Union Square, San Francisco
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I went to San Francisco for a couple of days to attend a training class. Normally, I would be out exploring the city because it’s a great walking city and always interesting. But, with my foot in a cast, walking far is out of the question right now. So, I headed a block over from the hotel one evening and hung out at Union Square. Union Square is a historical block in the financial district of San Francisco proper. The square is surrounded by some of the best known names in shopping–Tiffany’s, Bloomingdale’s, Sakes Fifth Avenue and Macy’s– and there’s also galleries and cafes to enjoy. In the center of the square is the Dewey Monument, erected in 1903. I hung out, enjoyed the sunset, took pictures for the Historical Marker Database, talked with people and just relaxed a bit before dinner.
(Click photo for all 82 photos)
Theresa, Tanya, Maria, Cassanda, Richard and I headed over to Point Reyes National Seashore and enjoyed a wonderful hike along Drakes Estero to Sunset Beach. I’d attempted this trail last year with some other friends, but the rains had made the trail a near-impassable mud slog. This year it was a much different story, since we’ve not really had any rain for a month. The trail gentle rolls along the estuary to the coast, through a forested area, over the little bridge at the end of Home Bay, across cattle grazing territory, next to the mud flats and finally onto the beach. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, tank tops and shorts type weather in February! We encountered a deer carcass along the trail and wonder what dined on it and with the rash of mountain lion sightings around the State, we really did wonder. When we reached the beach, we did a little bit of tide-pooling as the tide was going out. Theresa had the eye and was pointing out all kinds of finds, from starfish to sea slugs. On the way back, the water in the bay was low from the receding tides and we were able to see the oyster farms from the Drake’s Bay Oyster Company. The tide channels and mud flats were also exposed on our way back, which makes for a totally different view of the estuary. A really nice trail, combined with perfect weather and good friends.
GPS Stats: • Odometer: 9.41 miles • Total Time: 5:31 • Moving Time: 3:50 • Overall Average Speed 1.7 mph • Moving Average Speed: 2.4 mph
