This inaugural tour is all about finding the heart of San Francisco.  Is it still the 1960s counterculture movement that for better or worse remains this city’s colorful legacy?  Or, is it really the neighborhood family-run food shop that quietly survives for decades, oblivious to the changes around it, that somehow surprises you with its overly gourmet offerings, in an overly gourmet city?  Or perhaps it’s the public park that brings members of this diverse community together for sun-soaked (or fog-soaked, as the case may be) weekend outings, full of music and flowers and all that you want this city to be.

So many options…

Day Trip to the Haight and Golden Gate Park (5 hours, 3 miles)

What you’ll need:

1. Comfortable walking shoes.
2. Backpack/messenger bag.
3. 4 or 5 butter knives.
4. A blanket (optional)
5. Book, magazine, or other reading materials.
6. $2 in exact change or a Clipper Card, for each person.

Recommended Itinerary

1. Shop for picnic supplies at Say Cheese in Cole Valley
2. Stroll through Haight Ashbury
3. Picnic on lawn of Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park
4. Get lost in the Golden Gate Park rambling landscape
5. Surface to stroll through Stow Lake and the San Francisco Botanical Garden
6. Exit park into Inner Sunset

 

 

1.       Shop for Picnic Supplies in Cole Valley

Our daytrip begins on the corner of Cole St and Carl St in San Francisco’s Cole Valley neighborhood.  You can either take the MUNI Metro N-Judah line to this intersection, or drive.  (See: How to Ride the MUNI Metro.)  If you are driving, I would recommend parking in the blocks bordered by Carl St and Clayton St.

Cole Valley has the feel of a quirky little mountain town, doesn’t it?  It’s just so picturesque, with the crepe place on the corner, and the local hardware store.  The looming hills in the background.  If you haven’t eaten breakfast yet, the Crepes on Cole shop is a good place to get your questionable breakfast on.  Nutella and whipped cream for breakfast?  With pleasure.  (They, of course, have more responsible things on the menu, if that is more your style.)

Your first stop of the day will be at the Say Cheese shop on Cole St, across the street from Crepes on Cole, to pick up picnic supplies.  Say Cheese is one of those unsung city establishments, who give us great food and excellent service year after year (or, in their case, 34 years), but will never show up on a best list or will never be the latest hot thing.  The shop has a lot to offer, and is quite small, so take your time to really look around and figure out what you want (smoked salted caramels, pickled cipollini onions, or perhaps raw lavender honey?)  They have a great selection of cheeses, in addition to a cured meat bar.  Pick out a few cheeses, or ask the man behind the counter to pick a cheese selection for you.  Remember to also buy water crackers and pick up some quince paste to eat with the cheese.  I’d also recommend the beautiful, homemade bonbons — downright velvety and not too sweet.   You won’t need to pick up beverages here, as we’ll buy them once we get closer to the park.

As you walk out of Say Cheese, continue to walk a few blocks down the hill.  The transition from Cole Valley, the type of neighborhood where houses proudly fly American flags and strollers litter front porches, to the Haight-Ashbury is oddly subtle.  Did you spot that tapestry in the 3rd storywindow?   Was that shade of blue on that house back there just a bit too electric?  The guessing game stops abruptly as you step onto Haight Street.

Sidenote: there is a very small coffee shop on Cole just before Haight St, if you’d like to pick up a warm beverage to hold onto during your stroll.  Turn right when you get to Haight Street.

 

 

 

2.       Stroll through the Haight

Oh, the mixed feelings that the Haight conjures!  This was the global epicenter of the counterculture movement in the ‘60s.  I mean, not only did the Grateful Dead live here, but so did Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.  And Jefferson Airplane.  Roughly 15,000 young men and women migrated from small towns and cities throughout the country to decamp right here, living communally in the Haight’s Victorians.  Stores opened on Haight St that gave all their merchandise away for free.  There were free street concerts and theater performances.  There was free food available every day at 4pm.  The LSD was even free.  (But, but…where did the money for this come from?  Are we not supposed to wonder how this all actually worked?)  During the Summer of Love in 1967, roughly 100,000 people traveled to the Haight to take part.

As you walk down Haight St, it is a bit difficult not to be reminded that this is merely a manufactured simulation of the counterculture movement for our own amusement and for someone else’s commercial gain.  Does it even mean anything anymore?  Does it inspire you?  I’m horrified to say that on my first visit — swerving between packs of tourists holding congress on narrow city sidewalks; seeing that American Apparel had raised its Helvetica flag on Haight St,  shilling its ill-fitting ironic yacht wear; eying the 3-figure price tags on most the clothes for sale here — you guys, I compared the Haight to DC’s Georgetown.

I went back, though, with an open mind, reminding myself of the history of the spot.  I needed to look past the commercial establishments (would Jerry have cared about the shops?  No, no he would not.)  I needed to look past the other people bumbling around trying to find what perhaps was lost.  First, I noticed these kids behind me – the young guy had noticed the graffiti on closed metal grates, and he was electrified, loudly exclaiming that it made him want to create something, that he needed to figure out who was behind this because he was missing out in this moment and he just couldn’t stand it.  (Is there anything purer than an artistic 18 yr old from the Midwest experiencing San Francisco for the first time?)  As I walked out of earshot, I once again happened on the American Apparel.  It looked particularly out of place today, what with its stark white-black minimalist sign, in such a colorful and vibrant neighborhood.  Then a couple kids walked past, and without even deigning to stop and take a look, exhaled a slew of expletives directed at American Apparel and Dov Charney.  So…maybe there’s hope?

(When you get to Belvedere, turn your head right and up to get a glimpse of some Banksy graffiti above the Villains Vault shop.  A bunch of his stuff popped up in the city this past Spring when his documentary came out.  Sigh.)

Take a right on Ashbury St.  On one hand, you should take a deep breath and start enjoying the scenery.  This is the kinder, gentler part of the Haight, and it’s time to embrace the laid back atmosphere.  (Has a band put up an impromptu concert on a random street corner, in tribute to this neighborhood’s history?  If so, by all means stop and listen for a moment.  They may actually be really, really good.)

On the other hand, there’s some historic business to get to the bottom of.  First, right before you turn onto Ashbury, at 1524A Haight, is Jimi Hendrix’s old apartment – sadly drab, huh?  Then, as you turn onto Ashbury, you’ll see a four story, pink apartment building on your right.  That would be one of Ms. Joplin’s homes, at 635 Ashbury.  As you walk another block, take note of an otherwise beautifully maintained Victorian at 710 Ashbury – the home of the Grateful Dead.  Across the street at 715, you have the home to the Hell’s Angels.  Take a moment to appreciate that these were real people, who all lived within blocks of each other.  Can you even imagine?

Walk slowly and savor the Victorians.  Take a look at the intricate painting detail.  Think about all the pride that went into picking out those color palettes, and the painter’s care in bringing all that detail to life.  They are gorgeous, and they really are some of the prettiest Victorians in San Francisco.

Stroll around a bit more, and walk back towards Golden Gate Park, walking parallel to Haight St.  When you get to Cole, venture back to Haight St, since no trip to the Haight is complete without a trip to Amoeba Records.  Go inside, look around, and don’t forget to give the guy behind the counter your messenger bag when you first walk in.

As you walk out of Amoeba Records, head into the bodega next door (you passed it before going into Amoeba).  They have an oddly good selection of cold beverages, right?  I love that.  Once you are loaded down with your new-to-you records, cheese shop provisions, and cold drinks, head across Stanyan St and into Golden Gate Park.

 

 

 

3.       Picnic at the Conservatory of Flowers

When you first enter the park, try to keep left so that you pass the little blue pond and see the tunnel before you.  (I don’t even want to get into why that poor pond has to be dyed such a dark hue of blue.)  The park opens up once you’ve emerged from the tunnel.  Have you gotten the happy-happy vibe yet?  The simple pleasure of a hippy family playing soccer in their Levi’s.  A bunch of old men congregated on a park bench playing an assortment of banjos.  The park is more Prospect Park than Central Park.  With its soft rolling hills and impossibly tall trees – it looks so natural that it is incomprehensible that a park commissioner designed it.

You’ll walk past the field on the left where the soccer game is going on, passing the park benches on your left, and amble up a path to your left.  You’ll quickly come to a very large open area, where it is likely that a sponsored event is taking place.  You’re going to want to walk diagonally across from it, towards the chain links that are the tennis courts.  Before you get to the tennis courts, there will be a path on your right that takes you up a hill into a grouping of trees.

At some point, as you’re cresting that little hill, you’ll start seeing the extremely white domes of the Conservatory of Flowers.  It’s so white it almost looks like a mirage – surely, it can’t possibly be real.  It will only continue to look more unreal as you get closer and the full ridiculous landscape comes into view – the palm trees!  The reddest flowers you’ve ever seen in your life!  The immaculate green lawn!  What in the world is this, right?  Well, it’s your picnic spot, so get yourself comfortable.

Find a spot on the lawn, perhaps semi tucked in between the flowers to give you some privacy.  Lay out your blanket and begin your picnic.  Try to get over how gorgeous this all is.

As if this isn’t mind boggling enough, the people watching is also pretty fantastic.  During our picnic, a multigenerational family taught its most recent addition, an adorable toddler with her hair in pigtails, how to ride a tricycle.  A tattooed, hipster couple on a date played an awkward game of catch to our left.  A young man drove by on his scooter, his Chihuahua peering out from under his legs, ready to take on the world in the way that small dogs do.  Surely, this is on candid camera, right?  A city can’t be this perfectly endearing, right?

Take as long as you want for your picnic.  Enjoy every second of this delightful day.  Read your book or magazine, or just laze about.  If you’re like me, draft the thank you letter to the Golden Gate Park Commissioners in your head, and plead with them to keep John F Kennedy Drive closed to auto traffic all year long and not just in the summer.

Once satiated and ready to move on, pack up your belongings and take a quick stroll around the Conservatory grounds.  The flowers are beautiful – I never knew dahlias came in so many varieties.  There are restrooms to the side of the Conservatory – they are actually clean and well maintained on first impression, but nothing you’d want to gloat about.

 

 

 

4.       Get lost in Golden Gate Park

At this point, it makes sense to just roam.  Go on, get yourself lost.  Every time I’ve walked through here, I’ve thought, “no no, now this must be the most beautiful spot in the park…”  It’s all quietly stunning and enjoyable, and the air is sweet with sage and fallen eucalyptus leaves.  Its greenery is much more diverse than Central Park — I walked through an ode to the tropics.  Hopefully, you’ll be startled when you happen to see the city skyline peeking through the trees.

 

 

 

5.       Surface to stroll through Stow Lake and the San Francisco Botanical Garden.

At some point during your ramble, you’ll have seen the deYoung Museum and Academy of Sciences complex.  (Feel free to enter either, but know that each will be a little crazed in the summer months.)  When you feel that you’ve rambled enough, walk towards where you think the Museums are.  As you walk west past the museum complex, you’ll see the Japanese Tea House.  To get to Stow Lake, walk up the path that runs behind the tea house.  The Botanical Garden’s entrance is east of Stow Lake, on Martin Luther King Drive.  (The Botanical Garden started charging $7 for admission, but it is still free for SF residents.)

Stow Lake has an other-worldy beauty about it, only to be matched by the smooth green domes of the Botanical Garden.  Where Stow Lake feels a bit rough and haphazard, the Botanical Garden looks a bit like a Japanese video game for little kids.  And I mean that in a good way.  It’s fun and lighthearted and makes you want to skip.

The Botanical Garden exits onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive, and as you approach the exit, you will get your first glimpses of the city’s streets.  Turn right as you exit the Garden.

 

 

 

6.       Exit into Inner Sunset

Walk out of Golden Gate Park and cross Lincoln Way.  You’ll immediately find yourself in the midst of San Francisco’s Inner Sunset neighborhood.  Feel free to continue exploring the neighborhood (Ebisu, on 9^th Avenue has particularly good sushi and Arizmendi Bakery, further up on 9^th, sells an array of baked products)

Cole Valley, where the tour began, is roughly a mile away, so I would highly recommend taking the MUNI Metro streetcar back to your car or back home.  The streetcar is rarely crowded at this location, and it will give you a chance to put your feet up for a quick ride back to your car.  The MUNI Metro N-Judah line stop is at 9^th and Irving (on the left side of the street as you’re walking away from the park).  The electronic sign inside the stop will tell you how long it will be until the next streetcar arrives.  (See: How to Ride the MUNI Metro.)