Fort Mason - Crissy Field - July 1, '12

Walking Distance: 2.9 miles
Walking Time: 2 hrs., 11 min. (4:09 - 6:20 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parking lot, near yacht harbor and Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA

I started this afternoon's walk in the fog at the marina near Fort Mason.  I back-tracked to go up through the park (Fort Mason Green) and over the hill behind Fort Mason, to the International Youth Hostel, at which point I turned around.

I walked back through the Green/park, enjoying dogs romping, people relaxing and having fun, and international visitors riding by on rented bicycles, speaking in at least four different languages.

My guess is that a few of them may have been commenting that they thought it might be less cool and foggy in California in the summer, and that they didn't realize that San Francisco would be this hilly. But, I could have been mistaken. Even on foggy days, I still love it here.

Once I'd returned to the Fort Mason parking lot, I walked into Fort Mason and around the facilities. I stopped at Greens Restaurant, a great place to eat with a view of the boats and marina, but they weren't quite open yet. So I continued walking.

I then followed the sidewalk/path west, along the San Francisco Bay toward Crissy Field. Along the way, I passed a some beautiful succulents and colorful flowers, and boats in the marina; and I watched a black-crowned night heron intently fishing on the pier.

I walked out toward St. Francis Yacht Club and the Golden Gate Yacht Club, on the way to see the wave organ, located out at the end of a point/breakwater. Once there, I stopped to listen to see if the "organ" was producing any special sound effect, but heard nothing. Perhaps it was just meant to be a sculpture after all. I did see several people enjoying this point though. It offered a relatively peaceful point, to gaze back at San Francisco and the Marina area.

I then returned to the main path and on to the edge of Crissy Field, making a short photo stop at Lyon and Marina to snap a pic of Palace of Fine Arts (a remnant of an international faire/exhibit last century) across the street, and walked back to car.

Wildlife Sightings:
22 little brown jobs (LBJs); 4 crows; 167 sea gulls; 2 blackbirds; 80 pigeons; 1 Western/Clarks Grebe; 2 cormorants; 3 brown pelicans; 2 black-crowned night heron; 2 swallows; 1 great blue heron