kerouac Alley.

I mean, reading the description that Wiki has for it and even looking at some of the pictures that Trip Advisor has made it seem like a really cool place to go and it filled one of the more difficult (for me) letters in the challenge. When I got there, it was early in the morning so admittedly none of the shops were open yet, however, I didn’t even attempt to go down the alley to look for the inscriptions that are supposed to be there.

My initial disappointment was in the street sign itself. The other side had a bunch of stickers over it so you couldn’t even read the name. This side had no stickers but it did have an electrical wire wrapped around it. I mean, come on folks.

Looking down the alleyway, I could see someone standing around there and since I was by myself, I didn’t think it would be smart to go down.

City Lights is a famous bookstore and it would have been nice to be able to go inside but it wasn’t open yet and, again, there was someone standing around (I purposely avoided taking his picture) so I didn’t feel comfortable getting any closer.

So all in all, that was not the exciting experience I was looking for, but as I said, in the spirit of transparency, I’m including it. Maybe if my husband had been with me we’d have ventured farther down the alley.

Then I had to scramble to see if I could find another “K” spot. OMG I did and what a good one it was! Much like the Ina Coolbrith Park, Kite Hill Open Space is tucked away in a corner in the middle of a residential area.

It was another hike up a hill but it was certainly worth it.

Kind of a neat path. Not too steep because it was on a curve.

Once at the top the view was amazing. Too bad the day was so cloudy.

There were a couple of places to sit and enjoy those views.

My dad used to give me a kite for my birthday every year. What fun it would have been to take it up to Kite Hill to fly it!

My car is the silver one way down there.

So even though Kerouac Alley was a bust, I think I managed to save the letter “K” with a Kite.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021, City Lights Bookstore, Keroouac Alley, Kite Hill Open Space | 29 Comments

A to Z 2021 – J is for Japantown and the Japanese Tea Garden

Posted on April 12, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

I knew about Chinatown but I didn’t realize we had a Japantown in San Francisco as well. I found the Japantown almost by accident as I was driving to a different location and happened to see the big pagoda. I decided to go back and check it out. Turns out it is one of only three Japantowns left in the United States!

The Japantown Peace Plaza was donated by the city of Osaka, Japan, San Francisco’s sister city, in the 1960s. The large statue is an eternal flame monument.

There is another statue at the entrance to the plaza. It has some wonderful carvings depicting the immigration of Japanese to the US.

There are also some areas to sit and enjoy the scenery.

On either side of the plaza are the East and West Malls and across the street is a mall with restaurants and shops. We have eaten at the Benihana there once. It was delicious of course.

You might think that the Japanese Tea Garden is located in Japantown but you’d be wrong.

It is in Golden Gate Park and unfortunately the day I picked to do my exploring was a Sunday and it was very crowded. Plus, I was by myself so I couldn’t even have my husband drop me off and go around the block while I took the pictures, so this is what I got. It does look like the coloring page though.

It is the oldest public Japanese Garden in the United States, built as part of the Worlds Fair SF had in 1894, slightly before my time – LOL.

I’m sorry I don’t have more pictures to show you. You’ll just have to come to SF and check it out! Only $6 for non-resident seniors!

And so we start the second full week of the A to Z. Are you with me so far?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021, Golden Gate Park, Japanese Peace Plaza, Japanese Tea Garden, Japantown | 21 Comments

A to Z 2021 – I is for Ina Coolbrith Park and Immigrant Point Overlook

Posted on April 10, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Who is Ina Coolbrith and why does she have a park named after her? Turns out she is a poet. In fact, the first California Poet Laureate. She has a very interesting history, which you can read here. It took me several tries to get some pictures of the park in San Francisco that is named after her but it was definitely worth it. It is on one of those hills I mentioned yesterday, Russian Hill. I finally found some parking toward the bottom of the hill and walked up to the top.

It doesn’t look like much at first but once you get around the path the whole city is visible.

Standing at the top you can see the city skyline with the Bay Bridge to the right, Coit Tower slightly to the left and then Alcatraz Island on the far left. I envy the people who live in this area and can get a view of the sunrise every morning. It must be spectacular.

There are some benches to sit on and several other paths to walk down. I have to go back (sound familiar?) because I didn’t go any farther than the first level. It is on a pretty steep slope and I could see that there was another bench to sit on at the next level.

I didn’t see any signs at the top so it’s another one of those places that you wouldn’t know was there unless you were looking for it. So peaceful and pretty. Very well kept.

I was going to use International Airport for another “I” but then I found something even better. Immigrant Point Overlook. I said to my husband, “Hey hon, how’d you like to go for a ride in your new truck and take me to a couple of places in the city so I can take some pictures?” It worked! While he drove, I had the owners manual out so if he had any questions about the truck settings I could answer them. Aren’t I helpful?

Immigrant Point Overlook is a spot on the coast where you can see for miles. There is a picnic area across the street and there is a trail you can go down but I found the best view was right on the edge. You can see the boats coming in from the Pacific Ocean.

There is a wall with an inscription from President Woodrow Wilson:

“We opened the gates to all the world and said, ‘Let all men who want to be free come to us and they will be welcome.'” Here’s a video I took of that and the view.

So you can start the day with sunrise at Ina Coolbrith Park and end the day with a sunset at Immigrant Point Overlook. In between head down the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square with maybe some lunch or dinner at Chinatown. Doesn’t it make you want to come to SF?

Whew, one full week of the A to Z done! (I was able to do a whole recap in this post, did you catch that?) We are going to the Giants game today. Have to have proof of vaccination or negative test within 72 hours to get in and they are only filling to 22% capacity so I feel pretty safe. Sunday I plan to visit as many new (to me) bloggers as I can. Have a great rest of your weekend!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021, Immigrant Point Overlook, Ina Coolbrith Park, San Francisco | 29 Comments

A to Z 2021 – H is for Haight-Ashbury and the Hills

Posted on April 9, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

I was in Catholic grammar school during the Haight-Ashbury heyday so I didn’t really get involved with the hippie drug scene. I did know a little bit about it though and a few years ago when the de Young Museum had an exhibit called “The Summer of Love Experience” we went to check it out. I wrote about that here. My husband is a little older than me and had lived in San Francisco for a while so he was very familiar with the era and the area. I do love the clothes! I really want the suede jacket and the blue crochet sweater, although I bet that one is pretty heavy.

They had flower shaped cookies in the gift shop. My coat looks like it belongs in the show, doesn’t it? After the exhibit we rode around the streets in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood for a while. They certainly have some interesting places including some more Victorian houses.

The famous Grateful Dead House is in the Haight-Ashbury district too. It is the one in the middle with the gate but I kind of like the purple one next door. Just regular folks own it now.

Also, in case you haven’t noticed so far, there are definitely a lot of hills in San Francisco! Look at what I’ve been driving through, and sometimes walking up and down, to get pictures for your entertainment! Sometimes I get a little nervous, even when I’m in my car. Thank goodness for automatic transmissions. If I had to use a clutch – I shudder to think.

In fact San Francisco is said to have been built on seven hills: Telegraph Hill (where Coit Tower is), Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Twin Peaks, Lone Mountain (or Mt. Sutro) and Mt. Davidson.

Mt. Davidson is the highest natural point in the city (928 feet!) so I thought I’d give that a look see. The coyote alert didn’t stop me because it was daytime and there were some other folks around so I figured the coyotes would stay away. The hike up the hill was definitely worth the view (click for 16 second video).

At the top of the hill hidden in the trees is a giant cross. It was Palm Sunday when I went up and people had brought some palms and left them at the base of the cross. I am amazed that you can’t see the cross until you get at the top of the hill. It is 103 feet high itself!

I didn’t know until I was writing this post that they have an Easter Sunday sunrise service every year. I bet that is spectacular. You may also remember the cross from a scene in the first Dirty Harry movie. I don’t know how they were able to run and move around on that hill in the dark. It took all my concentration in the daylight!

It seems like there are a million hills in San Francisco and I may, or may not write about a few more of them, we still have letters in the A to Z Challenge left. Hope you’ll climb them with me.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021 | 36 Comments

A to Z 2021 – G is for Golden Gate Bridge and Ghirardelli Square

Posted on April 8, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

We have coloring pages for this letter!

I have written about this before but it’s been about five years so I thought I’d refresh everyone’s memory. When I turned 60 I realized that I had never walked across the Golden Gate Bridge so that’s what I wanted to do for my birthday. We drove across and parked on the Sausalito side of the bridge. After a mimosa toast, we started across to the San Francisco side.

All along the fencing you could see these locks. It was fun to look at the dates. I had never heard of doing that before.

It took us a couple hours to walk from one side to the other and back again but it was fun. The weather was kind of overcast but it wasn’t that cold. As I mentioned, my mom was 93 so we walked slow for her. She didn’t even really need the walker she rented! I definitely want to do that again. When we were done, we went to a restaurant in Sausalito and had lunch. Great way to spend a birthday for sure.

“G” is also for Ghirardelli Square.

Another place that I have been to but not for many years. I really need to get out more! This is where they make Ghirardelli Chocolate of course. Well, used to make it. When Mr. Ghirardelli bought the whole block in 1893 they used it for the factory to make chocolate. In the early 60’s Ghirardelli Chocolate was bought by Golden Grain and they moved the plant across the bay.

However, some San Francisco residents, William M. Roth and his mother bought the land so that it wouldn’t be turned into apartment buildings. They had the square designed to hold different shops and restaurants.

Some cool rainbow steps going up to the shopping area.

There is a video of them replacing the big marquee here. Inside the square are lots of shops and a courtyard with a fountain statue of a mermaid and her babies. Now I wish I had gone up into the courtyard but I had limited time. That’s what I get for not starting the pictures for this project in February when I knew that I was going to base my A to Z on San Francisco. Oh well, add one more to the list.

This little area is directly across from Ghirardelli Square so you could go into the candy shop, get an ice cream and then walk across and sit here to watch the bay. So nice!

Wow, 7 letters already. Time is sure going by fast. I know I will appreciate Sunday as a day of rest. Please forgive me if I haven’t stopped by your posts yet, I’m going as fast as I can! Hope to see you tomorrow for “H.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021 | 35 Comments

A to Z 2021 – F is for Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Building

Posted on April 7, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Getting a late start today on my “F” post because I went with my husband and we got him a new truck. I had promised him one for Christmas and he never took me up on it. Yesterday was his birthday and I found one I thought he might like so we went and looked at it. Sure enough he liked it, but you know it takes forever in the dealership so here I am at 7 PM writing my post for the day. Fortunately tomorrow’s can be written tonight as well so I won’t be behind. It also doesn’t help that I waited until the last minute to take some of these pictures. I was doing that this morning before we went truck shopping.

And so, without further ado, “F” is for the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building is located on the Embarcadero that I talked about yesterday.

The Ferry building is the terminal for the ferries that cross the Bay. It also houses offices on the second floor and a marketplace. It was built in 1989 and the clock tower itself is 245 feet tall! There are four clock faces, each 22 feet wide that still chime every full and half hour. I have never been inside the Ferry building but In researching it, there are a lot of different activities going on including a Farmer’s Market and there are spaces available to rent for special events. Imagine having a wedding reception at the Ferry Building?

At the other end of the Embarcadero is Fisherman’s Wharf. This is really one of the main tourist attractions and I was so glad I was able to get there in the morning before the hustle and bustle. I could find parking, get out and take my pictures and then get back in the car in less than 15 minutes! During the weekend and summertime that would have been impossible.

At the Wharf are great restaurants and little outdoor places you can get seafood and then take a walk along the piers. You can also rent a trip on the Red and White Fleet or Blue and Gold Fleet that have boat trips around the bay. The Blue and Gold Fleet has an “Escape from the Rock” tour that takes you to Alcatraz. The Red and White Fleet has a “Bridge to Bridge Sunset Cruise” that looks like it might be a romantic experience.

Across the street from the Wharf are some really neat attractions. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not is one.

And Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. I have been inside but not for a VERY long time – like maybe 30 years!

At one time there was something called “The San Francisco Experience” that took you through the history of San Francisco. They have turned that into The Dungeons:

I love an adventure so that might be fun to see too, if these things can reopen safely. All this traveling around the city has made me want see a lot of these places in more detail. I will still have the advantage of being able to go in the middle of the week so I shouldn’t hit many crowds. I promise if I do I’ll take more pictures and let you know. If you go before I do, make sure you post your pictures and let me know!

Okay. Tomorrow is the big “G,” any guesses?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021, Blue and Gold Fleet, Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, Red and White Fleet, Wax Museum | 32 Comments

A to Z 2021 – E is for Esmeralda Slide Park and The Embarcadero

Posted on April 6, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

There weren’t too many choices for the letter “E” in San Francisco that I could think of and then I found Esmeralda Slide Park. My GPS led me to the back of the park and while I didn’t see any signs, I did see this little opening.

As I went through the trees, this staircase appeared.

As I got to the top of the steps I saw this little area.

Which turned out to be at the bottom of the slide. The blue bin off to the side holds cardboard pieces if you want to use them to slide down. There was a little girl there with her mom and dad (or grandma and grandpa, I couldn’t tell), so I was trying to take my pictures without invading their privacy.

I climbed the steps on the side of the slide and came to the top of the park. Here were the signs!

On the ground was a compass so you could see where you were. This was added to the park in June of 2017 during a restoration project.

Esmeralda Slide Park was established in the 70’s by a group of volunteers. They work together with the city to keep it maintained. There is a table with benches at the top.

The view from the top of the slide.

If there hadn’t been other people there, I might have taken a slide down myself but I didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. Covid strikes again. Also interesting, this is in the Bernal Heights area and the night after I took these pictures I got a notice on my phone from the Citizen app that four people were pepper sprayed in Bernal Heights. It wasn’t near the park but still…

The other “E” is for The Embarcadero, which is a long stretch of road that runs along the piers from Second and King street along the waterfront to Pier 45. It runs under the Bay Bridge, which is a pretty impressive sight.

There is the Embarcadero Center, which is four huge buildings and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I didn’t realize it until today but during the holidays the edges of the buildings are lit up and it is supposed to make it look like four giant books on a shelf. I’ll have to check that out this year! I’ll report back if it does.

There is also the Embarcadero Station where you can catch both BART and Muni (one of the other ways to get around the city). I didn’t take a lot of pictures because mostly it’s just the road but there are some interesting things along the way, which I may cover in some other letters. Don’t want to give away any surprises, you know?

And there we have “E.” No coloring book pages for this letter. I hope you are enjoying the trip through San Francisco. Have you checked out any of the other participants in the A to Z Challenge yet? I know there are a lot of good ones. I’m trying to make my way through but it is slow going, so forgive me if I haven’t hit yours yet.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021, Embarcadero, Esmeralda Slide Park, San Francisco | 33 Comments

A to Z 2021 – D is for Dragon Gate and Dolores Park

Posted on April 5, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

When I was searching for things to fill the letters for my A to Z Challenge this year, I opened Google Maps of San Francisco and searched for a few of the places that I knew of off the top of my head. As I enlarged the map all kinds of things started popping up and one of them was Dragon Gate. I thought that would make a terrific “D.”

Dragon gate is the south facing gate marking the entrance to Chinatown in San Francisco. It was built in 1969 and dedicated in 1970. There are three portals, an east and west portal for pedestrians and then a middle portal for cars. It is one of the most photographed parts of Chinatown and I can see why.

Once again, this was just a drive by but I think you can get the feel of it.

The other “D” I have for today is Dolores Park.

Named after nearby Mission Dolores and sitting on land that was once a Jewish cemetery, Dolores Park is almost 16 acres of open space with lots of beautiful palm trees, 6 tennis courts, a basketball court, a playground and two off-leash dog areas, among other things. The park was bought by the City in 1905 and in 1906 was used as a refugee spot for 1,600 people dislocated after the earthquake. It is also used for rallies and other public gatherings.

During part of last year, in an effort to encourage social distancing, large 6-foot circles were painted onto the grass so you could continue to enjoy the area but be socially distant. There was no evidence of those circles when I went by today. However, there was a lot of graffiti on the walls surrounding the area, that’s why I didn’t take any pictures of the pathway to the park.

There is a statue of Miguel Hidalgo, the father of Mexican Independence. Unfortunately, someone had painted all over that as well.

It is sad to see things like this. There was a very friendly worker from the Parks and Rec department who was watering the plants around the statue and she said that someone would be coming by to clean it. I was particularly taken by this woman as she had a pleasant thing to say to everyone who passed by her.

As you can tell the coloring page is not finished but I decided I could either color or write the post. Writing the post won! I just took the pictures this morning too! I was marginally prepared for this A to Z. Hope you are enjoying and will come back tomorrow for “E.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A to Z Challenge 2021, Dolores Park, Dragon Gate, San Francisco | 37 Comments

A to Z 2021 – C is for Coit Tower and Cobbs Comedy Club

Posted on April 3, 2021 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Today we have the letter “C” in our A to Z excursion and Coit Tower fits the bill. This is another one of those places that I have not explored very well, only having been here twice, once at night when the tower was closed and once during the day for a quick drive by.

In fact, I didn’t even know until reading about it for this post that you can go inside the tower and see some beautiful murals around the base, which is free to all visitors. Unfortunately, right now it is still closed because of Covid (stupid Covid) but you could also take guided tours when it is open and see the view through the observation deck at the top for a minimal charge.

The tower sits atop Telegraph Hill and some parking is available or you can park at the bottom and walk up the winding path. The views are spectacular, offering a 360 degree vision of the city and the surrounding counties. We just drove by on the day that I took these pictures and unfortunately I didn’t get any of the view from here. Another reason to go back for sure.

Coit Tower was built between 1932 and 1933 and named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit who was the benefactress of the construction. Lillie was an eccentric woman and apparently had a love of firefighters so this tower is dedicated to the volunteer firefighters who died fighting fires in San Francisco. Some think the tower resembles the nozzle on the end of a firehose. Occasionally the city changes the colors of the lights in tribute to different things, such as all orange for when the Giants were winning the World Series or rainbow colors for LGBTQ pride, red, white and blue for 4th of July, red and green at Christmas, etc.

Another “C” is Cobbs Comedy Club. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the television program “Cash Cab” but it used to be a favorite of ours and when I saw that Ben Bailey, the star of the show, was coming to San Francisco I had to get us tickets. We had never been to Cobbs Comedy Club before but the tickets were very reasonable and we ended up having such a good time that when Mr. Bailey came around again later in the year we went and saw the show again! This time he was standing outside afterward and I was able to get a picture of him with my husband. He is very tall! My hubby is 6 feet. We got his autograph on a DVD too!

Cobbs has been around since 1982 although it was in a different part of the city for a while. A fire caused them to move to their current location on Columbus Avenue. The venue is small, only 400 seats, and it is first come first served so we got there early enough to get good seats all three times. It is a short walk from a parking garage if you can’t find parking in the blocks surrounding it. The prices were very reasonable (at least they were when we went) and they do serve food if you want.

We also saw Rosanne Barr there. She was pretty funny too. Unfortunately, one of the policies is no picture taking so the shots I got were on the sly and not very good. Still, they are enough for me to remember the evening and make some scrapbook pages.

There are a few other “C” things I could have described like Crissy Field and Cable Cars but I made a “rule” for myself that I wouldn’t just take pictures from the internet for the things I was writing about. I mean anyone can Google Cable Cars and come up with some information. I want to be able to talk about the experiences I had and show you what it looked like from my perspective. So if you wanted Cable Cars or Crissy Field, I’m sorry about that.

Okay, that’s all I have. Hope you come back tomorrow for “D.”