China Town & Washington Square

Our final day in San Francisco and I wanted to see China Town. It was within walking distance of the hotel, but that walk was straight up a very, very steep hill. There was no denying where we were once we entered.




We walked several blocks and things started looking a little less Asian and a bit more European. Gina wanted me to take a shot of this street sign. She kept asking me to google it, but I never did. I'll let her comment on this post to explain what it's all about.

Eventually we emerged onto this lovely little park called Washington Square.
Dogs played, homeless folks slept, and old Asian ladies did Tai Chi or other group exercises.


There were really interesting looking trees in this park
and a church called the Cathedral of St. Peter & Paul.
I'm not sure which was Peter and which was Paul.

On the way back to the hotel we found some other sites of San Francisco... including Coit Tower
which reminds me of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Stinking Rose restaurant, where they season their garlic with food :--)

And right around Jack Kerouac corner, the famous bookstore City Lights Bookseller, where Jack and his beatnik buddies hung out.


We dropped inside to see the books and I bought Annie a San Francisco cookbook as a thank you for taking care of my fish, BlueBonnet and PaintBrush, while we were gone.

Right across the street from the bookstore, was the first topless bar ever opened. And a few others that joined in rather quickly.

There were also several very intricate wall murals.


We were lucky enough to see one in the process of being made.

Gina took one last rest on bench with a couple of friends and then we were back to the hotel and on our way back home.