Ghost Tours San Francisco

Presidio Heights, SF, Architectural Heritage Tour & nearby Presidio Hike

***\*Don't be a No-Show*** *and have your membership in the Group canceled. See the,\*No-Show policies at the bottom.* This tour highlights not only the diversity of the architecture, but also the mix of architects and people who built, occupied and maintained these grand properties. About 50 of which are on our tour today, including Presidio Terrace. I also have some ephemera we can see to get a feel for what life was like here about ninety years ago. Here are some links if you would like to help with Meetup expenses. [Here is a Venmo link.](https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3262702482882560580&created=1757371525), for my account. Here is my Paypal account. '[herrmann48@comcast.net'](http://herrmann48@comcast.net'/) The walking tour covers approximately 15 blocks (3.0 - 4.0 miles of walking). Afterwards there are a couple of interesting dining spots at Divisadero and California Sts., *Patisserie & Dynasty Dumpling.* Both are good options for lunch. **But sometimes it's fun to try something different, Hinodeya Ramen Bar at 1737 Buchanan St.** I know where to find parking, no worries. So join me afterwards. They also have a location just off Chestnut St. at 3340 Steiner St. This location looks more luxe with nice outdoor seating and more tables. Same menu. The House Ramen or Spinach soup seems like the go to's! ($17.00.) By the way Chestnut St. seems to have a lot of new and unique restaurants if you have a good suggestion that you've actually tried and recommend, let me know. Lots of walking today, about three miles, but mostly level. (On Sundays we'll pass by the **[Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco](https://sfswedenborgian.org/history/)** at the end of our walk. A weekly Sunday tour of this early Arts & Crafts gem is offered at 1:00pm. We'll stop by and take a look. See some of the art there in the photos here.) We're meeting at the intersection of Baker St & Vallejo. Very ample parking on the nearby streets. We always manage to find a relatively clean porta-pottie nearby. But we do pass restrooms on our side hike through the Presidio. *\*(Don't be a no-show.)* It's good to give out name tags which I do. I fill out the name tags 24hrs. before for the tour. This also gives me a way to take attendance. Name tags that are not picked up, are recorded as no-shows. If you get too many no-shows recorded in your personal Meet-up profile you'll have to be cancelled from this Meetup. (To cancel your RSVP beforehand (must be at least 24 hrs. before the Event or a No-show is recorded.), so look for the, **"Edit Attendance"** tab at the bottom right hand corner of the screen.) *Please ask your guests to join the Meetup, otherwise they can't attend.* [Here are several photos, including inside the house at Presidio and Pacific, the house pictured above.](https://www.compass.com/listing/3198-pacific-avenue-san-francisco-ca-94123/1291319997995710705/) Popular architectural genres in the early development of Presidio Hts.- At the time of its development around 1905, the **brown shingle, Arts & Crafts style** was popular. Known as the First Bay Traditional or Regional style we'll see this genre in evidence at the beginning of the tour. (Be sure to take a look at the four photos here of a great example of this type of architecture.) Presidio Hts. was an early hot bed of this style, led by the Swedenborgian Church nearby and Its founding pastor, Rev. Joseph Worcester who is credited with building the first Bay Area brown shingle house in Piedmont, in 1876. **1895 the 1910 *Edwardian and Colonial Revival:*** The continued elaboration of ornament and facade shapes reached its height in the early 1890s as the the Victorian era ended. After that there was a gradual move towards simplicity and away from excess and toward, order. Eccentricity gave way to strict conventions, quiet lines and understated quality materials. Money now made understatement its chief method of display. Style was no longer measured in pounds of gingerbread ornament per square foot, but in elegant proportions and an air of conservatism. (Julia Morgan lived nearby at Washington & Divisadero. There are four JM houses on today's tour.)

East Bernal Hts. Walking Tour-Via Stair Path & SF Vernacular Architecture

(Photo above: *Family moving "their" earthquake Cottage from Precita Park up to Bernal Hts.,1907. Occupants could keep the government provided, Union built cottage they had lived in after the earthquake, if the rent was up to date. Sometimes charged $100. for the cottage. But land values had bottomed after the earthquake. Rows of these, painted, park bench green, were temporarily built in most of the parks in SF and the Presidio.* East Bernal Hts. is rarely seen on City Guides or other organization's listings. But we're adventurous and we'll risk the wilds of East Bernal Hts. and have a great time. In what is one of the most unique neighborhoods in San Francisco little houses cling halfway up the hills here. We'll explore and discover the scenic, up and down stair pathways, as well as the Victorian architecture in this especially unique neighborhood. Not to mention the marvelous views as we ascend the stair paths. ([Here's a simple link that will allow you to support the Meetup and add a thank you.](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=TJ8W6VVEGJ6BS&no_recurring=1&item_name=%0AIt%27s+very+nice+of+you+to+respond+and+give+support.%0AThank+you%2C%0AJordan&currency_code=USD)) (Total distance, three miles, but there are several novel steps/stair/paths to climb up, resulting in a total elevation gain of a few hundred feet. You'll get your, "steps"/exercise, but overall we go slow, stopping to see some of the Victorian and vernacular varieties while taking in the gorgeous views of the bay. Wear sturdy shoes. *Don't risk a fall or a sprained ankle, or worse ,by wearing inappropriate footwear for this activity.* I think what makes Bernal Hts. unique in SF is that the early difficulties in commuting due to the terrain, made it a less desirable location. Resulting in a very working class, blue collar neighborhood with affordable housing for the locals. It also lacked in City infrastructure with some dirt roads not being paved until the 1980s. The typical SF, rigid grided, street layout didn't work well in Bernal Hts. The Berkeley ideal of streets following the contour of the land may have resulted in much more expensive housing? Instead we see so many moderate wood houses almost defying gravity in clinging to the sloping hills. If you have a problem maintaining your social calendar, please be advised! ***(Don't be a no-show.)*** It's good to give out name tags which I do. I fill out the name tags 24 hours before r the tour start time. This also gives me a way to take attendance. Name tags that are not picked up, are recorded as no-shows. (See photo below.) If you get too many no-shows recorded in your personal Meet-up profile you'll have to be canceled from this Meetup. (To cancel your RSVP beforehand (please at least 24 hrs.), look for the, **"Edit Attendance"** tab at the bottom right hand corner of the screen.)

Eureka Valley, A Great Victorian Tour

**\*Don't be a no-show. *See the Group's no-show policy below.*** Don't be a no-show and lose your membership in the Group. Attendance is always taken and no-shows recorded. A marvelous tour of Victorians in Eureka Valley. On our way we'll discover a beautifully restored "Earthquake Cottage", from 1906. Just imagine house after house of these efflorescent, floriated, flamboyant creations. What inspired the Victorians? Makes for an interesting discussion. Roughly over 48,000 Victorians were built in SF, (1860s to 1915), with about a third remaining. Builder, Fernando Nelson's houses stand out in neighborhoods of beautifully authentic Victorians due to his signature gingerbread details. With his sons he produced some 4,000 homes from 1876 until his death in 1953. After the Victorian Era he created developments in the Richmond, Presidio Terrace and West Portal, among others. The two photos below show very similar F.Nelson, Queen Ann Tower row houses. The one with the garages added underneath is in the Castro[ (for sale listing) ](https://websites.open.homes/site/1eff45d8-994d-6e92-8956-02ffe917ffb9)the other, more original is at Waller and Carmelita St [For a biography of F. Nelson, click.](https://outsidelands.org/nelson.php) [This link will take you to the history of several of the houses on the tour. ](https://archive.org/details/victorianallianc00unse_7/page/n1/mode/2up) Or near the tour. (Sketches of what is described below will be passed around. We'll also go over a sketch of the interior of a typical Victorian.) *(There are five Victorian Styles. Walking in the Victorian neighborhoods is even more fun when you can identify each of the five styles of Victorians.)* 1. 1860s -Flat front Italianate- (earliest Victorians). (French 2nd Empire also appear downtown to burn after the '06 earthquake.) 2. 1870s -Italianate with slanted bay windows. 3. 1880s -San Francisco Stick Style (also called East Lake). Simpler square bay windows now used. Overall much more elaborate decoration, ornament and gingerbread used. 4. 1890s -Queen Anne Tower House&Witches Cap, with angled or rounded bay windows & front gable 5. 1890s -Queen Anne Row House, 1, 1-1/2 or two stories. Large front gable. Possibly with a moongate entry. Features & "Gingerbread" Moongate entry Floral Decor-Garlands, Vases Fish scale and/or Diamond shingles- Towers & Witch's Cap- Stained Glass or Beveled Glass- Carvings of grotesque faces- Sunbursts- often painted gold, half or full. Gables Newel Posts at the end of railings&Finials on Tower tops&roof peaks- Woodworking mills South of Market provided the "gingerbread". There was an Old English custom using fancy cutouts of baked gingerbread to decorate wedding cakes. The term gingerbread was subsequently used for the decorating of Victorian houses. The secret ingredient was redwood. It could be carved, sawn, turned on a lathe, incised, or soaked and press- molded into almost any shape. [If you would like a scholarly and detailed explanation with photos, click.](https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/preserv/bulletins/HistPres_Bulletin_18.PDF) [Most of the photos below and listings are taken from the SF Planning Dept. information of 240 pages reviewing Eureka Valley.](https://default.sfplanning.org/Preservation/EurekaValleyHCS/hp_eureka_valley_hcs_HCS_FINAL-122017.pdf)

Golden Gate Park, Around Lake Hike, Band Concert & Lunch

If you like great American, popular, roots music, you'll love the concert today. Click the link below for the line-up. We'll be touring the areas from the Conservatory of Flowers to and around Stow Lake today. Followed by a concert by the GG Park Band. (They have provided music in the Park since 1882.) [The Golden Gate Park Band will be presenting a lively program celebrating songs and dances from around the world. ](https://goldengateparkband.org/calendar) The concert starts at 1:00pm, ends 2:30pm. We'll reach the Band Shell a little after 12:00. Here you will have many choices, stay for lunch and the music, visit one of the many close by attractions or head back. I'll stay for the concert. **\*Don't be a no-show. *See the Group's no-show policy below.*** Don't be a no-show and lose your membership in the Group. Attendance is always taken and no-shows recorded. **[Here's a link to a video of the May 31st tour.](https://www.relive.com/view/vYvrzpyQJxv)** Golden Gate Park celebrated its 150th year anniversary in 2020. That's a lot of urban history. We'll get into just a little bit of that fascinating history today. But we want to get a good walk in. Distance today will be around 3.0 miles. Little or no up hills or elev. gain. Bring water. Food trucks are available. My all time favorite is Sam's Chowder House truck, behind the huge, music Band Shell. The best clam chowder around. Also Annie's food carts and others too. **A word about parking. For ideal parking aim for the intersection of Bowling Green Dr. & Nancy Pelosi Dr. Try using the address of 300 Bowling Green Dr. for GPS. Break-ins are common here. *Do not leave anything visible in your car.*** Below are the POI highlights to choose from in the eastern section. ***Golden Gate Park, (A sampling of POIs)*** Conservatory of Flowers (1878) US President James Garfield Statue (1884) Victorian era Baseball Player Statue, by Douglas Tilden (1891) Lily Pond & Australian Tree Fern Dell (1902) Tennis Courts (1894-2021) Lawn Bowling Courts (1901) Sharon Meadow (1894) Coffee House in the Park (recent) Lake Alford (1882) Alford Bridge & Tunnel (1889) Children's Quarter (1888) Sharon Building (1888) GG Park Carousal (1888-first Carousal) A Monastery Stone & the amazing story of these 10,000 stones that landed in the Park from Spain in 1931? Handball Courts Big Rec Baseball fields (1893) Shakespeare Flower Garden(1928) Spreckels Temple of Music , the "Band Shell" (1900) LUNCH (about 12:15pm) Music Concourse (built for 1894, Calif.Mid-Winter Fair) & new Ferris Wheel (Golden Gate Park Band plays Sundays at 1:00pm in season.) Japanese Tea Garden (1894) Stowe Lake (1881) San Francisco Botanical Garden (1940) (Then returning to where we started by way of the Conservatory of Flowers, we'll pass by the following.) **Itinerary-San Francisco Botanical Garden Tour, If we go there on this tour?** Garden of Fragrance Rhododendron Garden Heidelberg Hill & Magnolias Mediterranean Garden Ancient & Primitive Plant Garden South Africa/(Cape Town) Garden New Zealand & Australia Andean Cloud Forest Zellerbach Garden of Perennials Japanese Moon Viewing Garden Camellia Garden Redwood Grove California Natives Lots of interesting things in the Park. In-season: "Magnificent Magnolias", peak bloom time around Feb.1st. But we'll find lots of other beautiful plants and flowers to amaze. (\*Don't be a no-show.) It's good to give out name tags which I do. I fill out the name tags just before I leave for the tour. This also gives me a way to take attendance. Because name tags that are not picked up, are recorded as no-shows. If you get too many no-shows recorded in your personal Meet-up profile you'll be cancelled from this Meetup. (To cancel your RSVP beforehand [please at least 24 hrs. in advance]. Look for the, **"Edit Attendance"** tab at the bottom right hand corner of the screen for laptops and left, bottom on phones.)

Don't miss Tomales bays unique hidden gems & Drakes Bay wonders !

Some people still have not been here & beyond to see the Elephant Seals ! plus if we get the low tide we can wade in at a special location & observe & photo the cool Bat Rays ! (Harmless) \*\*\*\*\*Our lunch location is on a cliff overlooking the Northern shore line & beaches .\*\*\* You won't want to leave this place. \*\*\* The forest trek is down hill or cliff top along the beaches. Only one uphill , through a Cypress forest. Bathrooms are available & water. Plus I will also have other drinks and trail food available. (Including hiking poles). \*\*\*\*\*\* Then we are off to explore the amazing Drakes Bay, cliffs & the beautiful beaches. And If we are lucky, we may see pods of huge Elephant Seals basking in the sun. And they are very big ! This beach is also known for its annual Sand Sculpture contest In Sept. Plus, don't miss all the many Sand dollars you will find in the surf ! \*\*\*\*\*\* We will carpool from Starbucks . So don't drive solo ! You may get lost! Sorry ! No dogs allowed on this outing, because of all the wildlife . Membership donation is only $22 & guests are $15. You get so much for so little. Always have my phone #: 925 787 3041 . Plus when you RSVP , \*\*\*\*\*I will need your phone #, email & group meetup name. \*\*\*And most of all, do not ever, ever, be a dreaded NO SHOW ! OK ! LET'S RUMBLE ! Leave all the rat race behind & clear your mind. Your Guru for great adventures !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! INDIE TOM !

Join Us For Dinner And A View of the New Bay Bridge Lights in San Francisco 6/6

Movie Outing - Scary Movie 6

Skeptics in a REAL Pub

**WHAT: Skeptics in a Real Pub** Enjoy an evening of socializing and feasting with fellow Bay Area science-forward folk in an Irish Pub on the Peninsula with great food. < **[Menu](https://www.fiddlersgreenmillbrae.com/menu)** > Please join us! This is a free event open to all. Brought to you by the Bay Area Skeptics. **WHEN:** Tuesday 9 June 7-9:30 PM **WHERE:** **Fiddlers Green**, 333 El Camino Real, Millbrae. Accessible by Caltrain, BART, Bus, & Bicycle. **HOW:** Click **[HERE](https://maps.app.goo.gl/i7oGqww8xNnQomVL9)** if you can offer a ride or would like a ride to & from Fiddlers Green. Be prepared to pay another participant for drink & delectables: cash, check, Apple Pay, Venmo, Zelle, et al. [Our group will receive a single check from the Head Leprechaun.]

Roaming Some Presidio Favourites

It's always a pleasure to roam in the Presidio. Over the years I have developed a few favourite spots, and this roam will visit some of these mostly lesser-visited places: the Ghost Trail, Dragonfly Creek, and the Community Garden. We will be climbing a certain amount, and there is plenty of off-roading on the way round. We will meet by the Presidio Visitors' Center, on the side away from the bridge and closer to the bathrooms.

Historic tour of Sausalito house boats

Great Smoky Mountains Hiking and Glamping Weekend

Join us on our Great Smoky Mountains Hiking & Glamping Weekend for women only! Enjoy four days of sweeping mountain vistas, a private whiskey tour, forest hikes, and more. Spend a long weekend with a small group of women hiking the best trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (including parts of the Appalachian Trail). Luxuriate with nightly glamping near Gatlinburg, TN. Your hiking adventure has been carefully (obsessively?) curated by the Explorer Chick team over countless in-field tests. Only our top treks make the itinerary. Prepare to be challenged on the trail and rewarded with the most OMFG-level mountain views and waterfalls. **GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS HIKING** Stride through sweet-smelling pine forests to reach sweeping panoramic vistas with a girl gang you’d trust more than Paul Bunyan. Climb to only one of three remaining fire towers in the National Park when you embark on the strenuous trek up Mt. Cammerer. You can take it “easy” on a moderate hike to the park’s highest single-drop waterfall, Rainbow Falls. Then, inch out to a bald rock outcropping on Charlie’s Bunion to get your heart hammered by mountain scenery in every direction. Walk in the foot path of thousands of Appalachian Trail thru hikers that have come before you on two hikes. Your Insta feed won’t know what hit it. Yes, this is real life with WILD women. **WHISKEY TOUR** Of course, what’s a trip to Tennessee without whiskey? You’ll spend a few hours on an exclusive, private tour with our local guide visiting distilleries on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. Go behind the scenes at a real working still house and see how everything is made start to finish. Learn the history of whiskey throughout the Prohibition era, the state’s romance with whiskey, and why these mountains were such an integral part of moonshine culture. **GLAMPING** Each night, put your feet up in total Pinterest-worthy digs at our adorable glamping site minutes from Gatlinburg. You will sleep in a tent that has been tastefully decorated and luxuriously appointed with WiFi and temperature control – with meals freshly prepared at camp by your Explorer Chick guides. You only have one task after hiking: RELAX. It’s a wonderfully wild weekend with a small group of women hiking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Over the course of the long weekend, you’ll quickly grow close with your posse of Explorer Chicks as you hike the trails and share memories of summits. **See the website for full itinerary, details and to book.** [https://explorerchick.com/adventures/smoky-mountains-hiking-and-glamping/](https://explorerchick.com/adventures/smoky-mountains-hiking-and-glamping/) **Say Hello 👋** **💻** Website: [https://explorerchick.com/](https://explorerchick.com/) 📧 Email: [hello@explorerchick.com](http://hello@explorerchick.com/) 📸 Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/explorerchickadventureco/](https://www.instagram.com/explorerchickadventureco/) ❤️ Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/ExplorerChickAdventureCo/](https://www.facebook.com/ExplorerChickAdventureCo/) 👯‍♀️ Facebook Group: [https://www.facebook.com/groups/weareexplorerchick](https://www.facebook.com/groups/weareexplorerchick) 🎥 TikTok: [https://www.tiktok.com/@explorerchick](https://www.tiktok.com/@explorerchick)

GG Park exploratory walk - 6 miles