Golden Gate Park, First Segment

Golden Gate Park, First Segment

Sunday, 23 January 2011

We drove out to the end of Haight Street and started our walk into Golden Gate Park.

It was supposed to be 66 degrees and sunny today, and that is what it turned out to be. 

On Sundays, a section of the park is closed to cars, and people walk, ride bikes and skate in the middle of the streets.

We deviated a bit from the 49 mile drive at the beginning, because we wanted to walk on the pedestrian street. I don’t think we missed anything.

The Conservatory of Flowers is not on the drive. Yet another failing of the drive.

From here, we turned onto a path to get back to the 49 mile drive road. We passed the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club, founded in 1901.

It’s a great park, and well used. Since it is winter, we passed up on gardens such as the Dalia Dell. A bit up the road we came upon two baseball fields, and a view of the California Academy of Sciences (grassy dome) and the DeYoung Museum (copper tower). Neither is on the 49 mile drive.

Another small route deviation took us to the Concourse of Music and this view of the California Academy of Sciences.

This is the side of the music shell and a look at the copper–clad DeYoung.

Here is the entrance to the Japanese Tea Garden.

Moving along, we came to Stow Lake. Lots of birds, lots of families out enjoying the day on the shore or in one of the rental boats.

Near the boat rental shop are several beautiful bananas.

A photo of the boat rental area, with pedal boats, and then of one of the bridges to the island in the middle of Stow Lake.

Here is today’s route, 2.9 miles.

We walked around the lake, up a path to busy, busy 19th Avenue (which goes to the Golden Gate Bridge), and took a bus back to Haight Street and lunch.

We’ve covered 39 miles so far. 

We parked the car at Haight and Stanyan, and started to walk into Golden Gate Park. We halted our walk at three miles, and will finish up with the park next time.

Next—Golden Gate Park, second segment.