Exploring San Francisco in January

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Visiting San Francisco is always a fun adventure especially on beautiful clear and sunny days. Exploring quirky and fun neighborhoods or enjoying the vistas from the hillside or from Treasure island makes each experience memorable and awe inspiring.  Its a fun seeing the city from all different vantage points and one can never get tired to all the amazing views.

©Noel Morata, All rights reserved

Come and visit my photography website at http://noelmorata.photoshelter.com/

San Francisaco - Neighborhood Strolls

(Team spirit showing up at a local bar)

 

 

When visiting the city, I enjoy walking the different neighborhoods and seeing all the quirky street life, the graphic elements, eclectic visuals and the funny images that I see on my strolls around the various parts of town.

A recent walk around Noe Valley to the Mission was very entertaining and filled with visuals.

 

I love seeing old signs that are still functional and in use.

 

 

Gorgeous abstract mural on the side of a café in Noe Valley

 

 

Inside a funky coffee shop ala ‘Tom Jones’.

 

Blowing bubbles and selling blow ups

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to try a flavor but couldn't make up my mind so I took a photo instead.

 

 

A favorite deli on Valencia, this is a huge sign on the side of the store makes me want to come in every time.

 

 

 

A drug store gone trendy bistro.

 

love the old graphic details to this iconic label

 

 

A repurposed planter and jack into a light in one of the cool funky shops.

 

 

I totally loved the vibe of this wall, spring is in the air.....

 

 

A nice walk, I totally enjoyed the day seeing new things and visiting some old favorite spots.

January Blues?

 

 

The days have been beautiful, sunny yet crisp during the early January days I was visiting Northern California.

 

 

Its beautiful to think that even on the west coast in Northern California, they can have such wonderful and moderate winters so you can actually enjoy being outdoors. Today there were clear blue skies, rolling hills and miles and miles of vineyards.  (Or is it just the days that I was lucky enough to have perfect timing to visit?)

 

 

 

Spending the day up at Sonoma County up at the Russian River Valley at Martinelli Winery for a simple gathering  and potluck is a wonderful way to spend the day and visit with old and new friends.

I really enjoy the day visiting, eating some delicious foods and drinking some amazing Sonoma Valley wines and just admiring the amazing views on this day.

 

 

It’s fun trying out all the old farm equipment, even if most are antique and rusting away.

 

 

Wild turkeys roam the entire county, even though these are family pets.

 

 

Ah yes, eating is a fun pastime and the cup cakes were too good to pass up!

 

 

Such a nice visit, I’m glad I got to visit and enjoy the day here at the Russian River valley.

 

Time for Playland at Ocean Beach

I just love trains….

 

I always come back to the conservatory of flowers during the holiday’s so I could visit the holiday train exhibit – its one of the pleasures of visiting San Francisco during the holidays.

 

 

This years exhibit was geared towards the old Playland which originally was along the ocean front of San Francisco and had its heyday during the forties and fifties and ran all the way to the early 1970’s. The exhibit was a lot of fun seeing recreated parts of the ocean front and the huge cliff house along the edge of the cliffs.

 

A close up detail of the many trollies from the city going to Playland.

 

 

The ornate Cliff house, hugging the cliffs of the city and facing the expansive ocean beach into Playland.

 

 

I never saw the large victorian Cliff House here, I think it burned down in 1907, just one year after the great earthquake of 1906. It must have been the place to visit while in San Francisco back then.

 

 

As usual the place is packed with children coming to see the train exhibits and jostling to have fun at the toys and props that they can play and climb on.

 

 

How do you make this go, I’m sure this kid is wondering?

 

 

I love these special exhibits and am fortunate to see this when I visit during the holiday’s. Hope you enjoyed the visit also!

Butterflies are Free

There you are sitting on that stunning flower….can you hold for a sec…..



              
Oh too fast – I just want to take a pict….

                  Again too fast for me to get you in focus
                       
                                  please stay awhile.





Ah -  you are a pretty one – will you pose for me please?
                   Thank you
                       you are a beauty




             
           Wow you are stunning with your orange wings -

                                the light is magical

                                       and that flower does look so inviting…..






                                Okay, there’s enough for two to share – take it easy now…
                                                                I do want get both of you in for your portraits!



                Beautiful, now hold the pose for me.
                                      Its perfect …. you’re a natural.




I’m enjoying the time visiting and just watching you sitting there.

                        this just made my morning, thanks for dropping by and greeting me.

Graffitti Work - Its Over the Top

While I was visiting some fun and exciting places in the city (sfo) early in  January, I happened to see an exciting alleyway in one of my favorite haunts on Valencia Street. In fact there's alot of artwork on painted buildings all over the neighborhood which makes it a very visual area to walk through and see whats new or changed on a particular building.  Here are a few of my favorites from the many you can see on this street.

Not seeing any official name for this long alleyway, I'm dubbing it graffiti alley and its pretty cool -  I let the images speak for themselves.

The message in this work just says it all.....

Here I am hanging out with some new friends I identify with....I think we may have alot of things in common.

All the works are quite fantastical if I can say this word - a little fantasy alot magical.

The imagination is just over the top and the amount of craftsmanship and detail with all this artwork quite amazing, don't you think?

even the little details and added window boxes have so much humor in this this expansive installation.

 

I think I like this work the best, I seem to fit right in....colorwise that is :)

I love seeing fun public art like this especially when you just happen upon it. Valencia Street in San Francisco is just one of those exciting places where you can see this happening all the time.

This is my world visit on Tuesday to visit other worlds go to http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

A January Walk In Mendocino

 

What am I doing at 6 o’clock in the morning walking around in freezing temperatures, let alone the harsh wind chill factor along the cliffs in Mendocino Town, about three hours drive north from San Francisco.




Tossing in bed all night, I couldn’t get to sleep and caught a glimpse of the purple and red skies starting to break. Automatically I grabbed the camera, my coat and a scarf and ran immediately to the cliffs. Knowing that winter skies are some of the purest skies to photograph in the morning, I knew I was in for something special. Opportunity only comes to those that sacrifice that warm bed especially on a very cold morning. And boy did I feel it immediately, with the wind whipping freezing artic blasts of air into any exposed skin not protected from the immediate rush of chill, I though again about heading back to my warm bed.



 The sun is coming and casting golden light to the village on the edge of these magnificent cliffs.









Despite all the crazy thoughts, I trudged on and blocked out all thoughts of the brutal cold. Giddy with the morning scene unfolding before me and only a few like souls, I spent the entire morning explore all the various nooks and vistas along the rugged coastline.

 

There are a few trails leading all the way down to little coves filled with roughed up timber. I decide to just follow the coastal path along the cliffs affording wonderful vistas of the town and the surrounding areas by the water



I explore many of the trails and try to take many pictures but the cold and harsh winds just burn my fingers, fighting for refuge in my thin rain coat, which I accidentally grabbed on the way out the door.



A beautiful throne chair lit up and inviting me to just sit and admire the new day rising to great everyone brave enough to walk in this trail.






 Finally morning has appeared and my stomach is grumbling, time to have a hearty breakfast. At least an inspiring morning walk deserves a big country breakfast. Don’t you think?






This was a pleasant hike and one I would not repeat again with an early morning trek so I’m glad I did this on a whim since these are the only pictures I took along the shoreline that day.



To view other scenic sundays go visit http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/