Local Tourists - Fort Point

You know how when you get back from a really great vacation, you get the post-vacation blues? I got hit hard after spending a glorious week in the Keys. Back to the daily grind.... and no more snorkeling. (Snorkling isn't something you can do in the Califronia Bay Area. Visibility is 0 and anyone who can stand more than 2 minutes in the ocean without going numb should be scientifically studied.) To combat the reality that we probably won't be going to the Keys again any time soon, Connor and I have decided to be local tourists and do some aggressive sight seeing here at home. We started out with Fort Point.

Thank-you to the nice lady who took our picture

I didn't even know Fort Point existed until about a week ago. I was researching a possible hike by the Sutro Baths when I came across it. (I was looking to see where to get a Golden Gate Bridge patch. Who's surprised? Probably no one. It's a new obsession.) And I think I know exactly why. It's located under the Golden Gate Bridge. Unless you are walking along the bay side of the bridge it just isn't very visible.

It was a really neat place to see though. Fort Point was built around the American Civil War to defend the bay. Connor and I noticed that it had many architectural similarities with the Dry Tortugas' Fort Jefferson. The brick arches were laid similarly and the number of levels on the building were identical. Or would have been if Fort Jefferson had been completed.

We ate lunch by Fort Point before deciding to walk across the Golden Gate. It looked like there once was a path from Fort Point to the bridge path. That is closed, so there is a longer route to take instead. We walked 2.6 miles (4k) from Fort Point to the vista point across the other side of the bridge, then another 2.6 miles back. It was a lovely day and we both shed our coats part way through the walk. But we were both ready to sit down after all our exploring.

No fog in Fogust? That would be my storm-like superpowers coming into play.

Through my research, I had found several possible shop locations with patches. The Fort Point gift shop ended up being the only one we went to that we could find what were were looking for. (And that included the Warming Hut and the Golden Gate Pavilion.) We chose a Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, and Alcatraz patch. Connor and I have been to Alcatraz independently of knowing each other. I figure we earned it. After walking the bridge, we also picked up a magnet for the fridge and got one of those state park stamps on a bit of paper from the pavilion.

I'm excited about the idea of being a local tourist. There are many places that are within 4 hours of us and could be done as a weekend trip. Has anyone else been doing local tourism? Are there places you've been dying to go but just haven't yet?

Golden Gate Bike Adventure

I had quite the adventure on Saturday. My friend Rachael picked me up and we went over to San Francisco.

 

This would be a rare summer day where the Golden Gate isn't covered by fog

Before the bike ride we went to the farmer's market at the Ferry Building. We both bought some fancy cheese. I got the Bleu Mont and Red Hawk. Both are quite yummy.

Among other things, Rachael bought some fancy mushrooms. 

After putting our groceries in a cooler in the car, we picked up our bikes and went from the Bay Bridge...

 

Across the Golden Gate Bridge. (Thanks to the guy with pretty grey/blue eyes who lead us through some weird construction traffic and gave us directions to the bridge.)

All the way to Sausalito. We had lunch before getting on the ferry. The fog started to roll over the hills as we skimmed across the water.

All in all it was a wonderful day. It was a 9 mile ride, but it felt like more due to the wind we were riding into. You can see part of our ride in the picture below. We started at the bridge on the left side and went along the entire shoreline.

Now back to work on The Book. 

California Coast Road Trip Pt.2

Morning broke at Fort Bragg. After breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and hurried down to Glass Beach. Glass Beach used to be the dump at Fort Bragg. It was cleaned up, but the glass was left. Over time the waves smoothed each sharp piece into a pebble.

It's prohibited to take glass from the beach. We tried to see how many shades of glass we could find, although once we were done we left it behind for the next person to enjoy.

On our way out of Fort Bragg I saw glass jellyfish in the window of a building. A quick U-turn took us to the Glass Fire gallery. The owners were in their studio making another beautiful jellyfish. We watched nearly the whole process. Buster and Trish are amazing artists. They kindly explained different parts of their process. If you ever have a chance to visit, it is worth the time.

After watching a jellyfish being born, it was hard not to leave without one. Dad got a Moon Jelly. I got myself one of the abalone pottery pieces. One day, if my budget ever allows it, I'd love to get one of the jellyfish lamps. They let us know that they ship worldwide. I'd better start saving.

The rest of our drive down Highway 1 was pretty uneventful. Although we did reach the Marin headlands at the perfect time. The sun was setting as I got this image.

Despite living fairly close to the Golden Gate my entire life, I've never gotten a jumping picture... until now. It took a few tries to get a good shot. I had initially forgotten to tuck in my shirt. It was less than flattering.

Darkness crept in as we crossed. I got the shot I had always wanted to, but never had the right lens for. It doesn't look like it, but we were nearly under the tower when I took this. And it doesn't matter how many times you cross it; the bridge is always impressive.

We picked up Scooter that night from our friend's house. He was a good house guest. Thank goodness.