Tuesday and Wednesday in SF

Tuesday morning on my way to the Asian Art Museum, I stopped at the Public Library. Loved the place. They had an exhibit of student work that gave me an idea about how to handle the tunnel book I've been mulling over for the last year. There were lots of books, lots of computers for patron use, interesting sculpture. A special room, the Chinese Center had books in both English and Chinese, many with wonderful Chinese paintings.

On to the Asian Art Museum, across the plaza. A huge exhibit of Japanese prints had just ended, much to my regret. I started to walk around the museum as they recommend in their guide, from the top down, and realized it was just like the Asian art survey course I took last summer. A tour of the Korean and Japanese areas was offered at 1 pm, and I was the only person who showed up for it. I had a lovely visit with the docent. found out lots of things about the museum and a little more about Korean and Japanese art. The most interesting thing she told me was that the museum wanted to double their space; they were easily able to show twice as many objects. I hope they succeed in their efforts while I am still able to come and see their collections.

I tried to get back to the hotel every afternoon to rest up a bit and to do my leg exercises. Then I walked up Grant Street to City Lights Bookstore. That was one of my favorite places when we lived in California. I didn't really remember it, but I loved all the books. Grant Street is all honky tonk Chinatown: lots of junk for sale. At one time it was enthralling to me; now I've seen too much. But it was a beautiful day, the entire week was beautiful. I enjoyed the walk.

Wednesday was the day: walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. This is the third major bridge I've now walked across, joining the Brooklyn Bridge and the George Washington Bridge. I think I can do one more in New York: the Manhattan Bridge. I have to find more, the requirement being the bridge has to be more than a mile long. Golden Gate is 1.7 miles, according to the tourist office. I had neglected to ask what I would find when I got to the other side. How would I return. I wanted to take the ferry from Sausalito, but the end of the bridge is not walking distance from Sausalito. Finally found out where I could get a bus, which arrived after about a 45 minute wait. I had ice cream for lunch in Sausalito, got on the ferry, saw the other side of Alcatraz and had coffee in the ferry terminal back in SF. Here is a slide show of my walk on the bridge.

Comments

[stacie]

What great pics...and congrats on the bridge walk...was it terribly windy?

[Mage Bailey]

I'm captivated. You have swept me off my feet, and to make it even better there was a cruise ship just leaving as you were on your walk. Thanks so much for shar8ing this and these.