San Francisco, The Embarcadero - Apr. 4, '12

Walking Distance: 1.7 miles
Walking Time: 57 min. (8:25 - 9:22 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Street parking, on Washington Street near Embarcadero (next to tennis courts), San Francisco, CA

This evening, I was up in San Francisco, setting up for my "Walking the Bay" photo exhibit a few blocks west of the Bay Trail at the Canessa Gallery.

A note about the evolving nature of trails: Canessa Gallery is situated inside a historic (old printing company) brick building. A few hundred years ago, before considerable amounts of Bay fill (including parts of old ships left behind from the Gold Rush from the mid 1800s), this gallery would have been close to the Bay shore (perhaps near/on an old version of a Bay trail). So, it's a perfect location for a show and talk about walking the San Francisco Bay Trail.

After a stop at the gallery, I headed east on Washington Street to The Embarcadero, and walked to the public promenade area along the waterfront, on a combination of paved and wood planked sections. Most activity was blurred in these night photos taken on the move.

I strolled around the boardwalk closest to the water as part of this section of Bay Trail that is shown as a set of double red lines on the Bay Trail map; and I enjoyed a view of city lights reflected on the bay and the Bay Bridge.


The Port of San Francisco building at Pier 1 was closed; but I could see the Bayside History Walk, and large photos on the walls behind glass, that I'd seen on my first round-the-bay walk in 2009. I recommend a stop here.

By the time I reached the Ferry Building, a great historic landmark, it was too late for a snack. This was a shame, as the place was/is stuffed with small shops and vendors selling delicious food items. I made a trip there a few days ago, to make sure I didn't miss out on the chocolates, macarons, salami, and the Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam cheese (which I plan to serve at my exhibit, as I have dozens of photographs of this north bay peak - from different angles and locations on the Bay Trail).

I passed several large public art pieces, sculptures -- such as the gleaming silver retro, Raygun Gothic Rocketship; the giant bow and arrow; and various memorials (black and white posts with tiny names inscribed on them from the past).

If you count neon signs as public art, then I suppose I should count the cocktail (Open) sign at the Hi-Dive bar.

Wildlife Sightings:
2 sea gulls; too dark to see anything else

Oakland, Embarcadero - May 13, '11

Walking Distance: 1.2 miles
Walking Time: 43 minutes (1:22 - 2:05 p.m.)
Start and End Point: 1211 Embarcadero, Estuary Cove; Oakland, CA

Another quick, short segment this afternoon. Would love to have walked a bit longer, but need to get home for a meeting later today. Life does get in the way of walking the bay. It's important to actually schedule or block out time for crazy adventures in one's schedule.

I continued to walk southeast along the Embarcadero in Oakland this afternoon. I walked the trail along the water's edge until it ended at 1363 Embarcadero; and then I walked along Embarcadero, past a small beach and the San Antonio Fishing Pier, as far as Harbor Masters office (Embarcadero Cove Marina, Central Basin), just south of a Motel 6. After that, I turned around and walked back, northwest on Embarcadero. After getting back to my car, I enjoyed a nice cold coffee drink at Starbucks at 1211 Embarcadero; the patio in the back faces the water, and has a view of Coast Guard Island.

Wildlife Sightings:
6 sea gulls; 3 cormorants; 2 balls (nerf football, party deflated soccer? ball); 1 mattress; 2 Western grebes; 2 terns; 1 little brown job (LBJ); 1 bumblebee; 9 pigeons

Oakland - Geese Visit, May 11, '11

Walking Distance: 2.0 miles
Walking Time: 1 hr., 37 min. (5:44 - 7:21 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Jack London Aquatic Center, Oakland, CA

I was walking southeast on Embarcadero over a bridge, and I spied an interesting mixed flock of geese and some goslings, below near the water. I stopped to point my camera down and take a few photos, when I heard a voice say: "You can come down here to take a closer look if you want." No, I wasn't hearing voices, there was someone under the bridge; and so, call me crazy, I left the road and made my way down to take a closer look.

I ended up speaking with a homeless man who I will call "the guardian of the geese." He was very knowledgable about the geese (and the few domestic ducks), and could tell me the breed, the diet, and something about each member of this avian crew. This is not something I ever would have seen driving by in a car. And this is why walking the Bay is so interesting. And, sometimes, you just have to leave civilization and sit down in the dirt to get an eye-level view of a goose.

After this visit, I continued walking south on Embarcadero, as far as 10th, then cut west to a boardwalk along the water, then to a small shopping center (with a Quiznos and a Starbucks) before turning around and heading back to the car.

On the way back, I enjoyed watching a group of sailboats before the sun set. Thanks to Yogi the dog's owner for letting me take a picture of Yogi playing with the frisbee/disk.

Wildlife Sightings:
37 pigeons; 20 geese (14 mixed, non-Canadian geese, 6 goslings -- 6 were white-fronted geese); 2 "domestic" ducks; 1 crow; 1 sea gull; 2 little brown jobs (LBJs); 2 balls; Yogi the dog w/ Frisbee in park; 2 Canada geese.

San Francisco - Pier 7 - Pier 39, Dec. 19, '09

Walking Distance: 1.67 miles
Walking Time: 2 hours (3:51 - 5:51 p.m.)
Start & End Point: Parking Lot, San Francisco, CA

Yes, another day of wonderful sights and tastes, and hardly any headway on the mileage/kilometer front. San Francisco, with its dramatic landscape, and so many points of interest, is an amazing place to walk and take pictures (and a great place to eat). Today's walk, north along The Embarcadero, straddled daytime and darkness (given that it's December). I passed restaurants, a local chocolatemaker, dinner theater/circus (Teatro Zinzanni), tour boats to Alcatraz, pedicabs, and glimpses of the Bay itself.

My turn-around point was Pier 39, a popular destination for visitors. On the walk back to the car, I stopped at chocolatemaker TCHO, on Pier 17. They had great hot chocolate; it was not too sweet. By the time I left TCHO it was dark, and I took pictures of tugboats, lighted skyscrapers, and antique rail cars and cable car buses zipping by. However, without a tripod, I ended up with a lot of blurry, artsy shots. (I no longer notice people's puzzled expressions while I take pictures of leaves on the sidewalk at night or teeter my little camera on top of a metal can.)

On a more serious note, I took some pictures this evening in honor of ex-colleague, and talented photographer, Neil Kelly, who died in a car accident on Highway 101 yesterday. Neil, you left us all too soon.

Wildlife Sightings:
12 sea gulls, 2 pigeons, and tourists/holiday revelers buzzing around Pier 39 area.