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Tuesday, April 6, 2021

A to Z 2021 – E is for Esmeralda Slide Park and The Embarcadero

There weren’t too many choices for the letter “E” in San Francisco that I could think of and then I found Esmeralda Slide Park. My GPS led me to the back of the park and while I didn’t see any signs, I did see this little opening.

As I went through the trees, this staircase appeared.

As I got to the top of the steps I saw this little area.

Which turned out to be at the bottom of the slide. The blue bin off to the side holds cardboard pieces if you want to use them to slide down. There was a little girl there with her mom and dad (or grandma and grandpa, I couldn’t tell), so I was trying to take my pictures without invading their privacy.

I climbed the steps on the side of the slide and came to the top of the park. Here were the signs!

On the ground was a compass so you could see where you were. This was added to the park in June of 2017 during a restoration project.

Esmeralda Slide Park was established in the 70’s by a group of volunteers. They work together with the city to keep it maintained. There is a table with benches at the top.

The view from the top of the slide.

If there hadn’t been other people there, I might have taken a slide down myself but I didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. Covid strikes again. Also interesting, this is in the Bernal Heights area and the night after I took these pictures I got a notice on my phone from the Citizen app that four people were pepper sprayed in Bernal Heights. It wasn’t near the park but still…

The other “E” is for The Embarcadero, which is a long stretch of road that runs along the piers from Second and King street along the waterfront to Pier 45. It runs under the Bay Bridge, which is a pretty impressive sight.

There is the Embarcadero Center, which is four huge buildings and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I didn’t realize it until today but during the holidays the edges of the buildings are lit up and it is supposed to make it look like four giant books on a shelf. I’ll have to check that out this year! I’ll report back if it does.

There is also the Embarcadero Station where you can catch both BART and Muni (one of the other ways to get around the city). I didn’t take a lot of pictures because mostly it’s just the road but there are some interesting things along the way, which I may cover in some other letters. Don’t want to give away any surprises, you know?

And there we have “E.” No coloring book pages for this letter. I hope you are enjoying the trip through San Francisco. Have you checked out any of the other participants in the A to Z Challenge yet? I know there are a lot of good ones. I’m trying to make my way through but it is slow going, so forgive me if I haven’t hit yours yet.



from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2021/04/06/a-to-z-2021-e-is-for-esmeralda-slide-park-and-the-embarcadero/

12 comments:

  1. Hi, Janet!

    Happy E-day, dear friend!

    Seems like you got plenty of exercise climbing that long staircase to the bottom of the slide at Esmeralda Slide Park. You then continued up the hill to the top of the slide and top of the park. Were you huffing and puffing by the time you reached the summit, or did those daily walks with Benny pay off? It looks like the attraction has been kept clean and free of graffiti. I admire the attractive planters that run up the slope next to the slide and the comfortable looking visitors rest area at the top. I wonder how many kids actually make use of an old school sliding board these days. I can imagine it being a temptation for skateboarders.

    I also enjoyed learning about The Embarcadero which runs beneath the Bay Bridge, the mass transit hub Embarcadero Station and the Embarcadero Center, yet another city landmark that makes creative use of lighting. How spectacular S.F. must be at night!

    Yessum, I am enjoying your guided tour of the San Francisco area from A to Z. Every evening after I read your posts I tell Mrs. Shady about what I've learned from you.

    Please hug my buddy Benny and enjoy the rest of your day, dear friend Janet. I'll see you tamale on "F" day!

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    1. LOL, this particular staircase was not as difficult as some I have climbed for this little A to Z as you will see on some other letters. Definitely walking our friend Benny AND the 70 pounds I lost helps a lot. I am glad you are enjoying my city tour! See you tomorrow my friend.

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  2. I want to go up those stairs... and down the slides! What a fun park!

    I've been to Embarcadero Center, years ago. That would be exciting to see the buildings lit up like books on a shelf!

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    1. I know! I'm going to have to really make a point to go see the lights in the city this holiday season.

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  3. Janet,

    That's one cool slide! I would've gone down it had no one been around, too. Maybe another time you'll be luckier to try it out. :)

    If you haven’t already, I invite you to check out my Looney Tunes Art Sketch of Elmer Fudd! Happy A2Zing, my friends!

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  4. I AM enjoying this tour around San Francisco! What a fabulous little slide park - and how fun it was a bit of a hidden treasure for you to discover.

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  5. Oh I so would have slid down that slide even if I would have had to crawl to a bench to get up. That looks like so much fun but I get why you were cautious. I love how nicely decorated they made this small park especially the North sign. Love the pictures of that street and would be interested to see how the buildings look lit up. What an interesting city.

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    1. Thanks Birgit. I suppose I could have asked the folks if they would mind if I slid but I had a few other stops to make too. I'll find my way back.

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  6. Replies
    1. I'm trying to find those out of the way places.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts!