San Francisco

My inner-child ran wild at the Exploratorium science museum today. So many curious displays and contraptions to tinker with. The exhibition about “seeing” was naturally my favorite. The human body is amazing, especially the mind. While exiting the Exploratorium, I wandered through the gift shop (of course). I found a brilliant t-shirt that I just had to have. It illustrates the significance of a unique perspective (and the Exploratorium’s crossword puzzle answer.)

Nothing can beat the views from The Presidio of San Francisco. I was able to see the entire San Francisco Bay out to the ocean and a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge! The park is sprawling and I was able to visit only a few of the many sites. Many visitors centers, historic sites and works of art are located throughout the area. It served as a military installation for over 200 years and was officially transferred to the National Park Service in 1994. As I walked through the ruins of the East Battery structure, the old concrete walls seemed oppressive yet protective, a very similar feeling to Alcatraz. In one of the barracks, I saw a peculiar sentence etched into one of the doors. At first I dismissed it as graffiti, but I’m certain it contains more than at first glance. It said, “Victor traveled to India with Sierra where they performed a passionate Tango on top of mount Alfa.” Scroll down for a hint: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...

Getting around San Francisco proved to be quite the challenge. Driving in the city is out of the question as traffic is a nightmare wherever you go! So I tried out the public transportation. Having been spoiled in Paris with their Métro system, SF’s Muni was a disappointment. It is much more complicated and not as convenient. I thought biking might be the way to go. The Bay Area Bike Share offers over 700 bikes at 70 stations to promote this growing transportation movement. However, the hilly city is brutal. There must be another option for getting around. Maybe the compass I was given points in the right direction (and crossword puzzle answer). I swear I've seen that eye logo somewhere before... Scroll down for a hint: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Find the eye logo elsewhere in your materials and the compass will lead...

The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood was delightful to visit. I was a bit surprised by all the great restaurants and shopping since I was visiting to explore the site that is so synonymous with the birth of the hippie movement. After grabbing some Thai food, I made my way to Hippie Hill at the Golden Gate Park and listened to the drum circles and admired the sights. An older man with long graying hair and a tie-dyed poncho walked over to me as I strolled along to get my attention. He was wide-eyed and confused. His friends had just given him a logic problem that he was at a loss to solve. “Can you help me?” He asked. “Star and Aspen together have 13 flowers in their hair while Star and Paisley have 15. If Star and Cloud have 12 flowers as does Aspen and Paisley, how many flowers does Cloud have in her hair?” I had to really think this one through!