A Visit to Yerba Buena Gardens

It is funny I have been to Yerba Buena Gardens in the heart of San Francisco many times, but mainly for events and not just to walk around the beautiful area. Well, I got the chance and I love it. Yerba Buena Gardens is a public area that is located on fourth and mission and it is a good to walk around, eat lunch, enjoy a book or take a nap. It is a gem in the City:

Love the trees in the Gardens

Relaxing

Love the view

A guy taking a break

One of the cool things is the public art that is on display there:

Shaken Man by Terry Allen

Glass Ship-John Roloff

Oche Wat Te Ou/Reflections or Ohlone Indian Memorial-Jaune Quick-to-See  and James Luna

And they have the King Memorial there also:

The waterfall of the King Memorial

Words from Dr. King's famous speech. Parts of different speeches are on the walls behind the waterfall

And the Gardens has some the best views in San Francisco on a clear day:

The Beat/Emergency Arts

Tonight I was going through some papers that I keep blog notes on and found a thing for a place called The Beat Coffeehouse  and Records and Emergency Arts. OOPS, it was something that I was suppose to blog about a while ago and forgot. It is a place I  ran into while just about to do the Fremont St. Experience in Las Vegas. It was really cool and I enjoyed it. The Beat is located in the Emergency Arts building which houses many art collectives. It pretty cool to poke about and enjoy an adult beverage. And sorry if I do not name the paintings and everything. I lost my notes to that:

Any place that has a bookshelf is good for me

Inside the Beat

Their menu

Inside The Beat is (I hope I get this right) is the Emergency Arts Common Space Gallery. They had some cool works by local artists there. I was only there for a little bit and would like to spend more time there (and not lose my notes). Here is some of the works I saw:

One of the studios there.

So the next time you are in Vegas, slip away from the Casino and head down to the old former Fremont Medical Building on Fremont St and enjoy The Beat and Emergency Arts. It is well worth the trip.

Women's Basketball:Cal vs. George Washington-12-29-12

My ticket

Love going to watch Cal women's basketball, been going there for years. It is the best deal in town. And the Bears are good, really good this year as I write this they are number seven in the land as I write this:

George Washington warming up

Jousting for a rebound-Cal in home gold

GW's Danni Jackson trying to a move on Cal's Eliza Pierre

Helping their teammates up

Cal's Talia Caldwell playing some D against GW's Anjaleace White

What is really cool is that after game that the players and coaches are rally accessible after the game:

GW's  Sara Mostafa

Cal Assistant Coach, Stanford all-time great and 1996 Olympian Katy Steding

Cal Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb with player Reshanda Gray

And also they have a great band:

Part of Cal's Straw Hat Band

And the Bears won:

A Look at Haas Pavilion

The main scoreboard at Haas Pavilion

One of my favorite things to do is head over to Haas Pavilion on the Cal campus and check out a women's basketball game. I love women's BB more than the men because there is more teamwork involved and less individual play. Just me. I love Haas Pavilion because it is on the smallest side (cap. 11,000) and it still has the college feel to it. It is a great place to watch a game:

Love the low-key sign announcing a game

The front of Haas Pavilion

A statue of the great coach Pete Newell. The greatest Cal coach ever. Coached the 1959 Cal men to the National Championship

Pete Newell Court at Haas Pavilion

Another view of the court

Another view

A view from my seat

Jason Kidd's retired jersey

A better view from my seat.

Old St.Patrick's Church-San Francisco

I have always liked the look and feel of old churches. I don't why. I think it is the way that they were built, I really like the architecture on them from both the inside and the outside. St.Patrick's is located on Mission St in San Francisco right behind a lot of modern shopping. It was built in 1851 and has served a changing population of the city since then.  The building held up to the great earthquake and fire of 1906 and still looks great to this day:

The outside of St.Patrick's

The inside

Another view of the inside

The alter

Another view of the alter

Love all the stain glass windows inside the church

Really love the light fixtures there