I apologize for the light posting over the past week. From Monday through Friday I was in San Francisco for the IVT Conference on FDA Inspections, held at the Crowne Plaza Union Square, which is also where I stayed while there.

Views of the city, including Coit Tower, from the 30th floor of the Crowne Plaza Union Square.
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

This trip was my third to San Francisco, which is a rather picturesque city, and a great one to walk around in the evening - which is what I did Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. The hotel is just north of Union Square, and is within walking distance of several notable landmarks and neighborhoods, including the Financial District, the Ferry Building, Chinatown, Maiden Lane, Nob Hill, the Civic Center, and several others.

Union Square
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

Victory Monument, focal point of Union Square. This 97-foot tall Corinthian column was designed by Robert Ingersoll Aitken and built to commemorate Commodore Dewey's victory over the Spanish Armada in 1898.
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

Tuesday night, I walked down Sutter toward the Financial District, up Montgomery to Columbus toward North Beach, to Stockton, and then back down to Sutter, wandering up and down the hills to avoid the Stockton tunnel. I forgot to take my camera with me on this walk, which skirted the famous San Francisco Chinatown and covered approximately 5 miles. Afterward, I met up with a couple friends from the area, and we had appetizers (tuna tartare) at BluPointe, followed by wine at Cav Wine Bar.

Grant Avenue Chinatown gate.
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

Wednesday night, I walked west on Sutter almost all the way to Divisadero, then back, past the hotel to the Financial District, and down Market Street to the Ferry Building. A light rain started falling on my way back up Market to Sutter, making the normally cool San Francisco evening even cooler; but I had a coffee from Peet's to keep me warm as I completed an approximately 6 mile walk.

The San Francisco Ferry Building, originally built in 1898 and recently renovated.
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

San Francisco Bay Bridge, as viewed from the exterior of the Ferry Building. The Bay Bridge opened for traffic on November 12, 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge.
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

Thursday, I had a lot of ground to cover. I wanted to see Union Square, and also Mission Dolores, two of San Francisco's most famous historical sites. I also needed to go back to the Grant Avenue Chinatown Gate, to get the picture I failed to capture Tuesday night. So I headed down Powell to Union Square and got some pictures, but the last of my rechargeable batteries died, so I walked back up Powell to Walgreen's to get some replacements. Then, back down Powell, past Union Square to Market, and then up Market for the long walk to the Mission District. On the way, I passed the United Nations Civic Center Plaza, and all the rest Market St. has to offer - good and bad. I found the Mission Dolores, grabbed some pictures, and then made my way back up Market, to Powell, and back to the hotel. Altogether, this walk covered about 7 miles.

Mission Dolores, built in 1791, remains San Francisco's oldest-standing building.
Photo © Chip Bennett, all rights reserved.

The entire experience reminded me of one of my favorite Caedmon's Call songs, The Ballad of San Francisco, which begins appropriately with the following lyrics:

So I'm walking down the street somewhere outside of San Francisco
but, I don't really know my way around

A friend of mine invited me up to Napa, but I really wasn't going to be able to extend my trip, unfortunately.

All the rest of the pics can be found in my Flickr San Francisco photo set.