Captivated Me

Hello, San Francisco.  Oh, we finally got a chance to meet…

I sit right now at the Big Basin Cafe in Saratoga, sipping cinnamon chai, delighting in the cool, sunny Sunday morning, and trying to forget the aching in my feet and legs from yesterday’s 6-hour hike around San Francisco.  I headed to the City by the Bay Saturday morning with camera in hand and a half-plan in mind, essentially certain of nothing but the direction that I should head to get there: North.

While there is something to be said for the tranquil ambiance that settles over the hills of Los Gatos each day, I’ve got to say I miss the hustling and bustling that so characterizes city life.  The stop lights, the crosswalks, the bus stops, the buildings, the coffee shops, the diversity, the endless assortment of things to do and people to meet.  The feeling of being blissfully lost in such a densely populated and massive expanse.  The triumph of managing to find that place that you’re looking for after an embarrassing number of wrong turns.  Four years in Minneapolis exposed me to these same things, but San Francisco takes it to a whole new wonderful level.

My day was filled with warm sand and sunshine, cool breezes, a long walk along the northern end of the southern bay area, breathtaking views of America’s favorite bridge,  the sound of coastal waters lapping rhythmically on the shore, a street-side art showcase, and over 1,000 pictures taken to document my first trip to San Francisco: