The Delta Tully fog was thick all week long, the sun was unsuccessful in breaking through, and my bones seemed to absorb the cold damp air. My skin was craving a little vitamin D and warmth only the sun can bring. “Why go now: Here’s a little locals’ secret- winter is when the sun comes out in the famously foggy Outer Sunset. On clear days, the Pacific sparkles and the view stretch all the way to Point Reyes.” (Sunset January 2010 page 21).By Saturday I was more than ready to explore a day trip to the Outer Sunset District in San Francisco, if for nothing else but to lift the gloomy skies and my spirit. Even the news broadcasted that if one was tired of the inland yuck to head to the coast because the sun was out bright.
Off we drove, west towards the Golden Gate and the Pacific Ocean. My dear friend Dawn, who gave me the subscription to Sunset Magazine, graciously agreed to accompany me on the day trip adventures (and to be the pall bearer for the meal highlighted in Sunset). The weather drastically changes from one end to the other of the Caldecott Tunnel. In the winter the east side of the tunnel is foggy and dreary and the west side is sunny and nice. In the summer the opposite effect occurs. When we drove through the west end of tunnel, my longing to see the sun died quickly, the skies were dark and grey.
Some of the streets of San Francisco have no rime or rhythm and such was the case driving down Ocean Beach trying to get to Judah St. We drove down the coast for about 5 miles before being able to make a left hand turn. Finally, we made it back to the Outer Sunset district and parked.
“Get off to a good start. Trouble Coffee Company takes it’s java seriously” (Sunset Jan. page 22). As of yet, we were not off to a good start with no sun and not being able to turn left and we needed some java that has been taken seriously. Figuring out how to read the menu and making small talk with the fellow behind the counter about Trouble Coffee Company being in Sunset, we ordered 2 large low fat lattes and a thick slab of cinnamon toast. Not sure which was the biggest ‘trouble’ for this tiny place, only having 3 bar stools to sit on or the itsy- bitsy- tiny- weenie large latte that had our name on it. The latte was good but I think I was expecting something ‘serious’. The cinnamon toast slab must have been a little thick and was close to the toaster filaments, a little darker than my preference.
From Trouble Coffee Company we walked a few blocks to checkout a few of the shops mentioned in the magazine. A few blocks away wasMollusk Surf Shop on Irving St., where one can “feel like a surfer, even if you aren’t” (Sunset Jan. page 22). On the same block was Last Straw gift store but we must have blinked because we completely missed the tiny souvenir store. Two more blocks north on Ocean Beach is The Beach House Chalet. On the bottom floor is a beautiful mosaic of the history of Ocean Beach. On careful observation, one will notice that some of the people have 6 fingers on each hand. On a important side note, there also is a nice public restroom with warm water to wash up with, especially nice if you are chilly and cold. The Beach House Chalet lies at the southwest bottom corner of Golden Gate Park and on a nice sunny day, the downstairs garden eating area offers fantastic food ($-$$) and a wonderful atmosphere. The Beach House Chalet was not mentioned in the Sunset article but I felt it needed to be mentioned.
Ocean Beach has a huge parking lot and nice walking trail that parallels the Pacific Ocean. The waves were big and the surf was rough because a storm was on the Pacific jet stream headed towards the Bay Area (the reason for the clouds and the fog). For about 8 blocks we walked along the beach to Noreiga St. for our final stop, fish tacos (and a carne asada taco- still on the quest to find the best carne asada taco in Northern California) at La Playa Taqueria. When we ordered, I took the opportunity to practice my Spanish. The gal that helped me was very gracious because I know my Spanish is not the best but not the worst. In talking with her, I shared with her our reason for trying their restaurant, because they were mentioned in the Sunset magazine. The gal had absolutely no idea of what I was talking about and I showed her the article and she was somewhat shocked. The fish tacos were yummy, still on my search for the best carne asada.
As we headed home the sun started to come out, and then we drove through the tunnel and we were back in the fog.
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