Yesterday, I met a truly avid traveler. She was teaching a Travel Writing class I attended, and has written a multitude of travel articles for newspapers, magazines, anthologies and online blogs. I certainly felt like I was getting my moneys worth with all the information and guidance exhibited by her 30 years of experience. It was that class which spurred me on to create yet another blog. What can I say, I’m addicted. But how, you may be asking, can I regularly post my traveling experiences when I travel once a year at the most. Traveling doesn’t require a plane ticket, or car for that matter. “You are traveling when you step out of your door”, says my travel writing guru. It was then that I decided to take her advice and start writing immediately about my “travel” experiences. I am after all living in one of the most sought after travel destinations in the world. Who wouldn’t recognize the red arching symbol of this “airconditioned” city – the Golden Gate Bridge?
San Francisco is full of interesting places, which I admit I have been taking for granted. The looming mother of all earthquakes should really put things in perspective. I was in Union Square when the medium intensity earthquake hit SF and cracked the Bay Bridge. Supposedly, not “the big one”. When the big one will hit nobody knows for sure. But, amazingly enough it doesn’t deter anyone from coming for a visit or settling down. Including me.
SF is a diverse community. Hence, culturally rich with ethnic and gourmet food, artists, music festivals, Victorian and modern architecture, independent movie festivals and lots of other goodies. Each district has its own unique flavor, from the historic Haight with its hippie style, to the Marina with its yachts and yuppies. SF has several distinct neighborhoods, one can go around the world in a matter of minutes. We have the Italian North Beach, the Chinese China Town and the Latin Mission. We also have the gay neighborhood of Castro. Although, I’m not gay, there was a time when I was spending all my Saturday nights at the clubs and eating establishments of the Castro (that’s what happens when you have a self-centered gay cousin to hang out with).
The climate in SF is a quirky characteristic of the city. It would be wise to use an outfit that would suit both warm and cool weather. A couple of blocks or a span of one day and the weather could change from chilly to summery. I usually wear light clothing with a coat or warm jacket. The reason for this odd condition is a combination of SF’s Mediterranean climate, hilly nature and coastal location, which tend to create micro-climates within the city. I also never wear open-toe sandals, it just doesn’t work when your walking down hill.
