More Details than You Probably Want on Section 1 of the SF Crosstown Trail

Left for Section 1 of Crosstown Trails at 9:00 Took the #28 to 19^th and Holloway.  The bus driver mis-directed me, so I missed one #29 bus but got another about 15 minutes later.  Took it to Keith and Fitzgerald and then took the #29 bus in the direction of Baker Beach.  It was soon passing notable places like Persia (and Mission), London, Lisbon, Madrid, Naples, Vienna, Athens, Munich, Prague, and Dublin.  Thought about the names I was seeing like John. F. Shelley, Somerset, Olmstead.  Got off at Gilman Avenue and Bill Walsh Way and walked, a bit confused, towards the water.  When I asked on the road about Candlestick Park, one young black guy said, “It ain’t there no more,” and I explained that I was starting the Crosstown Trail from there.  He didn’t know anything about the Crosstown Trail, but he thought I was going in the right direction (towards water.)  Once I got to an obvious park area with picnic tables and even a sign saying Bay Trail, I spoke to the Asian attendant in an RV park, and he let me into the restroom.  He had a vague notion of what the Crosstown Trail was.  There was no info on the Crosstown Trail, but to my surprise there were SF postcards in his office—for the RV tourists? 

I wanted to know how to get to the trail to begin.   One man I approached just turned away from me—twice.  He clearly didn’t want any contact when I approached him for help.  A young Latino tried to help but just looked worried and frustrated.  A man who was jogging stopped and gave me specific directions I knew I wouldn’t remember.  

But I found the point with water on both sides. Started at the pier at Sunrise Point, Candlestick Point State Recreation Area.  Was happy to have already found  restrooms.)  I saw five of the huge illustrated signs that give maps and information.  The first said “On the Western Shoreline of San Francisco Bay.  Welcome to Candlestick Point California’s first urban state Park.”  It shows the “Rich history and culture” of the Ohlone. Another says “Make your won ‘feel good’ list.  Check.  Repeat.”  It goes on to explain what health experts say about the benefits of being outdoors in nature.  They list some things to enjoy.  (This was the perfect walk to take after reading about the book “How to Do Nothing:  Resisting the Attention Economy,” (an economy in which our attention is a commodity.)   “Do Nothing” book.    After I was truly on the walk and had left the path with water on both sides, I asked a young African-American woman about the trail, and she said she knew nothing about it but seemed interested in it and in my way of speaking, which she said sounded like something from the theater.  (Affected?)  She also wished me a good trail and said “God bless and happy holidays.” 

I was sort of confused about whether to walk on an expressway or not.  I started walking to the left of the white partition on the expressway, but it soon ran out, so I climbed over the partition and carefully walked along the expressway.  There wasn’t, fortunately, much traffic.  I saw some really pretty foliage.  I have to admit that I got out my iPhone from time to time and put in the next point—Harney Way, for example.  I was reassured when the minutes to go diminished instead of increasing in number.  At least I was going in the right direction!  I got onto Harney Way to Executive Park Blvd, where I saw a building and Executive Park Café.  I asked several people in the café about the big office buildings and finally was directed to someone who might know.  He told me Recology was among the offices.  Went through tunnel to Blanken in Little Hollywood neighborhood.  Then on to Bayshore Blvd. across from the MUNI Metro T-Third stop at Arleta.  Onto Leeland and then onto Hans Schiller Plaza and A series of Greenways going up and up and up to other streets (Raymond, Teddy, Campbell).  Onto Rutland and Tucker and another Greenway.

 As I said, I was usually walking alone, and no one was even nearby, but in one of the last Greenways, someone said, “Tina?”  I looked up and immediately thought of the actor Bill and I met on the Camino, who also walked from Florence to Rome and said he was planning to come to SF.  “John?” I asked.  But it was Joel, someone I met through our Chew and View Francophone/Francophile group.  He hasn’t participated for over a year, but we all love him and call him “Joel de vivre.”  We talked a short time, and I told him about Bob Siegel’s leadership in the Crosstown Trail project, which Joel and his friend Arnie were also doing.  I walked ahead of them so as not to detain them and not to interfere with their privacy.  

The very pretty Greenways finally ended on Tioga.  Went to Delta and onto Wilde, where I saw the entrance where Bill and I entered McLaren Park.  Walked up paved trail and stairway and went along Philosopher’s Way without lingering much because Bill and I had already walked it and what was a beautiful morning looked like a gray and rainy afternoon.

 I left McLaren Park at Bacon and Oxford and went along Cambridge to HW. 280.  As I was contemplating an overpass and fearing that I’d have vertigo, Joel and his friend Arnie caught up with me, and Joel let me take his arm as we walked together across St. Mary’s Park Footbridge.    But I wasn’t at all aware of passing the trail to Alemany Farm.  I wasn’t even aware of St. Mary’s Recreation Center.  

Joel, Arnie, and I talked about Joel’s interest in going to Japan, and I told him about Bill and Tom’s trip there this past month.   We also discussed Pachinko and Parasites  We finally crossed Mission and walked on Bosworth to the Glen Park BART station at Bosworth and Diamond.  That’s where we all touched a big post at the crossing because that’s going to be the point at which we begin Section 2 of the SF Crosstown Trail. which my son Jonathan and I plan to take on Christmas Eve Day.  

We’d started to feel a few drops of rain.  I caught the #43 bus to Sloat and 19^th, where the #28 happened to be stopped, so I hopped on it. A young woman immediately offered me her seat.  I thanked her  but said I thought I could stand for the remaining two blocks I had to go.