San Francisco (Part One)

Okay, time to wrap up my great adventure travelog with my final destination: San Francisco. I traveled from Seattle to the Bay Area via Amtrak train. It was an overnight train and I have to say, after my wonderful experience on Via Rail in Canada, it was pretty disappointing. (The bed, especially, was super uncomfortable.) But the sights were still beautiful.

Especially when we hit this crazy snow storm in Oregon.

Now, the main reason for my visit to San Francisco (which, along with New York and Montreal, was one of the few cities I had been to before) was to research my untitled Medusa girls trilogy. The trilogy is set in San Francisco and I really wanted to have a better feel for the city before I finished writing the first book. Boy did I get it!

Amtrak delivered me (via Thruway bus service) to the city in the morning. I picked up a week long visitor's passport, good for rides on any Muni transport, including cable cars, and then headed to my ultra fabulous hotel in Japantown, the Hotel Tomo. (Next time I visit, I'll we definitely stay there again.)

I was lucky that the hotel had a room ready so early. Not wanting to waste time, I dumped my stuff, freshened up, and headed out on the town. First, I explored Japantown a bit and had a delicious lunch, which included my first taste of kimchee. Sooo spicy!

Fortified by a great meal, I headed out to explore new areas of the city. My first quest: Pacific Heights. I wandered up the quaint Cottage Row, a short strip of early 19th century clapboard cottages from pre-Victorian San Francisco.

Then I climbed a hill. A really, really, really high hill. Of course, all the hills in San Francisco are really, really, really high. Which is why they need signs like this:

But I think this one was extra high.

I was rewarded for my efforts, though. At the top of the hill was Lafayette Park, a beautiful square of green with more hills, winding paths, and big shady trees. And across the street from the park on the east side was this house:

My first research success! This is (the model for) the house of Greer Morgenthal, one of my Medusa girls. (Her house is light gray, though, with gold highlights, and it has a turret. But still!)

I wandered around Pacific Height a while more, snapping tons of pictures of breathtaking Victorian mansions. I found my way down to Filmore (maybe my favorite street in the city) and Tully's coffee shop. After a little work and a caffeinated beverage, I decided to bus it down to Fisherman's Wharf. On the way, I found my second research success.

This is (the model of) Grace Whitfield's apartment building. (Only hers is less Spanish colonial and more Art Deco. But still!)

Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39, actually) was typical. Packed with tourists, street performers, and probably a pickpocket and con artist or two. I had some delicious clam chowder and watched the sea lions from the Sea Lion Cafe.

And I love the guy at the street end of the pier who plays his, uh, whatever beneath the giant flowering crab. (Yes, that's what I said!)

Whew! All of that on my first day. Don't want to overload the blog, so I'll divide the San Francisco portion of the trip into three parts. Tune in tomorrow for Part Two.

Hugs,
TLC