Nomad Life - Day 102

Even with the late bedtime last night, I still woke up (no alarm) at 0645.  I spent the morning reading and did puzzles/Duolingo in my room at The Dylan at SFO.  There was even time for surveys for cash (completed my goal for November) and breakfast (snacks).  Since my departure for the East Coast was less than 24 hours away, I continued sorting through bags.  I also set up my printer and finished paying bills for November.  There were a LOT of trips back and forth to the car...  By 1200, I decided I was ready to depart The Dylan Hotel and have an adventure in San Francisco.  I walked to nearby Millbrae Station and used my credit card to enter the BART system.  I was on a northbound train (we were at the end of the line) by 1215 and it departed the station by 1222.  The first stop was at SFO, where the train reversed direction (drove into the stop front first and then was driven from the old back towards the north).  By this time, I'd figured out that I was on a Red Line train, headed to Richmond.  Our route took us to Daly City (middle of San Francisco Peninsula) and then back to the northeast.  As we approached the city, it kept getting more crowded.  I suppose the nice weather was responsible for the volume... There was a nice mix of above ground and underground travel but I never got any good views of landmarks.  At 1305, I got off the train (Embarcadero Station).  When I came outside (to Market Street), I found that my light jacket was appropriate for the weather (breezy and 50s).  To start my first exploration of the city since 1984, I first walked around near the station and found some Cable Cars.  After doing some investigating, I discovered that it cost $9 to ride.  Having already had the experience in the 1970s and/or 1980s, I passed on the opportunity.  Nearby, I found a "I Heart SF" sign.  From there, I walked north towards the San Francisco Ferry Building - on the way, I encountered a tall statue of a naked woman in Embarcadero Plaza (a Google search revealed it was very controversial, was called "R-Evolution,” was created by Petaluma-based artist Marco Cochrane, and was erected in April 2025).  I crossed The Embarcadero and spent a little time walking around inside the Ferry Building.  From the north exit, I got views of the Oakland - San Francisco Bridge, Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island/  Walking parallel to the water and The Embarcadero, I passed lots of good restaurants and businesses; there were also lots of museums and food stands.  The weather was still nice (sunny) so there were lots of people outside.  At some point, I passed Pier 1 and then continued all the way to Pier 39.  This latter landmark was the beginning of the Fisherman's Wharf District and, when I was fully inside that famous area, I started getting hungry.  Meanwhile, I got good views of Alcatraz and explored some of the ferry options to reach that island (they were actually running).  There seemed to be many of ships to tour (e.g., Liberty Ship, Jeremiah O'Brien).  Turning around towards the south and west, I got glimpses of the Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower and Coit Tower.  Along the way, I took my photos of the tourist areas but kept looking for places to eat.  During this time period, I encountered several Waymo cars (driverless, autonomous taxis) and thought "yikes".  Bonus: I got glimpses (through a haze in the distance) of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Finally (1400), my stomach made me stop for food at Boudin's Sourdough Bakery & Cafe, where I ate some chili in a bread bowl and tried a local beer (Lobo's Hazy).  Everything was delicious!  After getting finished with my food (1435), I checked a map on the street and realized I was near two NPS Units.  The first one, San Francisco Maritime NHP, was located in an old hotel building at the western edge of the Cannery Row area of Fisherman's Wharf - I made sure to tour the displays in the Visitors Center (1445).  After checking out nearby Hyde Pier, I walked uphill for a little bit and found one of the famous steep streets of San Francisco..  Even better, there was a cable car track on it!  I didn't ride one but had a strange feeling that this was a place where I'd been with my family for just such an experience.  With the Deja Vu thoughts in my head, I walked around in the park nearby - it too seemed familiar - if not for being there before, then from movies I've seen about San Francisco.  I made my way around to the west end of Aquatic Park and out towards the end of the Bay - there were actually people swimming!  Continuing around the shoreline, passed Ghirardelli (1450) and entered the second NPS Unit: Golden Gate National Recreation Area (1500).  The Fort Mason unit was on a hill that overlooked the Bay and provided a batter view of the Golden Gate Bridge,  Sadly, the famous landmark was still too far, with haze, to be a good photo.  Overall, the walk provided lots of reminders of family trips I took in 1977/1979 and/or 1984.  At 1515, I started backtracking towards Fisherman's Wharf, looking for more historical landmarks.  Mostly, I just found good views but my route was slightly different from earlier in the day.  Instead, I found myself on Beach Street.  Unlike on the Embarcadero, there were almost no people but I traded the solitude for lots of road crossings.  Many street cars (not cable cars) passed me in this area.  I briefly returned to (the south side of) Embarcadero but then distanced myself again when I took a fork on to Battery Boulevard.  I got views of the tall buildings and hills while weaving my way (via some side streets) to the Embarcadero BART Station.  Along the way, I passed near the clock tower at the Ferry Building when it was chiming 4:00 PM.  Soon after, I entered the BART Station and used my credit card again to board a Red Line train that was headed to Millbrae.  When I checked my pedometer, I realized I'd walked almost six miles!  We departed at 1608 - the southbound ride (including the reverse direction swap at SFO) seemed much quicker.  We arrived at Millbrae by 1650 and I walked the short distance to The Dylan.  In my room again, I completed all administrative work required before my Monday (very early) morning departure.  Without realizing it, I skipped dinner.  Feeling ready for my trip, though, I headed to bed at 2130.  Nomad Life will be on pause while I take this business trip (booooo)...