Saturday, August 28, 2010

San Francisco Summer

(Something funny is happening with the alignment and spacing...apologies!)

Being in SF this summer was a blast - no two ways about it! BUT, it was cold - and many folks quoted Mark Twain who said, "the coldest winter I spent was the summer in San Francisco." The fog was low... the wind was blowing hard - but on our last days there, it warmed up in the afternoon and was really beautiful.



Went to Angel Island - said to be the Ellis Island of the west - but really it was a holding place for many Chinese, Japanese and other Asians. They have fixed up the site and highlighted poems written by Chinese about the dispair they felt at not being able to get out of the Ellis Island. From 1910 to 1940, the island processed hundreds of thousands of immigrants, the majority from China. During WWII, Japanese, and German POWs were held on the island, which was also used as a jumping-off point for American soldiers returning from the Pacific. In the ’50s and ’60s, the island was home to a Nike missle site.


















Peter ringing the bell that says "US Immigration Station, Angel Island, 1910."
















Picnic lunch on the island - before the start of our big hike!


We made it to the peak of Angel Island - with a foggy view of Tiburon.

















Yerba Buena gardens was beautiful, an oasis in the city and we walked to the modern art museum afterwards.

Jim and the kids waiting for John - who was still wandering around the museum!










Pier 39's famous sea lions - the pier "allowed" the sea lions to stay here when they realized what a tourist attraction they were! More sea lions = more money!

Thanks Jim and Barb for a great visit!





















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