dxmachina | Scaling the Haight...

So, I went for a walk up Haight Street and back. In most cities, when one goes out for a walk, one strolls, be it in the French Quarter, or on the Mall, or even up Fifth Avenue. In San Francisco, one hikes. Oh, you can stroll in the immediate area around the hotel, where it's dead flat, but once you turn onto Haight it's time to break out the walking sticks. The street messes with you, too, because after you go up the hill, it flattens out for awhile, leading one to believe that it's smooth sailing the rest of the way. But that's not the case. There's a second hill, just as long and steep as the first.

My plan was to check out Haight-Ashbury, and maybe do a little shopping. I'd never been, and I was interested in this legendary place from my youth. Yawn. There's a Gap on one corner of Haight and Ashbury, and a Ben & Jerry's on another. I kept walking. Most of the places I might have considered going into were still closed. (This was about 10:30. I know this because I was asked four different times what time it was. Doesn't anyone in this town wear a watch?) Finally I came over a little rise, and could see Golden Gate Park ahead. I was distracted, though because just short of GGP was Amoeba Music. Woo hoo. I hadn't even known it was on Haight, but it was one of the very few places on my list of must go to while in SF. I picked up a couple of CDs (a Magnetic Fields and a Yo La Tengo). I think I actually like the one in Hollywood better. Still, very nice to stumble across it.

I headed back the other way. My feet were killing me, but I took solace in knowing it was all downhill. I stopped for lunch at a BBQ joint called Memphis Minnie's. I wasn't especially hungry, but the aroma coming out the open door as I walked past just smelled so good. I had a smoked pork sandwich and a pint of Anchor Steam. Good stuff.

I could have gotten on a bus at that point, but I kept on walking until I got back to the hotel. All this after I did 40 minutes on the stationary bike this morning. Tired now.