The Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica is under construction, but you can order inside and enjoy your meal on the patio with the birds.
The very aggressive birds.
I was sad they did not offer the Chili Cheese Burrito.
After lunch we went down to the Pacifica Municipal Pier and then to a mall where I bought new shoes.
We transitioned from The City to Foster City for the last leg of the trip.
After knocking out some work (time ‘off off’ is rare when you’re an independent contractor), we motored over to the Computer History Museum and frankly? It was a mixed bag.
Terrible wayfinding (I kept getting lost) and a bit drab for a topic that is infinitely visual and awesome.
There were oodles of solid artifacts, and I learned lots. (A favorite moment was seeing this Cray-1 Supercomputer and the accompanying 6 minute video about the fella behind it.)
But at the end of the day, I wanted thoughtful design.
Related: This is one of my favorite short videos about TECHNOLOGY!
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After the stroll through Muir Woods we headed back over the bridge and seized the fine weather for a walk around the Presidio.
Made a quick visit to the Yoda fountain, and since it was a weekday we were able to pop in the Lucasfilm lobby to see a mini museum with Darth Vader, R2-D2, K-2SO and a slew of props from the Star War.
By the time we arrived at the Palace of Fine Arts I was depleted, requiring coffee and not walking.
Pretty sure this was my fourth trip through these redwoods, but Casey had never been and I was more than happy to return.
Muir Woods was intended to be a tentpole of our trip and as circumstances changed it felt more prudent to follow through. The big variable was weather, and in that regard we were lucky as rain abated for the day.
What I wasn’t expecting was a near empty parking lot that morning and having large swaths of the trail to ourselves.
Those moments were glorious.
Mists from the Redwood Creek swirled with exhalations from the trees. A slight chill in the air was easy to combat with movement or hands in pockets.
There were a few challenging puddles and people, but overall? A+
Would totally return for firmer ground with better shoes.
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I emitted an uncomfortable laugh when reading this quote on a placard:
God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempests and floods; but he cannot save them from foolsโ only Uncle Sam can do that.
John Muir 1897
Reading stories of National Parks staff let go in the name of efficiency has me hoping these sacred spaces can hang on a bit longer.
More with the atmospheric river conditions. We decided a visit to a museum would be a good use of the day.
Took a bus to the SFMOMA and started with the Amy Sherald exhibition. You’d likely know her portraits of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor.
Her attention and approach capture something greater than a moment โ each painting a graphical (and biographical) juxtaposition of the subject, revealing exterior and interior details.
I particularly loved the section (no photos allowed) that provided a look into her process. She starts with an idea, orchestrates a very meticulous photo session and has reference materials on hand to take to the canvas.
From there we started from the top and moved our way back down the floors. There is always so much to see at this museum. The permanent collections hold up on repeat viewing (if you enjoy modern art) but there’s always something new. I’m sad to have missed the Art of Noise installation, but the sports one that took over was solid.
Tucked in a corner room was Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors, a video installation with 9 screens, each with a musician playing in concert. The audio is arranged spatially โ as you move around it sounds like you’re in the room with each performer.
I’m the sort that usually taps out fairly quick when it comes to videos in museums, but this one pulled me in…
I caught the tail end of the hour long piece and went to find Casey and return to watch the beginning. I thought we’d sit for a spell and move on, but we stayed enthralled for the remainder โ moving chairs from time to time to experience a different perspective.
These individuals performing isolated, but together.
It felt like a meditation, a bit of a dirge, an apology of sorts… and a release.
I had to wipe my eyes a few times.
It’s up through September 2025 at the museum, but if you can’t make it out they do have a 360ยฐ sample up on YouTube.
I’d been to Alcatraz before but the memory is vague. It was sometime after 1996 when APS film came out. I had a Kodak Advantix pocket camera that could switch between Classic, HD (16:9) and Panoramic formats.
I can envision a panoramic photo of Alacatraz Island from the ferry, buried in a stack of bins in the basement. I’m going to save myself 5 hours and just say it looked like the image below, but probably sunnier.
We decided to go on the tour over breakfast as there was a gap in rain. Picked up tickets at the dock of the ferry building and boarded the boat minutes after. (We think the weather helped in this regard.)
The experience lined up with my vague memory: headphones with a well produced audio tour and opportunities for better wayfinding signage.
The main difference was a special exhibit about the American Indian Occupation of the island from 1969-71. The National Parks site has more info and a virtual exhibition.
I was unsure of returning here 30 years later, but felt better equipped to understand the weight of this place. Alcatraz holds such a large presence in culture, but the space the prison occupies is relatively small. Through the tour it becomes very clear that it was an awful, unsustainable endeavor.
I’d go back again. Next time to see the gardens in full bloom.
We find ourselves at a diner in San Francisco during a break of an atmospheric river. There are plexiglass dividers between booths โ remnants of the most recent pandemic. Only a handful of folks are having breakfast this Monday morning, but those panels of plastic provide some small sense of comfort.
The pinnacle of this trip was to be a wedding, but now it will be a celebration of life for Casey’s best friend.
We order too much food and consider the days ahead, leaving space for shifting plans.
On recent flights I’ve been unable to connect to in air wifi and end up enjoying the gap in connectivity.
Oh, I still used data to stream stuff through a screen, but it was for entertainment and involved no notifications.
I watched Thelma, a (very) loosely based movie about writer and director Josh Margolin’s grandmother.
My heart was all in after the opening scene with Thelma trying to figure out email with the help of her grandson. I’ve been on both sides of that coin โ most recently when I gave up trying to learn Discord.
The film revolves around a telephone scam praying on the elderly, an issue that’s only going to get trickier for everybody as technology barrels ahead. Unfolding as a slow paced action movie that doesn’t prattle on too much, it’s worth a stream. (Free on Hulu, available to rent elsewhere.)
Related: A nice conversation with lead June Squibb and director Josh Margolin.
Unrelated: Photos from the travel day
Sitting down to tap this out I wondered, why is it called a baby shower?
According to the internet, it comes from the idea of showering the expecting parents (traditionally the mother) with gifts, love, and good wishes before the baby arrives. The phrase likely became popular in the late 19th or early 20th century in the U.S., though similar customs of celebrating pregnancy and birth have existed in different cultures for centuries.
Seems legit.
We gathered today to celebrate with Kathryn, family and friends. There were the aforementioned gifts, love and good wishes, but there was also quiche, fruit, a salad with a dressing so good I got the recipe, cake, and a melon baby.
Games were kept to a minimum. One had everyone list the names of young animals (Bear = Cub, Deer = Fawn, etc.) and I did terribly, but the whole affair was fun (and wonderfully filling).
Met up for games and laser tag to celebrate Brayden’s birthday.
I’ve never played laser tag before. We split up as two teams with a large group of randoms and it was general chaos. My chest plate blinked colors with audio status alerts that were lost in the cacophony.
That said? I’d totally do it again with smaller group and extended training โ and by extended I mean, like 5 minutes.
And I know the phone snapshots below look like impressionist paintings, but I’ll give props for capturing some essence in almost total darkness.
We had to skip out on mini golf because tomorrow would be a super early travel day (and we hadn’t yet packed). So after gifts and hugs were exchanged, we bid adieu.
Today’s soundtrack is thanks to the birthday boy, who’s become a Chemical Brothers fan since seeing Sonic 3.
Joe Walsh (not that one) posted this gem on Instagram which absolutely sold me on his new graphic novel/comic, The Shifting Ground Vol 1.
Picked it up and enjoyed the first chunk over lunch.
Been working on a project that felt flat and needed some texture. Dropped in predictable stock to inspire contemplation… concrete, plywood, subway tile โ that sorta thing. They all felt like an improvement, but didn’t ring any bells.
Casey mentioned the Woodward Theater had unique brick work and a fuse was lit!
I could only recall long shots from when friends Dan & Brett got hitched there back in 2016.
Popped down over lunch and snapped a whole bunch of close-ups.
Yup. That was just the ticket โ and a lovely respite from reading the horrific news of our times.
