On Sunday I thought it would be a good idea to go check out Sutro Baths. I’d never been, and figured I’d better go see them before they disappear into nothingness forever. We caught the N and made a stop in the Sunset so I could go to the shoe store where they give you a diagnostic and tell you what kind of shoes you should be wearing for the activities you plan to participate in. Due to the endless walking, my feet have started to hurt. Most of my shoes are fairly comfortable, but aren’t really made for pounding the pavement. I got me some nice Asics in a lovely white and blue.
I put them on and walked out the door, determined to break them in on my way from Ocean Beach to Sutro Baths and beyond. Turns out the walk we were about to take was going to go far FAR beyond Sutro Baths. Once we’d puttered around the ruins, walked through the cave, and worried about all the little kids who were sure to fall in the mucky water, we headed up the hill to the north, slightly away from the parking lot stairs. A little way past the Baths area we saw a trail, and decided to follow it. It hooked up to a system of coastal trails headed in and out of the Presidio and probably head south down the coast as well. We walked it with only a few people passing us the other direction for about an hour until we came to Lands End. Then it was a short walk past the golf course and into one of the fanciest neighborhoods in San Francisco. Jeepers, some of these houses made me squeal in their excess. A quick turn down a dead end street and we found the entrance to Baker Beach where we patronized some portapotties that definitely make my top ten list of Worst PortaJohn’s EVER, and had some of my Aztec Salad (I made that up, it was quinoa and veggies like chayote squash and heirloom tomato with a little cayenne).
I wanted to go up from the coast and walk on the road after this, but I was denied. We kept going on the coast for a while longer until we got to some Presidio buildings we recognized. We cut through some back streets and I showed Peter the Presidio Pet Cemetery. Creepy. THEN we kept going over to Chrissy Field and ALMOST to Fort Mason before we turned up Fillmore and went to find dome yuppie location to have dinner.
We walked from 2pm until about 7:30. I don’t know how far those trails are, 8 to 10 miles. My feet are sore. My ass is sore too. Even my arms are a little sore. My shoes are totally broken in.
Posted by allison at August 30, 2004 05:05 PM