Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
One of the things about our December San Francisco trip I forgot to mention was Bushman. He's a street performer in Fisherman's Wharf that pretends he is a bush and scares people. He is the subject of numerous youtube videos. Here is one I stumbled on last night.
Nearly three weeks after the fact, over 600 photographs and a couple dozen blog posts later, I'm going to "say goodbye" to the city by the bay. We had a great trip out there and thank David for hosting us.
Muir Woods and the Bohemian Grove - William World News
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Muir Woods and the Bohemian Grove
MILL VALLEY, Calif. -- On day 3 of our San Francisco trip, David drove us out to Muir Woods National Monument. We went for a short hike through the redwoods and comprehended their enormous size. They are big and the woods were dark and damp. I think going there on a sunny day would be a waste of good weather, because I don't think much sunlight can penetrate those tree canopies.
We also joked around with each other and got asked by two separate people if we were going to game, meaning the women's volleyball national championship featuring Penn State. We weren't and even turned down a ticket. Yes, I was wearing my Penn State hockey jersey.
Of interest to me was the plaque about the Bohemian Grove. I wasn't surprised to learn that it started there and even less surprised that it was moved to private land elsewhere. In case you are not familiar with the Bohemian Grove, it is a gathering of some of the most powerful men in the country. They get together to drink, dress in drag and perform creepy ancient rituals. In essence, the Bohemian Grove is the world's most powerful sausage party.
These are the types of things one learns in political economy courses.
Generally speaking, I had to either spend the night or sit down for a meal somewhere for it to qualify.
Alexandria, Va. Annapolis, Md. Arlington, Va. Avalon, NJ Bellefonte, Pa. Daly City, Calif. Eatontown, N.J. Edison, N.J. Hamilton, N.J. Harrisburg, Pa. Lake Harmony, Pa. Lemoyne, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. McLean, Va. Mill Valley, Calif. Morristown, N.J. Mount Vernon, Va. Philadelphia, Pa. Potomac, Md. Princeton, N.J. Reedsville, Pa. San Francisco, Calif. Ship Bottom, N.J. Spray Beach, N.J. Springfield, Pa. State College, Pa. Stone Harbor, N.J. Virginia Beach, Va. Vienna, Va. Washington, D.C.
Northern-most point: Blakeslee, Pa. Southern-most point: Virginia Beach, Va. Western-most point: San Francisco, Calif. (by car, Bedford, Pa.) Eastern-most point: Bay Head, N.J.
I doubt I'll get any further west this year, but I hope to get further north, east and south. Hopefully, New York and Boston can make it back on the list too.
SAN FRANCISCO -- We stopped by Coit Tower, which may or may not be the world's largest concrete fire hose nozzle, on our second day of the trip. We took a cab, driven by an American oddly enough, up Telegraph Hill and took in the excellent views. After we had enough of the parking lot, we went into the tower, looked at the frescoes with a strong labor theme and paid our admission for the elevator ride to the top. Once there we took in the even better views and took a lot of photographs.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Throughout our trip, we relied on mass transit to get around. Our first ride was on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), a third-rail powered train that functions more as commuter line than a traditional urban subway. BART serves San Francisco International Airport directly and stops within several blocks of David's apartment in the Mission. That proved to be quite convenient for us.
BART trains are wider than a typical subway car and have a very smooth ride. They also stop at predefined locations on the platform, unlike WMATA, and usually arrived into the station aligned with them. The cars are clean and comfortable. The stations are unspectacular though. Some of them were ugly brick that reminded me of an old Burger King.
Once in the city, we mostly relied on the MUNI (San Francisco Municipal Railway), a light rail/trolley system. Along Market Street, the MUNI runs several lines, both above and below ground. We generally took the subway into downtown from the Church Street station near David's. We also used the various Embarcadero surface lines to get around.
We both liked the San Francisco had acquired old trolleys from other cities like Milan, Philadelphia and others to run on the F Line. Riding them was like visiting a trolley museum. The trolley in the above photograph was from Milan.
Overall, we were pleased with San Francisco's mass transit offerings. Like Washington, San Francisco was one of the few cities to reject an extensive freeway system and I can't help but think they were right to build transit instead.
Another ballpark I've never been in - William World News
Friday, December 28, 2007
Another ballpark I've never been in
SAN FRANCISCO -- A few years ago I had a page called BALLPARKS I HAVE SORT OF BEEN TO1? It was a collection of photos of me standing in front of MLB stadia that I had never seen a game in. At one time there were six, but I have since been to RFK Stadium and Citizens Bank Park for regular season games. Le Stade Olympique is no longer a MLB venue. I could probably add Nationals Park to the list, but it hasn't hosted any regular season games yet.
Any way, I've added a new ballpark to the list -- Pacific BellSBCAT&T Park. We stopped by it on the night we flew back. It was dark and my camera doesn't take great night photos, so it is not the best example. Also, it isn't the best photograph of me either, a longstanding tradition with this series. Here is a slightly better one of me:
1This wasn't originally in Blogger -- I just imported it.
SAN FRANCISCO -- I can now say that I have been at both ends of Interstate 80. We jumped on it from US 101 at its western terminus for our brief jaunt to Treasure Island. I have been to the eastern terminus at I-95 in New Jersey several times. By the way, I think the eastern terminus needs to be somewhere in New York City, so that it can cross the George Washington Bridge. It would be fitting to have to big bridges on opposite ends of the road.
I-80 is easily the longest interstate that I have seen from both ends. The next longest is probably I-78, though I may have been to both ends of I-87, I can't say for sure. I've passed both ends of I-84, but I wasn't on the eastern end, I was on I-90 (Mass Pike). I have been on all of I-66 and I-68 too.
I-80's current terminus was once the end of US 40 and US 50 until 1964, when California wiped out most of its US routes to avoid duplication with interstate highways. I can understand getting rid of US 40 since there is an I-40 in Southern California, but would it have been so bad to keep US 50 as a sea-to-sea route? I have been to the eastern end in Ocean City, Md. Additionally, extending US 50 back to San Francisco would mean that US 50 was routed over a Bay Bridge twice since there is the William Preston Lane Jr. (Chesapeake Bay) Bridge in Maryland. One of the spans of that cross is even the same X truss style as San Francisco's Bay Bridge.
SAN FRANCISCO -- In all but about two cities, a bridge like the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge would be the signature crossing. The towers have an attractive design with x-shaped trusses. The cables are lit up at night too. Even more impressive is that the Bay Bridge is really two consecutive suspension bridges end-to-end with a brief tunnel through an island followed by another bridge on the opposite side. As spectacular as that all is it can only be considered the second best bridge in San Francisco.
David drove us to Yerba Buena Island/Treasure Island on our way out of town for some views of the San Francisco skyline (and blurry photos, sadly), so we were on the western portion of the bridge. Aside from the death defying on-and-off ramps, we enjoyed the ride.
Mermaids: more mammal than fish - William World News
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Mermaids: more mammal than fish
SAN FRANCISCO -- In Ghirardelli Square, there is a statue of two mermaids in a fountain. One is nursing a mermaid baby, so I guess they are more mammal than fish.
According to a description of the statue the debut was controversial. I have never understand why are people offended by a mother nursing? We're mammals, what's the big deal?!
SAN FRANCISCO -- For years had this desire to buy Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Massage" off the shelf. I don't know why, but it strikes me as a more fun way to find it than ordering it. I was hoping I would be able to walk into City Lights and pull that off, but alas they didn't have one. They did have a McLuhan's "Understanding Media" which I picked up. I also picked up a copy of Howl by Allen Ginsberg and a themed bumper sticker.
Oddly enough, I'm not a big fan of the Beats. Howl, which was first published by City Lights in 1955-56, is amazing poetry though.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Over the years I've seen images of the television tower atop Mt. Sutro and always liked it. However, from all of those images from TV and movies and probably Flight Simulator 4, I thought the tower was monochromatic, perhaps even the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge. While I was disappointed to learn that it wasn't Golden Gate red, I still enjoy the stately presence of this unique, three-sided antenna(s).
There is a great write-up about the tower on the aptly named Web site, Mount Sutro.
Sutro Tower is a 297.8 meter (977 foot) self-supporting steel structure designed to withstand seismic activity—there is a huge foundation with about 6.8 million kilograms (15 million pounds) of concrete in the ground and the tower weighs about 1.7 million kilograms (3.7 million pounds); the actual center of gravity is below ground—which is shared by at least ten television stations and four FM radio stations.
Breaking ground in 1971 and completed in 1972, Sutro Tower began transmitting on 04 July 1973 to the residents of the bay area. Sutro Tower’s base is 254.2 meters (834 feet) above sea level and the total height of the tower above sea level is 552 meters (1811 feet). Sutro Tower is powered by two separate 12.5 kilovolt, high voltage lines from Pacific Gas and Electric.
America's original Irish coffee - William World News
Thursday, December 20, 2007
America's original Irish coffee
SAN FRANCISCO-- Our host David mentioned that The Buena Vista, a pub near Fisherman's Wharf, claimed to the first place in America to serve Irish coffee. Since we had spent several hours in that area buying chocolate and taken photos of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, America's first Irish coffee bar sounded like a great way to warm up. I'm not a big coffee drinker - Irish or otherwise -, but this experience may have converted me.
We wound up having dinner at The Buena Vista and were pleased with the food, the heater next to the table and especially our waitress who was very attentive and efficient. I had the fish and chips which were quite good, while Erica had Dungeness crab cakes. She noted that they were different than Maryland style in that they had red peppers and green vegetables mixed in. While she prefers the Maryland variety, she still enjoyed her meal. The pub is a popular happy hour hangout too, so it wasn't just tourists eating and drinking there.
Golden Gate Bridge: An incredible American achievement - William World News
Golden Gate Bridge: An incredible American achievement
SAN FRANCISCO -- I really don't think I can say much about the Golden Gate Bridge that hasn't already been said. I just wish I had been closer on Thursday when we had a great sunset.
SAN FRANCISCO -- On the final day of the trip, we jumped on the MUNI and headed in the direction of Golden Gate Park which is actually several miles south of the Golden Gate. After a short walk through the park, we entered the Conservatory of Flowers which was he first of its kind when it opened in 1879. We enjoyed our time there, spending about an hour. Adult admission was $5 each.
We then headed in the direction of the Japanese Tea Garden. Along the way we saw this statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (he's on Quixote's left) looking up at Miguel Cervantes.
When we arrived at the Tea Garden, the sun had come out. We wandered around for about an hour taking many photographs of the garden. I'm partial to Japanese gardens and this one was quite beautiful. We also sat down and had tea which came to $8.67 for the two of us. Admission to the Tea Garden was $4 each.
I learned from the Web site that the fortune cookie was invented by Makoto Hagiwara, one of the original landscape designers of the Tea Garden.
SAN FRANCISCO -- When David says he lives in The Mission, he's nearly being literal. Just a few hundred feet away from his apartment is Mission Dolores which was founded in 1776.
David speaks highly of his neighborhood and it is easy to see why. There are restaurants, bars, shops, a Walgreens and a Safeway (a decent one too, better than most of the BeltwayLand area stores) within easy walking distance. There is also several MUNI lines (subway and at-grade) that stop within a few blocks. A little farther way is the 16th Street-Mission BART station which came in very handy coming in from SFO. Lastly, do you know how mass media has convinced us that everyone living in California has palm trees in their yard or on their street? Dave has that too.
SAN FRANCISCO -- For several years now, I have been intrigued by the liquor absinthe. The "green fairy" got a bad rap about a century ago that it is now only overcoming. Absinthe has been only been legal in a few states including New Jersey, New York and California in recent years, though dl004d recently said "the four government-approved absinthe blends will be legal in all states starting Dec. 21." That's great, but I wasn't about to wait another few days that I did not have to -- I read in the article, "Absinthe flows again, more stylish than ever," in USA Today that San Francisco's own Absinthe Brasserie & Bar would be selling the real thing before Dec. 21.
David and I sampled Lucid after our meal. We both elected to have with a a sugar cube and cold water, rather than any elaborate cocktail. We carefully poured the water over the cube before sampling it. I found the taste surprising, it was much subtler than I expected. The hints of licorice were just that; I was pleased. It was tasty and kind of fun, but at $13 a pop, I would not be terribly inclined to do it too often. Also, in case you were wondering, I didn't see music or hear colors.
For dinner, I ordered Grilled Estancia NY Strip steak, fries, mustard glaze, pistou butter. I wasn't crazy about the pistou butter, but the steak was excellent. Erica enjoyed Braised beef cheeks, smashed potatoes, baby turnips, baby carrots, English peas. Dave said the pork confit, braised red cabbage, Serrano ham, crispy mustard spätzle hit the spot. I recommend dining there, even if you are not interested in absinthe.
SAN FRANCISCO -- I was pleased to see the MetLife blimp flying above downtown on the second day of our vacation. I'm glad blimps are still allowed to fly above some cities and wish they flew above mine.
DALY CITY, Calif. -- Prior to this past weekend, neither Erica nor David were familiar with the "Luther Burger" (snopes), the gastronomical creation of a bacon cheeseburger with two Krispy Kreme donuts for a roll. The sandwich is said to have been created and enjoyed faithfully by the late Luther Vandross. Draw your own correlations between those sandwiches and Vandross's untimely passing. Upon seeing the sign pictured above, both Erica and David exclaimed "Luther burger!", as I had shared this information with them prior to our arrival at In-N-Out
We didn't go for broke stroke and make our own Luther burgers when we stopped at the Daly City In-N-Out Burger on the way to SFO Sunday night. However, Erica and I did enjoy our first trip to California's favorite fast food joint, as did David, who was already acquainted with In-N-Out.
I ordered a Double Double and fries. Due to my own preferences, I scraped off most of the sauce and skipped the tomato and lettuce, but in retrospect I should left the sauce on, it was tasty. The fries, which are fresh cut, were pretty good, though not on par with McDonald's. The meat was superior though and even a little pink inside. We also found the employees to be very polite and efficient. In-N-Out was the polar opposite of White Castle (which we visited this past October). In fact, In-N-Out is probably the best fast food joint that I have visited.
You scraped the sauce off?!? I'm jealous though; could really go for an In-N-Out burger right now.
# posted by DCSportsChick :
Monday, December 17, 2007 4:49:00 PM
I did out of habit and kind of regretted it.
# posted by WFY :
Monday, December 17, 2007 4:53:00 PM
Ahhhh! God I want in/out! You need to hit the "secret" menu. Animal style is the bomb. Patty grilled in mustard, served with grilled onions instead of raw. Totally awesome!
SAN FRANCISCO -- Our final day in San Francisco was quite busy with a trip to Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, Seal Rock, the Golden Gate Bridge, Yerba Buena Island and a few other places.
California has worn me quite thin - William World News
California has worn me quite thin
We are back after a whirlwind 3½ days in San Francisco. We had a great trip and thank our friend David for hosting us and showing us around.
Photographs from the final day of the trip are currently being uploaded to flickr. I'll have the set/slideshow up shortly. I have a lot to share about the trip too.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Day three was action packed! I started off the day by running around the Mission taking photos of Mission Dolores and Mt. Sutro. After brunch at a nearby diner, we were treated to a tour of Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Bridge by our host, David. We finished the evening off at Absinthe Brassarie and Bar. [flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 3 or slideshow]
SAN FRANCISCO -- We were out and about on day two of our trip, visiting Coit Tower, the sea lions at Pier 39, Chinatown and City Lights. [flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 2 or slideshow]
Tomorrow, Erica and I are finally heading out to San Francisco for a long weekend. I don't know if there will be much of any blogging while I am out there, but the certainly will be when I get back.
Some things I would have discussed:
Justin King thinking of going pro -- stupid for him, but perhaps okay for Penn State since he became such a liability
The Capitals OT win over the Rags last night
i-99's opening delayed by weather
Storm Center!
Have fun while I'm gone and don't be afraid to check in now and then.
If you're going to San Francisco... - William World News
Thursday, November 08, 2007
If you're going to San Francisco...
...what would you see and do?
Erica and I are planning on being in San Francisco in mid-December for 3.5 days. She was there 20 years ago, but I've never been. We'll be staying with a friend in the Mission.
Obviously, we'll see the Golden Gate Bridge/Park. We'll probably hit Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiadelli Square, City Lights bookstore, The Presidio, Pac Bell Park (or whatever it is called), Chinatown and maybe Alcatraz and , but what else should we see? Fortunately, our friend has lived there for some time, so we'll get to see a good portion of the non-touristy stuff, but we're still interested in ideas.
We may hit an In-N-Out Burger too. A bar I read about inUSA Today also looks intriguing.
You absolutely must visit the In-N-Out (there's one right near Fisherman's Wharf). You'll be even cooler if you order something off the secret menu (which is now on their website, but a simple Google search will tell you everything you need to know). I recommend a burger animal-style and a Neapolitan shake.
# posted by DCSportsChick :
Thursday, November 08, 2007 6:26:00 AM
I'd recommend heading over the bridge to Berkley and hitting Chez Panisse for a nice meal. We went a few months ago and it was fantastic.
http://www.chezpanisse.com
# posted by John :
Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:07:00 PM
You might check out Lefty O'Doul's in Union Square. Was indeed founded by him and has a lot of baseball memorabilia.
# posted by Simon Oliver Lockwood :
Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:20:00 PMPost a Comment
William F. & William R. Yurasko
December 20, 2009
Alexandria, Va. Photo by Erica Yurasko
Bushman, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, SF, California
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