Saturday, October 26, 2013

Sutro Baths

SAN FRANCISCO is full of gems that I'm still uncovering even though I've lived in the Bay Area nearly all my life.  The Sutro Baths, a privately-owned swimming pool complex built in the late 19th century, is one of my latest discoveries.  The building housing the baths burned down in 1966 and was abandoned, but the ruins are still open to the public. As one tourist describes, they are beautiful on sunny days and "incredibly eerie on gross days. Either way it's a win win."   

At first glance it seems like a place you could easily take in for 5 minutes and be done with, but upon closer inspection it's not just a dilapidated structure by the ocean.  It's close enough to tons of hiking trails which lead to the beach or overlook the Golden Gate Bridge (making it a popular wedding photo shoot destination as well).  People visit just to read, relax, recharge, to dine seaside, to hike, to see the sunset... there is something for everyone, pretty much making it a must-visit if you're ever in the Bay Area.

Wally and I took the photos below which were my favorites from the day.


Margopher peeking out from the relics.



Left: The waves crept up on us and got all our shoes wet.  Right: Barbara enjoying the salt spray inside a cave we explored.



Saif perched himself at the top of a rock and basked in the sun, not unlike a lizard.



Left: I think they're ready for big league modeling (Calvin Klein, maybe?).  Right: Waving to my reflection in murky waters.



A grand view of the baths.  

  
   

We came across a crab skeleton that washed up onto the shore. "Saif has crabs...... legs," I said, with the maturity level of a 15-year-old boy.


    

Mantle-worthy.

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