(If you haven't already, please scroll down to read parts 1-3 before reading this entry.)
August 15, 8:00 a.m. in Seattle
We’re at King Street Station awaiting our next train. Martha bought a copy of the Seattle Times, and the front-page story is about the smoky haze from wildfires in Washington and well up into British Columbia. Locals are lamenting that this is the second summer in a row when the Puget Sound has become nearly invisible, and wondering if the haze is a “new normal” for Seattle summers. But as climatologists are warning, these wildfires are not merely a new normal, which would imply that we have reached a new stasis. The situation is likely to become much worse unless human behavior changes dramatically.
2:15 p.m., Portland, Oregon
This morning we boarded a new train heading south for San Francisco. Just south of Tacoma, Washington, the tracks hug the edge of the lower Puget Sound. The wildfire haze persists, but this part of the Sound is narrower and marked with islands, so long-range visibility is not quite as critical for appreciating its beauty. The best moment before leaving the Sound was when a bald eagle soared toward the train out the Nisqually Flats and then turned to fly alongside us!
We continue to meet interesting people during meals. Today at lunch, we shared a table with a couple a few years older than us who live in Florida, but previously lived outside of Albany. We told similar stories from each others’ lives and our level of mutual understanding helped us to see the humor in those experiences. That in turn led to conversation about what’s funny about other things we have observed. I haven’t laughed so hard in months. I’ve heard that the last thing to come in learning a new language is humor. When you meet someone whose sense of humor melds so easily with your own, you’re already “speaking the same language.” It’s one thing to meet interesting people. It’s something else to meet people who could have been your friends your whole life.
Minutes ago, we re-boarded after an extended stop at Union Station in Portland, a venerable old historic building that is stately and attractive inside and out. The same can be said of King Street station in Seattle. It’s nice to see these older public gathering places being well maintained and well-used. Their intricate classical architecture and high ceilings transform spaces from functional containers of people to artistic expressions of human society. Like cathedrals, they create a sense of sacredness for those who enter.
9:30 p.m., in southern Oregon
After stopping at Eugene, the train began charting a more westerly course heading toward the Cascade Mountains. By this time, the sky had cleared enough for us to make out a few clouds, and while some of the haze remained, it was not nearly as thick. A series of buttes were in clear view north of Eugene, and as we headed toward the Cascades following the Lookout Point Reservoir, the surrounding peaks were more visible than any we’ve seen (or wished we could have seen) to this point. As in the Wenatchee Mountains, we passed through a series of tunnels and occasionally crossed streams filled with rapids. The day ended with a peaceful sunset bathing the tops of the ridges and painting the sky orange.
If this is going to be an honest travelogue, I have to record that part of today made clear that train travel, even the first class service we’ve paid for, can be tedious and uncomfortable. Our neighbors in the next sleeping compartment are loud and obnoxious. We’ve heard every word of their insipid, manic back-and-forth as well as the shrill music they play constantly. One of our dinner companions was nearly insufferable. He dominated the conversation, tried to make a joke of everything, and managed to insult me more than once – always assuring me he was just kidding, of course. The attendants are not nearly as positive or engaging as those on the trip from Chicago to Seattle. In fact, some have been downright unpleasant. I’ll be glad to leave this train. Tomorrow morning, Aaron will meet us at Emeryville, and our San Francisco adventure will begin.
August 16, 8:00 a.m. in the San Joaquin Valley, California
Everything wrong with yesterday has already been redeemed by an absolutely gorgeous morning ride through the San Joaquin Valley. The sky is clear and blue, the water of the river is sparkling with sunlight, and the mountains to the north are splendid. No smoke!
8:00 p.m. in San Francisco
Aaron met us at the Emeryville Train Station at 8:15 this morning. He had arranged an Uber ride to take us back to his apartment. The driver clearly enjoyed pointing out the sites along the way. We crossed the Bay Bridge into downtown, enjoying a view of the city, the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge that I knew would be hard to beat. Over the course of the day, we’ve been to Alamo Park and saw the “Painted Ladies” with downtown in the background; ate fresh-made donuts; spent a good hour at Swan’s Oyster Depot enjoying smoked salmon, crab salad, sashimi, and locally brewed beer; rode a trolley car; walked down to the waterfront, climbed up to and rode the elevator to the top of Coit Tower; walked down to Fisherman’s Wharf; enjoyed a 90-minute boat ride in the bay; ate supper at Boudin Bakery (famous for its sour-dough bread); and walked to Russian Hill.
Besides riding the trolley, we caught a bus a couple of times, but mostly, we walked. According to my Fitbit, we covered 10.2 miles on foot and climbed 112 floors. Aaron told us that walking up these steep streets toward the famed high points is called “mountaineering. I’m just sort of amazed we are here seeing this beautiful city under a cloudless, blue sky.
August 17, 10:00 p.m. in San Francisco
We spent more time on the bus today, but still walked a long way –10.6 miles, and 127 floors of elevation, according to Fitbit. This morning, we enjoyed a filling breakfast at a diner called “Brenda’s Meat and 3” just a couple of blocks from Aaron’s apartment. Then, we rode buses out to the southern end of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area and walked along the rocky Pacific coast to Lookout Point, Eagles’ Point, and China Beach. We lingered at several places along the way, especially at China Beach, where we sat and watched the pelicans and the passing boats. The Golden Gate Bridge was in view for the entire trek, though partially covered in fog.
A little after noon, we walked through the adjacent neighborhood and found a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant for lunch, then got a bus to take us toward Twin Peaks. The climb to the top after the last stop was plenty strenuous, but it afforded us the most commanding view of the city we have yet enjoyed. We stayed awhile taking it in, and noticed that the fog that had settled along the beach and into the Golden Gate was now spreading its fingers around both sides of the peaks.
This evening, we had dinner at Golden Boy Pizza downtown before taking in a hilarious show featuring Sherri Shepherd at Cab’s Comedy Club.
Like Seattle, San Francisco is a bustling city that manages to maintain a relaxed pace. And while I’m not so naive as to believe inequality and prejudice do not exist here, the ease with which Chinese-Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinos, African-Americans, and Euro-Americans interact with each other (even as strangers) leads me to believe this city is as close to the ideal of multiculturalism as any place I’ve visited.
August 18, 6:00 p.m. in San Francisco
This morning, we returned to Brenda’s for a slow breakfast, then walked to the edge of the Presidio and took a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge. Today, the fog coming through the Gate was thicker than yesterday, but we decided to walk the length of the bridge to Marin County. We were directly over the foghorn when it blew. We could feel the mist – and could not see the tops of the towers even when we were directly beneath them. On the Marin side, however, the fog burned off and the north tower came into full view.
We took a second bus to the Marin Headlands, where we wound up spending quite a bit of time walking and exploring. At Rodeo Beach, we hopped aboard another bus that took us back into San Francisco, where we ate a late lunch at a Thai American restaurant in the Marina neighborhood. From there, we walked back to the Presidio, a peaceful park that lends itself to a leisurely stroll. This huge area on the northwestern corner of the peninsula was originally a military outpost flying the Spanish, then the Mexican, and finally the U.S. flag. In 1915, it was the site of the Panama Pacific World’s Fair, and the domed Palace of the Arts still stands from that exhibition. Today, the Presidio is a combination community park/office park.
We haven’t walked to dinner yet, but we’ve already covered a lot of ground on foot – 10.6 miles and 93 floors of elevation. We’ve been “mountaineering” all three days of our visit.
August 19, 8:00 a.m., in Emeryville
We’re at the train depot waiting to board the California Zephyr, which will eventually take us all the way to Chicago through the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains.
Last night, Aaron, Martha, and I had dinner at an outdoor barbeque joint just a few blocks down the street from Aaron’s apartment. It was a noisy, boisterous place with long tables. The fog by that time had rolled in all over the city. The temperature was 56 degrees, and a gusty breeze was blowing the mist across our faces. But nobody in this wonderfully diverse crowd sharing the same tables seemed to care. I loved it.
Mark Twain once remarked the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. I can see why. Even though surrounding towns saw highs in the 80s, San Francisco never warmed to more than the mid-60s. When the wind picks up on the tops of those hills, its downright cold.
But what a visit! Aaron is a good host. He took us on some terrific walks (hikes?) and great local restaurants outside the touristy areas. And we thoroughly enjoyed our visit with him. I’m sorry to leave, even though I’m looking forward to the scenery that awaits us.
©2018 by J. Mark Lawson
Great and fun to read travelogue. Thanks for taking us along!!!
Posted by: Larry Boyer | 08/30/2018 at 06:59 PM
Such an interesting adventure! Thanks for taking us along with you, sharing your thoughts and perceptions along the way!
Posted by: Deb Record | 08/30/2018 at 04:18 PM