San Francisco – pt 5
We took the bus from Market Street to the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco.
Although Mike was born after the “summer of love” was in full swing, he’s a fan of many of the music greats that came from that generation. His beautiful wife, who lived in the area for a stint during those days, remains a flower child at heart.
One of a couple street musicians that I paid for the privilege to photograph.
No comment here!
While the area remains quite colorful, and hints of the lifestyle linger, much of the area is a tourist destination filled with all types of kitschy and cute flower-power things available to purchase.
If you’re an artist, you may want to schedule a stop at Mendels Far Out Fabrics. They have a great selection of art supplies, fabrics, fake furs, fabric paints, and all types of interesting things. And, if you’re not in the area, they have a website with an online shop.
We continued walking and went to the Golden Gate Park. We could have spent all day there, especially with the beautiful weather. But I had a game plan for the day, with the ultimate destination being the Golden Gate Bridge. So we walked. And walked.
Admired the flowers.
Admired the views.
This is one of my favorite pictures of me and Mike. He was very happy, as was mom, enjoying the city and the day. I also was very happy, as it’s the best birthday present that I’ve ever given and it felt (and continues to feel) great.
We continued walking, admiring many fields of flowers.
Eventually we came upon the cafeteria at the deYoung Art Museum — a much welcomed site. We all were thirsty, hungry, and needed a break from all of the walking (we did start early on Lombard Street). Then, while eating, I realized there were references to King Tut’s tomb.
Then I saw the sign. The Tutankhamun exhibit was at the deYoung Museum. Knowing mom missed it some years back when it was at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, I decided we should go see it. We detoured from my plan, and I got tickets to the exhibit.
The corridors within the Museum.
We entered the exhibition, first listening to a short film. Then we headed into each of the ten galleries that showcased a total of some 130 objects from the tomb of King Tut and other ancestors. The intricate gold work was jaw-dropping and beautiful. We looked for Tut’s “death mask” and sarcophagus, but they were not a part of the exhibit. Then we learned that they aren’t allowed to leave Egypt. Makes sense. “Tutankhamum and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” is at the Museum through March 2010. There is lots of information about the exhibit here and to where it’s going next.
After we finished the exhibit, we didn’t explore the Museum further (something I’ll do again during the next trip), but instead ventured to the Bridge. The sun was blaring, we did a lot of walking, and then we saw a taxi. We flagged it down, and off to the Golden Gate Bridge we went.
Next up, the Golden Gate Bridge.