Sightseeting

     I particularly enjoy the fact that I don't have to be a very dedicated tourist when I'm in San Francisco. My brother and his family have lived here for two years, and will likely live here for many more, so I don't feel a lot of pressure to make sure I hit every important landmark during each visit. Of course I've visited the Piers, the sea lions, and the Ghiradelli store, but since I know I'll be back at least once a year, I can always save something for the next trip.

     Since big cities are always crammed with interesting activities, I spent Thursday wandering around without a plan and stopping at whatever caught my eye. I'm a sucker for churches, so I spent an hour in the Saint Patrick's church, which was built for the Irish immigrants to the city. Then I happened upon the California Historical Society, which had great exhibit about the Panama Pacific International Exposition. This fair celebrated the completion of the Panama canal and the new connection between the West and East. It was attended by luminaries such as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Henry Ford, and the Liberty Bell (which traveled by train from Philadelphia), and it was seen as proof that San Francisco was recovering from its 1906 earthquake. I love this kind of history, and the exhibit did a great job explaining the importance of the fair to the city.

     To top it all off, my sister-in-law had a special treat for me that evening. They live near a theater, built in the 1941, that still has the original decor: murals of nymphs and airplanes on the wall, plush red velvet seats, and a curtain that closes after the movie had ended. We went to see a screening of White Christmas, which just happened to be free. Vintage and free, my two favorite things.