Sunday in the Park

My roommate, a friend of mine from law school, decided to move in with her boyfriend so I had to decide whether to move somewhere else myself, or stay here and find a roommate. Neither option sounded very appealing. But, one thing I like about our current location is how close it is to Golden Gate Park. Every Sunday (well..almost every Sunday) I run from our apartment, through the park, to the ocean, run along the beach a bit, and then head back. Doing my daily commute every day, I often forget how pretty this city can be, and how we are in fact, right along the ocean. Every time I do this run I am reminded what a great city this is. Most of the time. As you look at the pictures below, try and find the homeless man. It'll be like "Where's Waldo." Anyway, I thought I would take you along.

After about 1/4 mile I come upon the new De Young Museum. Locals fall into two camps. Those who believe the museum is an incredibly progressive piece of architecture and those who believe it looks like a thinly-disguised aircraft carrier and that it's an eyesore in a beautiful park. The outside of the museum is made of copper, so as it ages, it will actually start turning green and blend in a bit more with the background.


The botanical garden is across the street. After dodging bus loads of tourists, I manage to find some lesser known paths and distance myself from the museum.
There are just tons of little surprises along the way to keep it interesting. Every time I go, I see something new. This mangled tree is just an odd sight.


You can actually feel the micro climates change around you. You go from the open and developed areas of the museum and the environs, to sort of arid parts with large meadows, to areas that could be out of the Lord of the Rings.
And finally, at the end of the park, you hit the Pacific.

These guys make me nervous. They ride in these things that look like big wheels, and use giant kites to pull them along the beach. But sometimes the kites come crashing down. I just hope I'm never under one when it happens.

Sandpipers having brunch
That's a lot of birds.
My attempt at an artsy shot


Crazy windmill at the end of the park, right on the ocean. You can see Sutro Tower in the background. It must be a clear day.
Nice pretty small kite that doesn't worry me.

Ok, back into the park.

Calla Lilies abound.
Not sure which one, but some cute little man-made lake in the park. At Stowe lake you can rent paddle boats and get ice cream. Someone must have planted these in the tree trunk, right? Could that happen naturally?
This is what originally gave me the idea to take my camera along one of these days. I think it looks like a wave from one of those old Japanese paintings. But it's completely natural, made of undergrowth. But doesn't it look like a wave just waiting to crash on an unsuspecting park-goer?

Finally getting back to civilization. Not far from the De Young Museum, is the Japanese Tea Garden.
Round-trip this is about 7 miles. Boy do I need a shower .