City dwellers generally have no business going out in the middle of a lake on a row boat. This whole trip was one of the funniest things we’ve ever seen or been a part of. While I was trying to get our boat to quit hydroplaning all over the place, a boat next to us rotated in aggressive and increasingly apopleptic circles. A five year old actually nya-nyad at me as her dad sped her past us, and another boat lost an oar. People on the shoreline yelled out encouragement, when they weren’t doubled over laughing. (We later saw those same folks try out rowing for themselves, confident they surely couldn’t be worse.)
So, this trip is best when you have no desire to get anywhere fast. We spent a relaxing morning rowing with the ducks at Stow Lake. Later, we walked through the vibrant and blooming Golden Gate Park Rose Garden. Finally, we have shabu shabu at the Shabu House in the Richmond District. It was a day of new experiences and making fools of ourselves.
Rowing Boats in Golden Gate Park (4 walking miles, 1 rowing mile, 8 hours)
Recommended Itinerary:
1. Head to Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake
2. Rent a row boat or pedal boat at Stow Lake’s Boathouse
3. Snacks at Stow Lake Boathouse
4. Stop to smell the roses at the Golden Gate Park Rose Garden
5. Stroll through the Richmond District
6. Dinner at the Shabu House
What you’ll need to bring:
1. Sneakers/sturdy flat shoes
2. Jacket and scarf
3. Umbrella
4. $4 in MUNI fare
1. Head to Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake
The best way to get here is on the MUNI metro N-Judah line, exiting at 9th and Irving in the Inner Sunset, then walking two blocks north along 9th Street. You can alternatively take the N-Judah to Cole Valley, and walk through the Haight. If you’re coming from the North part of town, the MUNI 38 Geary bus is your best bet. (See how to ride the MUNI Metro and how to ride the MUNI bus.)
There are only a few entrances to Stow Lake, so getting there is a bit tricky. As you enter the park, veer left onto Martin Luther King Jr Drive and turn right onto Stow Lake Drive.
Probably due to the few entrance points, Stow Lake is as serene as Golden Gate Park gets. A pathway winds itself around the lake, where you can see families of ducks traveling in a straight line and turtles sunbathing on tree limbs jutting out of the lake. The people are also friendlier here – everyone smiles at each other. Elderly folks sit on park benches, feeding the geese and kids run circles around their strolling parents. A massive island juts out in the middle of the lake, connected to the paths with stone bridges. Add in the abundant greenery and blooming flowers, and you have yourself quite a beautiful Sunday morning.
It doesn’t matter which way you walk on the path, the boathouse will be midway down the path.
2. Rent a Row Boat or Pedal Boat at the Stow Lake Boathouse
Whether you rent a row boat or pedal boat depends on your oar skills and how healthy your sense of humor is. Either choice costs $20/hr, and we were able to paddle around the lake in slightly less than an hour. If you want to stay out longer, we did see people on pedal boats picnicking in the middle of their excursion, which seems like a pretty fun idea.
My husband, born in the Southwest, had never rowed a boat before. This seems like a necessary life skill, right? Isn’t that what summer camps are for? Him: “Not when your summer camp is in the Arizona desert.” Fine.
Our sense of humor was intact, though, as the San Francisco winds literally lifted our boat and hydroplaned us all over Stow Lake. We attracted mallard ducks, following in our wake and tsk tsking at our lack of control. People along the shoreline cheered us on like we were a crew team (and, mocked my husband when it was my turn to row. As he yelled out to them, “The key to a happy marriage is knowing your strengths.”)
The crazy part is that we were the most skilled of the rowers that day. One boat thought they were in a canoe, with one oar per person. Don’t do that people, it’ll just make you go in circles…as that couple did. And then the yelling and the disdain and tears… There is no shame in renting a pedal boat for the health of your relationship.
After about an hour, it’s time to get back on sturdy, not-moving-out-from-under-you land… and point and laugh at everyone else for a change.
3. Snacks at the Stow Lake Boathouse
You might not be hungry at this point, but I just wanted to say that the boathouse has a wonderful selection of snacks. I suppose that’s only appropriate in the food snootiest city in the country. The piece de resistance, for me, was the veggie hot dog. I’ve started buying veggie hot dogs whenever I can, hoping that it encourages more and more vendors to offer them.
Near the boathouse, there are picnic tables where you can sit and look out on the water. It’s also an excellent spot to dog watch – one lucky dog even got a trip on a row boat himself (with his owner straining at the leash, what with the ducks everywhere enticing the dog overboard.)
When you’re rested, it’s time to walk out of Stow Lake and head towards the Rose Garden. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, you can cross one of the bridges on Stow Lake and hike to the island’s peak — there are great views of downtown SF and the Golden Gate Bridge from the top.
4. Stop to smell the roses at the Golden Gate Park Rose Garden
The Rose Garden was a surprise and an absolute delight. The Northern California climate and Golden Gate Park gardeners conspire to produce bountiful blooms almost throughout the year. Varietals are in bloom from May to September, and then again during the winter months – roses bloom twice a year in Northern California.
From behind the boathouse, you can walk along a pedestrian pathway to John F. Kennedy Drive. Take a right. After a few hundred feet, the Rose Garden will be on the edge of the road on your left.
The Rose Garden has 60 plots over nearly an acre, with seemingly a different varietal for every plot. Each plot has a placard letting you know what the varietal is (and, roses have the best names, so read carefully) and what awards it has won.
I highly recommend taking along your digital camera. You could spend hours here just taking photos.
5. Stroll through the Richmond District
I had this fear that all my daytrips involve a trip to Golden Gate Park followed by a walk to the Richmond. But, this is actually what we do, almost every weekend.
You’ll see the exit to the park from the Rose Garden. Cross Fulton Street and then cross the Park Presidio highway.
We have already walked along much of Clement and much of Geary, so we decided to see what Balboa had to offer. It is slightly more residential than Clement or Geary, and so it is much quieter and a more pleasant stroll.
As the weather turned from windy to misty, we ducked into Simple Pleasures Café on Balboa between 35th and 36th Ave. It was fantastic and exactly what we needed. We each ordered hot chocolates and sunk into one of their numerous, mis-matched couches. The café was nearly packed but it was still comfortable and intimate.
6. Dinner at Shabu House
If you haven’t been to a shabu shabu or hot pot restaurant yet, you really do have to go. Your table is outfitted with built-in pots of boiling broth or water, and you are given the raw ingredients and sauces. From there, you can create a soup or just cook your meats and vegetables in the stock and eat as is. There is really no wrong way to go. (If you’re thinking that you might screw up the broth or mixture somehow and it won’t taste good – each ingredient tastes so good that there is no wrong combination.)
The Richmond is seemingly home to every shabu shabu restaurant in the city. Our choice was the Shabu House on Geary between 15th and 16th Avenue. It is modern and crowded, even when we showed up for dinner around 5pm. The tables are only outfitted with one built-in pot, so if you and your guests want to cook different foods or want to use a different broth base, head to the counter where you each get your own pot.
The menu is short, and there is no way to go wrong. You have to choose between two broths or water for your cooking base. I chose the spicy miso and was really happy with it. My husband chose water and wished he’d chosen my broth.
The dinner was so great that we were halfway through our food (eating it Tasmanian devil style) before I thought to take a photo of it. My husband got the thin sliced beef, and I’m not sure he came up for air before the whole platter of beef was gone. He then forced a friend of his to go to shabu shabu less than a week later.
(If you haven’t been to shabu shabu before, you’ll likely feel overwhelmed with all the various dishes and sauces and whatnot to choose from. Don’t worry, everyone’s method is different and there is no wrong way to go. We copied the table next to us – flavor the broth with the condiments available, dunk the vegetables/meat in the broth until you think it’s cooked. Take it out of the broth, dunk in the soy sauce concoction, smear some sesame goop on top and eat. Delicious!)
After dinner, you can head home or possibly head to the Four Star Movie Theater on Clement. Either way, you’ll likely have to take the MUNI 38 or 38X Geary home. If you’re traveling far, make sure to walk to an express stop and get on the 38X.
