Posts Tagged With: Golden Gate Park

Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco

Surely you have heard the phrase “The early bird gets the worm”. Well today it was “The early traveler avoids the lines”. Golden Gate Park is 1100 acres in size, 20% larger than New York’s Central Park. It is home to museums, gardens, trails, picnic areas, etc. We plan to spend two days there, the first being today. Our first stop at 9:30 AM was at the Japanese Tea Garden. In front of us waiting to buy tickets were three groups totaling seven people. When we left Golden Gate Park around 2:30 pm, the line to buy tickets appeared to be a block long with about 100 people waiting to get in.

Golden Gate Park has been described as the lungs of San Francisco, with green grass and trees abounding. Today those San Franciscans who had not headed to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to go skiing must have gone to Golden Gate Park. The runners, joggers, and bikers we saw the last few days brought their kids and were teaching them how to ride a bike. Their parents and grandparents were with them also. It made for a slow go when trying to move about the park.

The park has a shuttle service, not heavily used today. We rode it to get a lay of the land. The shuttle drives down a road that is closed to vehicles except for the shuttle. Well, the walkers were going faster than the shuttle. People were all over the road and the shuttle never used its horn but waited for people to realize the shuttle was behind them. Then the people slowly moved over. The parents with kids learning how to ride a bike never seemed to think to pay attention to anyone other than their child. People who had stopped to talk just looked at the shuttle until they finally realized maybe they should get out of the traffic lane. We weren’t in a hurry and when it was not a safety issue, it was entertaining.

On the shuttle at Golden Gate Park

After the Japanese Tea Garden we went to the Conservatory of Flowers. It is closed on Monday so today was the day to get in. I must admit I was disappointed. Yes, it had unusual plants and a mix of types of habitat. However, it was just underwhelming. I could not find official size comparisons but the Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul seems larger, with more displays-and its free.

A few blooming flowers at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park

Next stop, the deYoung Museum. Golden Gate has two art museums. The de Young is also closed on Monday so it was on today’s (Sunday) schedule. The museum’s focus is on American, African and Oceanic art. The second museum, the Legion of Honor, focuses on European art. I hate to sound like I am whining but truth be told I am finding myself more tired and less energetic. Thus, going around an art museum was more of a mandated exercise than an exercise of fun. The art did not grab me. I just wandered aimlessly around the galleries. More enjoyment came from the museum’s observation tower which provided a new view of San Francisco and a delicious lunch from its cafe.

The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park

A few photos to prove we did go into the art museum

Going back to the hotel, we fed Chris’ new addiction-Uber. I must admit, Uber was a lot easier than finding the bus stop, transferring to another bus or train, and walking the last half mile to the hotel.

San Fran today seemed much more vibrant and alive, both out at Golden Gate Park and as we walked around downtown on our way to the famous City Lights Bookstore. With a population density three times that of St. Paul, it seemed inevitable that we would finally come across that vibrancy.

Outdoor sculpture at de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park

Ed and Chris, San Francisco February 19