On The Rails from San Francisco to San Jose

Having given up my car, I hit the rails---

to see how far I could go.

For $8.75 I got all the way to San Jose. The ride on Caltrain took an hour and a half on this train from the San Francisco terminal.

The route went down the Peninsula, alongside the El Camino Real, the most pleasant trip down the Peninsula I ever had. In the past I drove and had to deal with long red lights and monotonous store fronts.

On this trip, I had a backyard view of many building material supply companies, homes, underpasses, train stations and culverts. I saw lots of people bringing bicycles on the train. One fellow, on the other hand, took his small bike out of a storage locker at a station.

In San Jose, the train pulled into Diridon Station, named after a Santa Clara County supervisor. Originally called the Cahill Depot and built in 1935, it was the locale of the opening scene in the Hitchcock thriller "Marnie", according to Wikipedia.

Here's are pictures of Diridon Station, including a close-up of the mural in the waiting room.

Diridon is a transportation hub, making connections to lots of other places. Happily, I found out about the DASH shuttle, a free service running a loop around the downtown every weekday from 0630 to 1930. It dropped me near the San Jose Museum of Art and places to eat. I chose to eat at The Loft, where I had a Cobb Salad and a glass of wine.  Happy Hour starts at 3, so I'll have to keep it in mind next time I'm down that way.

The museum had an exhibit of local Mexican artists, which had caught my attention while surfing the Net. I did enjoy the exhibit, but also the museum itself. I liked its size: small, with only two floors and a basement. After paying the entrance fee ($8) and stepping past the counter, I was already in the exhibit.  Larger museums have larger staging areas for all the crowds they expect. This was pleasant change.

About 1500, I started checking the time and decided to head home. I caught the DASH where it had dropped me off and it got me to the station in time for the 1544 train.

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A Day At The Ballpark

A Thursday day-game offered the opportunity to go to the ballpark, watch the home team and get some sun. So I contacted friends who agreed to attend the Giants-Astros game. From left to right, they are Kale, Laura and Dave.

At the time, we couldn't know that the night before our game, on June 13, Giant pitcher Matt Cain would throw only the 22nd perfect game in major league history and the first in team history. The score was 10-0 by the 5th inning. As I listened on the radio, I remember thinking, "Save some runs for tomorrow."

Our group met up at a bar about four short blocks on a downhill amble from AT&T Park. When Dave made the recommendation through e-mail, I thought the place was called the "2nd Amendment".  So, just before going, I double-checked my Constitution to verify the right to bear arms. Imagining guns racks and shotguns beneath counters, I looked forward to going to such an establishment in liberal San Francisco. But I had got it wrong:

Inside the 21st Amendment, I only found booze, beer and baseball fans. The game started at 12:45 and I was the first to arrive at 11:30. I found a place at the bar and ordered a "South-5", an ale named, I imagined for the interstate freeway. (I didn't challenge that preconception.) The crowd grew as game time approached, and the TVs were showing the U.S. Open from across town.

Dave and Laura showed up, as did Kale later. Kale had a special challenge in getting to the game: a fire near BART tracks resulted in the cross-Bay subway being shut down. But he made it and we enjoyed a drink together before heading to the park. We entered through the 2nd Street gate. (Aha. I just realized that since the bar was on 2nd Street, I must have substituted 2nd for 21st. How the mind works!)

As the clock shows, it was five minutes to game time and a crowd massed to get past security and ticket check. Happily, we made it through quickly and found our seats in lower box section 135, seats 18-21. (21 again. In fact, my ticket shows row 21, seat 21.)

Our seats were near the left field foul pole and we recognized the need to watch for fly balls. Line drives, especially, Kale cautioned. 

 Sure enough, a fly ball landed just inside the gate (lower left in the picture). It bounced high over our heads and was fought over by fans four rows behind us.  Watching the ball leave the bat and soar to us, its majestic arc thrilled me and reminded me of playing ball as a kid.

The Astros hit two homers, a grand slam and a solo one. Both landed in the left field stands. Majestic they were, but not so thrilling for the home team. Each time the crowd hollered, "Throw it back!" Each time, the white pill landed back on the green field.

Giant Brandon Belt hit a "splash hit" home run over the right field wall into the Bay, but it wasn't enough. The home team lost 6-3.




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Bike Ride in Golden Gate Park

Rented a bicycle and rode in Golden Gate Park. Ha ha. I thought I might ride to the beach or see the bison. I could barely ride. I found a space to circle like a hawk while I figured out the gears and adjusted my seat to the right height. After I got a little comfortable, I set out: the Park ain't all that flat at the entrance! I didn't go far. Found a place on the grass (not far from the children's area) to have lunch.

I returned the bike after an hour and a half. On the way back I was more comfortable but didn't have ANY power going uphill. Awkwardly, I  had to dismount at one point and walk it the rest of the way. I'm glad for the experience though, because I need the practice.

More practice and exercise required!

My bike.

Passing Segways.

A really nice tree.

It was a nice day to be out and about!




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