I was in Catholic grammar school during the Haight-Ashbury heyday so I didn’t really get involved with the hippie drug scene. I did know a little bit about it though and a few years ago when the de Young Museum had an exhibit called “The Summer of Love Experience” we went to check it out. I wrote about that here. My husband is a little older than me and had lived in San Francisco for a while so he was very familiar with the era and the area. I do love the clothes! I really want the suede jacket and the blue crochet sweater, although I bet that one is pretty heavy.
They had flower shaped cookies in the gift shop. My coat looks like it belongs in the show, doesn’t it? After the exhibit we rode around the streets in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood for a while. They certainly have some interesting places including some more Victorian houses.
The famous Grateful Dead House is in the Haight-Ashbury district too. It is the one in the middle with the gate but I kind of like the purple one next door. Just regular folks own it now.
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Grateful Dead house then -
Grateful Dead house now -
Just a cool house
Also, in case you haven’t noticed so far, there are definitely a lot of hills in San Francisco! Look at what I’ve been driving through, and sometimes walking up and down, to get pictures for your entertainment! Sometimes I get a little nervous, even when I’m in my car. Thank goodness for automatic transmissions. If I had to use a clutch – I shudder to think.
In fact San Francisco is said to have been built on seven hills: Telegraph Hill (where Coit Tower is), Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Twin Peaks, Lone Mountain (or Mt. Sutro) and Mt. Davidson.
Mt. Davidson is the highest natural point in the city (928 feet!) so I thought I’d give that a look see. The coyote alert didn’t stop me because it was daytime and there were some other folks around so I figured the coyotes would stay away. The hike up the hill was definitely worth the view (click for 16 second video).
At the top of the hill hidden in the trees is a giant cross. It was Palm Sunday when I went up and people had brought some palms and left them at the base of the cross. I am amazed that you can’t see the cross until you get at the top of the hill. It is 103 feet high itself!
I didn’t know until I was writing this post that they have an Easter Sunday sunrise service every year. I bet that is spectacular. You may also remember the cross from a scene in the first Dirty Harry movie. I don’t know how they were able to run and move around on that hill in the dark. It took all my concentration in the daylight!
It seems like there are a million hills in San Francisco and I may, or may not write about a few more of them, we still have letters in the A to Z Challenge left. Hope you’ll climb them with me.
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Hi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteHow's everything in the Golden City today, dear friend? (I read that locals do not like it when out-of-towners like me call their city "Frisco.") Happy H-day! I'm glad I was correct that H is for Haight-Ashbury. I should have guessed you'd also include examples of SF's famous hills.
Your hubby must be very close to my age. I was 17 in The Summer of Love - 1967. I well remember the fashions, bright colors, lava lamps, glow in the dark psychedelic posters and the rapidly changing music landscape with new bands and sounds emerging week by week - all of which combined to make it an extraordinary and unforgettable year. It must have been lots of fun for the two of you to visit the de Young Museum and check out their Summer of Love Experience exhibit. Thanks for showing me around the Haight-Ashbury district. A lot has changed since the 60s.
Turning to the hills of San Francisco, the pictures you snapped of the streets remind me of the trip Mrs. Shady and I took two summers ago to San Miguel de Allende in Central Mexico. That city arose on the side of a mountain and most of its streets are sharp inclines similar to the streets of San Francisco. The only difference is that in San Miguel all of the streets are cobblestone. I'm telling you, those cobblestones and steep streets must be murder on tires and vehicle suspensions. Mrs. S and I were winded and exhausted climbing the hilly street to our hotel at the end of the day after exploring the downtown district. I don't know if I could get used to living in a city built on seven hills, but San Francisco certainly has beauty, character and charm. You did some major legwork taking pics of the streets and then marching to the top of Mt. Davidson to bring us the scenic view from the summit. Yessum, it's hard to believe that 100+ foot cross remains hidden from view until you are near the top of the mountain. It must be very inspiring to attend sunrise services at that enchanting spot.
Thanks for the interesting report for H-day, dear friend Janet. "I" will see you tamale!
Hi friend, Shady. Sorry I forgot to resize the pictures. Hubby just turned 70 on Tuesday. He was actually a little disappointed that the exhibit didn't show more, but I thought it was interesting. I don't think I'd enjoy living on one of those hills either. I mean, even parking the car was trying! Hope I can surprise you with I.
DeleteI love the views overlooking the city. And I agree... driving with a clutch in SF is a bit nerve-wracking. When we lived in the area, we had a small economical car (which, by the way, was scary to drive in while crossing the Bay Bridge during high winds!). Whenever I stopped on a hill for a traffic light, I was amazed how many times a car behind me would be right on my tail when it plainly said across the back, "5-Speed." I guess they didn't realize that means the car would roll back a bit when putting in the clutch. I think the newer manual transmission cars are made "anti-roll". That would have been nice!
ReplyDeleteYes! Even sometimes the automatic can roll I've found. And the winds!
DeleteAnother great SF visit! I love the clothes, and those blue boots, oh my, I want them ;))
ReplyDeleteQuilting Patchwork & Appliqué
The boots are cool, aren't they? I bet they'd be comfortable too.
DeleteThese pictures are awesome! There are several tv shows I like that have been set in SF. (Monk, for example.) But the shows don't always capture things like this cross.
ReplyDeleteHi J - Yes, Monk was one of my favorites too! I have been finding so many neat things on this journey. Thanks for your suggestion of it!
DeleteThis is an area that 8a justifiably famous. I would love that brown dress and those boots! Sommany lived in that area but I bet it wasn’t as clean way back. Now it is so clean and bright. I love those houses!!
ReplyDeleteThe houses are so cool. I would love to live in one but not have to move into them with all the stairs!
DeleteMy older brother was a hippy during the "golden age" of Haight-Ashbury, and the reality was far from what the exhibits show! They were dirty, hungry, ill-dressed and on drugs.
ReplyDeleteAs for the cross? That has strong ties for me. Not my experiences, but my parents. When dating that was, as my mother said, "Our Cross." They would park up there and, again, her words, "neck!" This was in 1939. I have a photo they took of it on my bedside table.
Oh what a sweet story! I am sure you are right about the reality of the area, which is probably why my parents were so against going into the city!
DeleteYep they are some serious hills. Even in an automatic car I wouldn't want to get stuck in a queue. Great views though so definitely worth the climb.
ReplyDeleteYea, Wendy, I've been a bit nervous both going up AND down them!
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