It was another remarkable Sunday on San Francisco Bay. From my vantage point near the Port of San Francisco office which is near the Ferry Building, I watched a delightful impromptu parade this morning.
The California Hornblower
About 11:30 this morning the California Hornblower backed out of its berth with a full compliment of Sunday Brunch guests. I've seen the Hornblower many times since it came to San Francisco Bay. It's really quite a grand ship and we need to stop every so often and give it a nod.
California Hornblower is 183 feet in length and has three decks for dining and entertainment. The ship can seat and serve hot dinners, cooked by Hornblower's chefs on board, for as many as 600 guests.
Hornblower offers a variety of dinner, brunch and cocktail cruises on the Bay. Champagne brunch cruises start from $76 and dinner-dance cruises start at $99
Another thing I like about Hornblower Cruises: they make their corporate offices in the Santa Rosa, a 256' ferry built in 1927 that served Southern Pacific Railways on their Golden Gate Ferries Line. The Santa Rosa is berthed right behind the San Francisco Belle, which the company also owns and operates.
The Lovely Martha
The Lovely Martha is as real San Francisco as it is possible to get. If you know someone visiting the City and they ask for a cruise recommendation, tell them about Lovely Martha. Lovely Martha berths at Fisherman's Wharf.
I saw the Lovely Martha this morning, puttering a long with a deck full of tourists. Those people were getting one of the best tours available on the Bay. There are bigger tour operators, but few that are as fine as Captain Frank.
For three generations, the Rescino family has delighted anglers on their San Francisco sport fishing boats. Captain Frank was a deckhand in training for his father, Nick Rescino, when he was six just years old. At the age of ten, Frank was handling the deckhand duties on his own. In 1972, Frank got his skippers license, and when his father retired, he became the skipper of the completely refurbished Lovely Martha. The Lovely Martha fishing experience combines three generations of local fishing knowledge, with one of the best equipped, cleanest vessels of the fleet. Captain Frank is very involved in the local community, sponsoring several youth fishing programs, such as the SFPD youth fishing program. Call Captain Frank at or contact Captain Frank online at www.lovelymartha.com
Delta Z-Drive
Every day of the week, Sundays included, are good for spotting tug boats on the Bay. Today was no exception.
If you like tug boats, you will almost surely know what a Delta Z-Drive tug is all about. It's not unusual to see them on the Bay and their berth is on the Embarcadero not far from Teatro ZinZanni. If you want to know more about these amazing machines, go to: USCGC Sherman, a Crowley Cycloidal Drive, a Zeppelin and my sweet, sweet SF Bay
Golden Gate Park Band
For the past 128 years the Golden Gate Park Band has been providing the people of San Francisco with free concerts every Sunday afternoon at 1 PM. I left the docks in time to take the N-Judah lightrail out to the Park for today's concert. Today Michael Wirgler, Music Director and Conductor, led the brass band in a tour of French composers.
The concerts are free and take place at the Music Concourse, which is between the deYoung Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. Todays concert was fabulous.
The National AIDS Memorial Grove
The National AIDS Memorial Grove is a sacred space in Golden Gate Park. It is a place to be quiet, to be respectful, to be in the moment and to be gentle. People who disrespect this sacred space really make me angry.
Today I saw that some absolute idiot had gone through the garbage can in search of something. All the garbage was scattered by the side of the can. I wish I had caught the slob in the act.
Like the Cowardly Lion from the Land of Oz said, "Why, I'd thrash him from top to bottomus! (as the Lion, singing, skips merrily down the trail, we hear: "[singing] I'm afraid there's no denyin' / I'm just a dandy-lion / A fate I don't deserve / I'm sure I could show my prowess / Be a lion, not a mouse / If I only had the nerve.")
Anyway ... it's a childish thing to act badly in the Grove.
The Enchanted Forest
The Enchanted Forest is a special little area in Golden Gate Park. It's not the kind of place that can stand a lot of heavy foot traffic, so if you don't know where it is, you likely don't live in San Francisco. I mention this special little area, also a very spiritual place, because today someone came along and put little piles of wild birdseed on the stone blocks in the little forest. The stones, by the way, came from a 13th century Cistercian monastery in Spain.
It was a wonderful thing to bring all that birdseed and feed the little folks of the forest. They appreciate your generosity and the Earth blesses you and so does the Universe. Thank you, whomever you are.
Riding the 43-Masonic
I'm a reasonably regular 43-Masonic rider and I want to mention that it is my observation that most of the drivers on the 43-line are extremely good drivers. They handle their vehicles very well, keep their eyes scanning, keep their focus on the job they are doing and stay alert to what passengers are doing.
The mood of the City right now is to blame workers for the City's problems and Muni drivers are getting blasted. I want to give credit to these drivers because they deserve it. They are doing a difficult job very well. Thank you, 43-Masonic drivers.
And that was my Sunday in San Francisco -- another day in the grandest City on Earth.
Photo of the National AIDS Memorial Grove by Brian Lum
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