Hello and welcome to the letter “K” in our A to Z Challenge this year. In an effort to be completely transparent, I am using one of the locations that was a disappointment for me, Kerouac Alley.
I mean, reading the description that Wiki has for it and even looking at some of the pictures that Trip Advisor has made it seem like a really cool place to go and it filled one of the more difficult (for me) letters in the challenge. When I got there, it was early in the morning so admittedly none of the shops were open yet, however, I didn’t even attempt to go down the alley to look for the inscriptions that are supposed to be there.
My initial disappointment was in the street sign itself. The other side had a bunch of stickers over it so you couldn’t even read the name. This side had no stickers but it did have an electrical wire wrapped around it. I mean, come on folks.
Looking down the alleyway, I could see someone standing around there and since I was by myself, I didn’t think it would be smart to go down.
City Lights is a famous bookstore and it would have been nice to be able to go inside but it wasn’t open yet and, again, there was someone standing around (I purposely avoided taking his picture) so I didn’t feel comfortable getting any closer.
So all in all, that was not the exciting experience I was looking for, but as I said, in the spirit of transparency, I’m including it. Maybe if my husband had been with me we’d have ventured farther down the alley.
Then I had to scramble to see if I could find another “K” spot. OMG I did and what a good one it was! Much like the Ina Coolbrith Park, Kite Hill Open Space is tucked away in a corner in the middle of a residential area.
It was another hike up a hill but it was certainly worth it.
Once at the top the view was amazing. Too bad the day was so cloudy.
There were a couple of places to sit and enjoy those views.
My dad used to give me a kite for my birthday every year. What fun it would have been to take it up to Kite Hill to fly it!
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My car is the silver one way down there. -
The path down
So even though Kerouac Alley was a bust, I think I managed to save the letter “K” with a Kite.
from WordPress https://scr4pl80.wordpress.com/2021/04/13/a-to-z-2021-k-is-for-kerouac-alley-and-kite-hill/
I looooove stairs and you've shown some really cool ones in your posts, including today. I would love to go on that path with steps on Kite Hill!
ReplyDeleteOh Trudy you will adore some of the ones I have in upcoming posts! Stay tuned.
DeleteHi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteHappy K-day, dear friend!
I'm sorry that your "K" Plan A - Kerouac Alley - was a bust. You literally saw "signs" that the street was unsafe, and your gut instincts told you to stay out. Good for you! You did manage to take a nice picture of the colorful mural facade of City Lights... so there's that. The day was saved when you discovered that "K" also stands for Kite Hill Open Space. Sorry you needed to test your legs with another climb, but that curving, stair-studded path up the hill actually looks like fun. Your efforts were rewarded at the top with another great view. I notice that most of the days you have been out and about taking pics for this series it has been overcast. Is that typical for the Bay area at this time of year, or simply the (bad) luck of the draw? That brings to mind the old joke/riddle:
QUESTION: What happens when the smog lifts over Los Angeles?
ANSWER: U.C.L.A.
Regardless of the cloudy day, I love the pictures you took, especially of the houses and other buildings clinging to the hillside. The last time I saw such a sight was on the trip to San Miguel, Mexico, that I mentioned in another comment. The main difference is that most of the dwellings in Mexico are painted in bright primary colors.
So, I need to ask the obvious question: Did Kite Hill live up to its name? Did you see anybody flying a kite up there? Do young people even do that anymore?
This was another educational and thoroughly enjoyable A to Z installment, dear friend Janet. Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll be back tamale for your L-day report!
Hi Shady! You make me laugh. Mark Twain also said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." It is true that this time of year is mostly overcast. We really don't get great weather until the end of summer. However, it has usually been before 10 Am when I am taking these pictures so sometimes it's just that the sun hasn't broken through yet. Sadly, no one was flying kites but I don't think it's a lost pastime, just that it was during the week. Maybe on a weekend there would be more action. See you tomorrow, buddy!
DeleteHello Janet. I found your blog through a comment you left on Leanne's Cresting the Hill. I hadn't thought about kites in a long time. I never had much luck with them myself, but I love watching a kite dance in the wind. I do have a fond kite memory. We were trying to help our four-year-old daughter fly a kite and were struggling putting it together. She got impatient and said, "Let me try. I know about kites." She'd never had one in her life!
ReplyDeleteCute story. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by. Come back anytime!
DeleteLove these picks and where you have all been. I would not want to go down that street either with one shady looking guy. In the short street. It does look interesting and I would want to go into that bookstore.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I may take my husband with me next time just so I can go and check it out more thoroughly.
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