Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
194
The “Only in S an Francisco” Checklist of R are or
Unusual Sights
As y ou wander ar ound t own, look f or the people and objec ts list ed belo w.
Some are easier to find than others, but if you check off more than half, you've
really gotten around.
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Art cars:
Keep your eyes peeled for weird and wonderful autos. You'll know
one when y ou see it. There's a GI Joe -covered station wagon and other
cars paint ed in w eird and wack y c olors, tra veling can vases of public ar t.
The end of S eptember brings the Ar tCar Fest to the Bay Area (www.artcar-
fest.com), a gathering of these wildly dec orated v ehicles and the people
who love them.
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Critical mass:
On the last F riday of ev ery month at 5:30pm, a huge g roup
of gonzo bicyclists takes over the streets, much to the consternation of any
drivers who get caught una wares. The launch pad is usually the Embar ca-
dero BART Station. The path varies .
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A Chinatown funeral procession:
Look for a fancy convertible decorated with
pictures of the dec eased followed by the Gr een Street Band pla ying Western
pop tunes. Funeral corteges generally t our North Beach and Chinat own.
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The doorman a t the Sir F rancis Dr ake:
For mor e than 3 decades , Tom
Sweeney has g reeted guests of the Sir F rancis Drake in a traditional beef-
eater outfit.
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Lotta's Fountain:
The meeting plac e every April 18 at 5:13am f or the f ew
remaining sur vivors of the 1906 ear thquake and fir e. The fountain ser ved
as a community bulletin board where people lef t notes for missing friends
and family af ter the disast er. Thousands met her e on the quake 's 100th
anniversary. You'll spot it on the c orner of M arket and Kearn y streets.
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Nancy Pelosi:
The first w oman Speaker of the House of Repr esentatives
hails from San F rancisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood . Occasionally she
shows up unannounc ed at local c omedy clubs.
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The rock balancer:
Bill Dan rides his bike t o Crissy F ield many afternoons
and promptly draws huge cr owds by balancing lar ge rocks on t op of each
other in appar ently gravity-defying ways. He uses no glue , yet his t owers
miraculously withstand the af ternoon breezes.
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The twins:
Nob H ill r esidents Vivian and M arian Br own, blond , c oiffed,
80-something identical twin sisters, are local celebrities simply for dressing
exactly alike (fabulously so) and nev er being seen without one another .
Spotting them is said t o be good luck!
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The wild parr ots of Telegraph Hill:
A famous flock of wild g reen parrots,
descendents of escapee pets , roosts in the tr ees around the F ilbert Steps.
Listen f or the noise of their ca wing and then see if y ou can spot these
cherry-headed birds.
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Robin Williams:
The actor/comedian lives near Baker Beach and is said t o
jog along Crissy F ield. Oc casionally he sho ws up unannounc ed at local
comedy clubs.
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