Tourist “traps” vs tourist “tricks”

I am usually very distracted. I find myself thinking about several things while driving or walking and when I finally realize where I am, I already missed my turn or walked a few more meters than needed. For instance, when I arrived to San Francisco my supervisor gave me instructions on how to get home by taking the Cable Car - Yes, the Cable Car. I think I have one of the most autochthonous experiences a person can have in San Francisco. I go and come back from work in Cable Car. Every afternoon I ride my cable car with tourists from all over the world that scream out loud when the cable car is driving down a hill – Anyways, my boss had told me where to take the cable car. The thing is that she never told me that there was more than one line of Cable Cars….So, in the middle of my dispersion, the first day I took the wrong line. I was riding it and realized the car was running further away from my place. So I got off where, with the basic knowledge I had of the city 2 days after my arrival, I believed I was close to my place and could walk home. I ended up walking quite a few hilly blocks….

The second day I got on the wrong cable car again because I did not know exactly how to find out what line it was and I was impatient to get home. So, I just jumped in the first vehicle I saw. But this time, I realized I could get off at the same cross street of my house but a few blocks up. That same cross street is called Lombard Street. The name did not say anything to me rather than where I lived .… but I found out that this was the stop of the famous zigzag touristy street, Lombard Street, and that I lived 3 blocks away from it. I try hardly to avoid touristy places and traps and ironically I was experiencing 2 of the most touristy things in San Francisco at once: the Cable Car and Lombard Street.

But not everything is as bad as it sounds, thanks to it I made an interesting discovery. I kept walking and found one block away, a very nice Colonial Spanish and Italian style building: The San Francisco Art Institute. It was amazing to discover that just a block away from home I had access to this interesting space, where not only graduate and undergraduate art degrees are offered but also arts exhibits are presented each month. This amazing space also offers access to the Anne Bremer Memorial Library, established with a generous donation from philanthropist Albert Bender in 1935 and, more amazing: you have access to The Café on the rooftop of the building. It’s a space that yields spectacular views of the bay and beyond. The Café serves breakfast, lunch, and light fare from morning to early evening. All food is made from organic, local, seasonal ingredients available in the San Francisco Bay Area. A trick totally recommended!!

Also, on a given Sunday that my husband came to visit we got touristy and decided to rent bikes and ride all along the beach from Embarcadero to Golden Gate Bridge. The ride is nice and totally worth it except for the wind that impedes the bike to advance at a speed higher than 1 mile per hour. But again, when we were climbing a hill near Fort Mason and decided to take the typical tourist Golden Gate/ Sea view picture, I made another great discovery: the San Francisco Fine Art Fair. From May the 19^th until May the 22^nd, San Francisco offered the inaugural show of this Concourse Exhibition Center. With galleries representing both contemporary and historically significant work, they presented a selection of highly relevant and engaging programs from the Bay Area and around the world. A highly recommended and very nice trick to check next time you happen to be in May around San Francisco.