Travel Biography Photo Extravaganza - Part 22.

A day spent riding a hired bicycle across San Francisco.

San Francisco in Northern California was the final stop of the 1995 one-month backpacking trip to the USA before boarding a United Airlines flight home to London. On one particular day, a Sunday, I hired a bicycle from the hostel where I was staying. The streets of the city were surprisingly deserted as I rode along Market Street to arrive at Embarcadero Plaza, which featured the Vaillencourt Fountain, considered by many to be the city's ugliest monument (featured in last week's album and pictured below).

Indeed, whilst I was standing by it, I thought the monument was ugly. But at least the fountain was fully functional. If it was turned off, as it sometimes was, it would appear as a meaningless tangle of square piping that wasn't far off from looking a bit like an industrial wasteland or rubbish tip. Yet, I wasn't put off by the sight. I recognised it as a work of art, and some advocates would defend the monument as a unique work of sculpture. I would recommend anyone to take a look and draw their own conclusions.

Vaillencourt Fountain, San Francisco.

From the Embarcadero, I cycled along the coastline of the peninsula, passing one pier after another until I arrived at Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, the beating heart of the city's tourism. If the business side of the city was deserted, as it was a Sunday, it was here at Fisherman's Wharf where crowds of sightseers mingling with the locals began to assemble as the streets were busier with traffic.

San Francisco covers the northern tip of a natural peninsula; thus, an inlet from the Pacific Ocean separates the city from the peninsula on the other side of the inlet, Marin County. The inlet leads to a lagoon, known as the San Francisco Bay, while the name of the inlet itself is the Golden Gate. The famous Golden Gate Bridge connects the two peninsulas, San Francisco to Marin County. Also, Highway 80 carries traffic across the bay to Oakland, passing through a tunnel at Yerba Buena Island, one of three islands in the lagoon (the others being Alcatraz and Angel Island). It was on Route 80 from where I arrived in San Francisco from Los Angeles, the Americruiser stopping at Oakland before heading towards the bay and passing through Yerba Buena Island. 

Hence, by cycling along the northern coastline of the city, I arrive at the Presidio, a one-time Spanish military and defence area transformed into a park. From here, I had access to the bridge, which carries a combined foot and cycleway which runs alongside Route 101 into Marin County and beyond.

Having parked the bike at a safe place in Marin County, from the Golden Gate viewpoint, I enjoyed a magnificent view of the city skyline, albeit the milky sky partially obscured the horizon; nevertheless, the view of the bridge with ships sailing through the inlet provided a spectacular sight.

After this, it was afternoon. I rode back into the city from the lookout and headed into Golden Gate Park, the "proper" recreational area of San Francisco. This included the Japanese Gardens with their oriental pavilions. The whole park is a strip of greenery over three miles in length. My original intention was to reach the Pacific beach, but as I kept on pedalling, I was wondering just how far I needed to go. I wasn't even halfway to the beach when I arrived at Blue Heron Lake, which was dominated by Strawberry Hill, a conical area of forested high ground surrounded by the lake, the hill giving the lake an appearance of a ring when seen from above. Near the summit of Strawberry Hill, there was a small pond. Water drained from this pond to the lake below via Huntington Falls. Although man-made, the whole area was well forested, giving the environment the full appearance of a natural cascading waterfall.

With nobody else around, I left my bike leaning, unlocked, against a tree, and explored the area, taking in the beauty of the lake and the waterfall. Yet, I also felt a sense of unease. I eventually returned to where I left the bicycle, only to see a stranger gazing at it. I asked him if there was a problem, and informed him that the bike was mine. He warned me to lock it up in the future, as he was about to take it when I suddenly appeared.

I was visibly shaken. I was a hair's breadth from having the joy of the entire 1995 holiday destroyed! The whole month spent in the USA was meant to be a therapeutic tonic after the 1994 Israel disaster. One act of stupidity would have undone every good memory attained on this trip. Chances were that I would have had my passport retained by the hostel management, had the bike disappeared, and quite likely miss the flight home if I had to remain in San Francisco to find a way to reimburse. Not to mention the extra payment to the airline for the booking amendment. That was just my theory. On the other hand, I might have received a stern rebuke and been told to vacate my room, taking my passport with me, after they had decided not to own and hire out another bike.

But I was fortunate. I felt a massive sense of relief as I mounted and rode into town, and handed the bicycle back to its owners without a word spoken.

Just to note, not all the pics in this album were from the cycle ride. Pictures of Hyde Pier, and on board the "Balclutha", were taken on a different day, in fact, on the first day after I arrived from Los Angeles earlier that morning. Although I did cycle to Pier 39, not all the pics were taken on the same day. In all, I spent five days in San Francisco altogether.

For the Index to the main Biography, click here. San Francisco 1995 is covered in Weeks 70-72.

Photos of the San Francisco Cycle Ride.

 The Bay Bridge passes through Yerba Buena Island.

Fisherman's Wharf and Grotto.

Looking across San Francisco Bay.

Looking out through the Golden Gate towards the Ocean.

"Hercules" is moored at Hyde Pier.

A small Paddle Steamer at Hyde Pier.

On board the tall ship, the "Balclutha".

The city skyline as seen from the "Balclutha".

Posing at Hyde Pier. The "Balclutha" is on the left.

City skyline from Pier 39.

At Pier 39.

Fisherman's Wharf.

Pier 39, a top tourist spot.

Pier 39, a kind of Disneyland-on-Sea.

View of Pier 39 marina.

There's even a sea lion sanctuary.

Fisherman's Wharf with the city background.

The Coit Tower and the Pyramid are seen from Pier 39.

Bay Walk.

There were many moored fishing boats at the Wharf.

The statue of Irvin Morrow, the designer of the Bridge.

An exhibit of a short section of its cable.

Each cable has 27,572 wires!

The fort was a hostel in the 1970s.

I rode on the designated path.

Until I got to the other side, in Marin County.

Horseshoe Bay, Marin County.

Yes, my hired bike. Now you believe me?

A cargo ship passes under the bridge.

The view of the bay from the Golden Gate Lookout.

A steamer sails through the Golden Gate inlet.

The city skyline and the Bridge from the Lookout.

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Japanese Gardens, Golden Gate Park.

A raised Pavilion, Japanese Gardens.

Reflections at the Park.

A Roman-style footbridge spans Blue Heron Lake.

Ducks add extra life to the lake.

I cross onto Strawberry Hill.

I admire Huntington Falls...

While I leave my bike unattended.

The creek flows to the lake.

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Next Week: I tour inside Alcatraz Prison before meeting a long-standing friend.