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The machine is in the “Escape from New York” Pizza parlor on Haight Street. Would you trust this ATM?

Still 3 Feb 2012

After the tea garden we decided to visit the famous (some would say infamous) and historic Haight-Ashbury district. This is an area that was considered the epicenter of the counterculture movement back in the sixties. It still shows a lot of that influence even today.

Look closely at the little waterfall behind us. During the WWII years the Japaneses Garden was closed and neglected. Some time after it was finally restored a gardener discovered that waterfall all grown over and lost in the overgrowth. They trimmed back the foliage and opened the valve and it worked, and it's been working ever since.

Go on to Dispatch 6c

The California Academy of Science

Go back to Dispatch 6a

Mount Diabo
Redwood Park
Chico
Walking the Golden Gate bridge

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Go on to Dispatch 6c

The California Academy of Science

Go back to Dispatch 6a

Mount Diabo
Redwood Park
Chico
Walking the Golden Gate bridge

Go to Index

3 Feb 2012

I met Diana at the Japanese tea garden in Golden Gate park. It's free admission if you arrive by 10 AM Monday to Wednesday. That sounded like a plan to us. I felt a little guilty; the place is an easy walk for me but she carried her bike on Bart across the bay and rode the rest of the way to meet me.

Way back on my bus trip from Asheville to Durham I sat next to a woman who it turned out was also a couch surfer. Naturally we had a lot to talk about and I was a bit disappointed when she got off to make her connection. I assumed I would never see her again but we stayed in contact through the CS system and by shear coincidence she wound up staying in Oakland right across the bay. What a golden opportunity to find a tourist to share some time with in SF. After all Carl lives here and has seen all the tourist stuff so many times I can hardly expect him to be very enthusiastic about this stuff.

Do you remember record stores? They still exist you know but few and far between. One of the best is on Haight; it's called Amoeba. Apparently the facility was once a bowling alley and they never took down the sign. They seem to be doing good business (as a record store) for now, I wonder how much longer it will last.

I mentioned the counterculture influence. The west end of Haight ends next to a sliver of Golden Gate park called “The Panhandle”. Aptly named I might add as there are many homeless and panhandlers there. The closer you the the park the more often you will pass people who intone the word “Bud” as you pass them, meaning they have buds of Marijuana to sell. If you go into this part of the park practically every other person is selling.

The city of San Francisco is one of the most tolerant of the homeless, and they are generally harmless. But don't walk in the park after dark.

Dispatch 6b

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden gate park

then

A quick visit to Haight street

3 Feb 2012