Anniversary Weekend in San Francisco

August in San Francisco doesn't usually look like this. We spent our anniversary walking through the city under cloudless skies. It was a relief to leave the usual summer fog behind and just be outside with everyone.

We started the day downtown. The cable cars were packed with people enjoying the warm weather, sliding past the brick and green-tiled buildings of Chinatown. Down by the waterfront, the Ferry Building was surrounded by the usual Saturday farmer's market crowds. People milled around the blue and white vendor tents, while the tall clock tower cast sharp shadows over the plaza. We walked along the water, looking out at the long span of the Bay Bridge, and later caught a clear view of Coit Tower rising above the hillside apartments.

By the afternoon, we headed west into Golden Gate Park. The gardens were much quieter than the waterfront. The light filtered through the canopy of massive cypress trees and lit up the bright orange petals of daisies along the path. We walked past the still, dark green water of the pond and stood beneath bizarre, towering fuzzy stalks reaching up toward the sun.

We ended the afternoon in the Japanese Tea Garden. The stone pagodas and carefully pruned pines felt anchored and peaceful. We passed the large bronze Buddha sitting quietly in the dappled afternoon light, resting on a lotus pedestal. The bright red paint of the five-story pagoda stood out sharply against the deep green trees. We spent a long time just watching the water spill over the rocks by the red wooden temple, glad for a slow, quiet Saturday afternoon.