As soon as Dori and I landed at San Francisco Airport on May 30, we were greeted by an exhibit about the city’s history entitled San Francisco: City of the World. I fondly remember my nights attending San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics games during my college days. Above is a photo of Giants legend Willie McCovey’s statue at Oracle Park in San Francisco. An “Indians of All Tribes” baseball from 1969 was on display along with a reference to how Native Americans occupied Alcatraz Island after the federal prison there was shuttered.
I had visited Alcatraz on previous occasions, but I did not recall the baseball field once used for recreation by incarcerated men. Even with lots of our gear in tow, I had to take a photo next to home plate. We enjoyed incredible views of San Francisco, Oakland, Marin County, and beyond.
Lombard Street was another must-see attraction. It’s known for being extremely crooked due to being situated on a steep hill. One street vendor asked if I was going to that night’s Giants game, and it only dawned on me later that I was wearing a Tokyo Giants shirt.
A highlight of the trip was our visit across the bay to Berkeley. We enjoyed lentil soup, pizza with sausage, and an apricot galette for dessert at Chez Panisse, the restaurant where I once celebrated my graduation with family.
Subsequently, we walked through my old stomping grounds, passing the library and Campanile clock tower. UC Berkeley was founded in 1868, and the campus feels like a forest in parts. I find it a beautiful refuge from the surrounding urban landscape.
After reaching the building where I used to rehearse with the Cal Band, we posed with the Golden Bear statue whose nose I rubbed for good luck before every home football game.
I even allowed Dori to become an honorary Bear for the night.
Over the years I enjoyed some incredible basketball games at Haas Pavilion, and the band performances there were more relaxed than during football season. The last time I visited a Hall of Fame within, I saw a photo of myself. A true moment captured in time, I’m decked out in my Straw Hat Band uniform cheering behind Cal big man Amit Tamir circa 2004.
In the 1960s, artist Ruth Asawa gained recognition for her looped-wire sculptures, and I have enjoyed seeing her work at a variety of museums. However, the best and most comprehensive overview of her career is now on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I enjoyed learning about how she also created large public installations. There’s even a video showing how she taught children in the Bay Area to appreciate art.
Dori loved the Wayne Thiebaud exhibit she saw at the Laguna Art Museum, so we jumped at the chance to see more of his art at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor. Here we are in front of Buffet which he painted in the early 1970s. The exhibit focused on his borrowing of ideas from artists throughout history to create his own unique work.
The Golden Gate Bridge was picturesque as always. We met some whipping wind on our way back from the center of the span, then got into a rideshare driven by a Massachusetts-born gentleman who had called the Bay Area home for decades.
Stay tuned for Part 2, which will go out early to paid subscribers!