My name is Melissa Jones and Jake came to visit me on Saint Patrick’s Day in San Francisco, California! He arrived under rainy and cold conditions but that didn’t stop the city from celebrating. San Francisco maintains a very large Irish community that begins before 1870. Many streets in San Francisco are named after the influential Irish of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, for example, O’ Farrell Street, Hayes Street, and O’Shaughnessy Street.
Since the weather conditions may change daily in the city, Jake and I were very excited to wake up to a perfectly clear and mild temperature day in the 60’s. Perfect weather for a nice walk, we travelled to get a cup of coffee which took us up and down many little streets. Until you walk them for yourself, people don’t realize how steep of a climb the streets can get. Make sure you have your cell phone handy in case you need a friend to rescue you from the climb! During our stroll we’re reminded of the many beautiful homes in San Francisco. Nearly 48,000 Victorian homes were built within 65 years between the gold rush and 1915. The style of the Victorian home comes from all parts of the world, because that is who came and lived in San Francisco. Although the homes may be very close together, some are lucky enough to have beautiful views…see the amazing cathedral in the background?
After Jake and I breakfast, we took our energy to Randall Children’s Museum which offers creative art, science, and nature discoveries. After visiting the museum, we walked to the top of the museum park hill and enjoyed a 360 degree view of the Bay Area. To take our pictures, Jake stood north and I stood south. To the east of Jake lays the City of Oakland and the Pacific Ocean dumps to the west under the infamous Golden Gate Bridge.
Needless to say, Jake and I were done with our exercise for the day and I was ready for a nap!
