Quiet in Golden Gate Park

The North Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Garden at the beach-end of the park

Those of you that live in cities know how necessary a respite is from the usual urban chaos: large expanses of trees, winding walking paths, and perhaps a few museums. Maybe even some large, shaggy-haired bovines? Yes, Central Park has the zoo and the penguins and all that, but Golden Gate Park in San Francisco has bison, of all things!

They’re far away, but here they are: American bison!

Also, seeing & smelling the vegetation in a different part of the country is another great aspect of travel:

I would not have seen this at any park in New York

My San Francisco vacation consisted of a lot of time in and around Golden Gate Park, since my friend Ellen lives a two minute walk away. I’ve been there before this trip, but I never realized the size of the park before now. It’s three miles long and a half mile wide! It beats Central Park in size by 175 acres!

Did I ever tell you that orange is my favorite color?

You can walk and walk in Golden Gate Park for hours and constantly find yourself in a different world: maybe there are some college guys playing frisbee golf, maybe there’s a weird corporate-sponsored ‘festival’ with long lines all because of tiny free samples, and maybe there’s a quiet bench with a woman and her dog, staring at the ducks and stream below.

Especially memorable: there are cute dogs EVERYWHERE in San Francisco

My favorite memory of Golden Gate Park, and possibly even the whole vacation, was a picnic Ellen and I enjoyed one evening. She’d thoughtfully saved a bottle of wine for my belated birthday celebration, and we also packed a sourdough baguette, goat cheese, and my typical on-the-go snack mix of almonds and cranberries. It was lovely: low-key, perfect location, perfect company and excellent wine. (Also, it was so nice to spend time outside without being attacked by bugs like in the Northeast!)

Wine in little glass jars and bamboo utensils. Three cheers for an eco-conscious picnic! (Okay, except for the plastic bag…)

And the view from our bench:

Perfect peek of the city through the trees

That picnic in Golden Gate Park was just what I needed: the two of us, spilling our guts, sipping wine and occasionally wiping away each other’s tears, just enjoying the peaceful setting and soaking each other up. I even managed to put down the camera and just be there without needing to photographically capture every little thing! That’s when you know a special moment is happening 😉

Of course, there are lots of renowned attractions within the park: the Japanese Tea Garden, the de Young Museum, and the Conservatory of Flowers, to name a few. I visited the de Young Museum on another trip and enjoyed it, but I have to say the weather was too nice to check out any museums this time. At least I know that there’s still plenty to explore on my next visit to San Francisco!

Thanks for stopping by, everyone. Coming up in the next few posts: the Hudson Pride Parade, a day in Marin County, and plenty of food pictures.

*All statistical facts are from this Golden Gate Park FAQ.