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Saturday Night Live"/> In addition to the all-too-brief return of Amy Poehler at the news desk, we were delightfully surprised to see Bacon Bacon on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. [ more › ]

Today's ultimate Sunday bike ride takes us on a meandering and scenic ten mile ride (twenty roundtrip) along the San Francisco Bay Trail. Our start point is the Park n’ Ride lot in Brisbane at the intersection of Tunnel Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. This is not a ride for a large group or a fast paced pelotón, but rather one that promotes a leisurely pace with time for exploratory diversions. We head out on Tunnel Avenue beginning with the biggest climb of the day (all of 30 feet over the Caltrain tracks) and then we turn right at the base of the bridge onto Lagoon Road for a nice leisurely amble on the wide shoulders of Sierra Point Parkway. The tranquility of the lagoon and looming San Bruno Mountains on your right contrast with the rush of cars and trucks on Highway 101 on your left. After passing under the freeway, make a right onto the sidewalk after negotiating the four-way stop intersection with Marina Boulevard. Then go left to enter the path around Sierra Point. We’ll go past the marina (restrooms here) and a long fishing jetty. At this point, you can continue your counter-clockwise circumnavigation of Sierra Point on the path or take a brief detour to ride a lap of the Brisbane criterium course, where a very competitive road bike race is held every February (and by the way, the winners' lap times are under one minute). The dirt lot in the center is also the site of many cycle-cross races during the winter months. Either route will take us back onto Marina Boulevard as we head south (at lunch-time mid-week you may want to check out the offerings of the many food trucks that gather at in the XDJET building parking lot). Rejoin the path at the same point after the intersection and continue along to Oyster Point. The inlet opposite the Marriott Courtyard was the site for Liberty Ship construction in WW2. You'll pass many more opportunities to fish, picnic or just laze about in this stretch, with many inviting benches and tables along the shoreline of the office complexes. The path turns directly south at Oyster Point Park, where there's a volleyball area on the sandy beach and an opportunity for a swim. As the next marina nears, you’ll find restrooms available as well as access to weekday ferry service to Oakland and Alameda. Continuing around the southern part of Oyster Point you enter the biotech zone where looking East will give you sweeping views of the Bay, the East Hills and Mt. Diablo beyond. More picnic areas and another sandy beach abut Genentech’s sprawling campus. Proceed left on the bridge and go around the recycling facility and continue to meander along the marshes as you approach the north end of the airport. As the jets roar overhead you’ll cross one last bridge to the end of the trail end of Belle Aire Road. There are a number of transit options for this ride to avoid a drive: From San Francisco or the South Bay you can take Caltrain to the Bayshore station, then ride south on Tunnel Avenue and join the ride at Lagoon Road. For those who wish to arrive by BART, take the train to the SFO Station and from there head North on North McDonnell Road. At San Bruno Avenue you may head a block to the West and join a short section of the SF Bay Trail or just continue straight on South Airport Boulevard. Either choice leads you to a right turn at Belle Aire Road (at the Costco). There is limited parking here for access by car.

click photo for full-size imagephoto by Donald Kinney This morning I decided to chop-off the bottom third of this photo. I think the result is a slightly stronger image. Welcome to the lagoon at Rodeo Beach. click photo for full-size imagephoto by Donald Kinney Hey, bring a kite. Bring your dog. Bring your sweetie. Bring your camera! click photo for full-size imagephoto by Donald Kinney CLICK for 40 new photos on my main website; www.photoarrow.com. CLICK for preview of my first show at Mill Valley Library during July 2013.

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TweetI believe Bagdad By The Bay has the latest on our Bacon Bacon saga at Ashbury Market near the corner of Frederick in not-so-scenic Ashbury Heights. Well this wacky story just went national today on Saturday Night Live – here’s Weekend Update co-host Amy Poehler, via Brock Keeling of SFist: Perhaps not that funny but at least now more people are mocking attorney Ryan Patterson and his unknown client(s). At least now there’s an upside to this flagrant NIMBYism. So feel free to add this incident… …to the time this Kramer-esque sign hung off the back of nearby 1965 Page… …and, for that matter, Kramer himself: Cosmo Kramer vs. Kenny Rogers Roasters, Inc. Bacon Bacon ?@BaconBaconSF: ”Apparently bacon bacon on SNL tonight!! Weekend update. Here we go folks. Here we go.” #baconbaconsf#snl On It Goes…

Something about the poet and author Dr. Maya Angelou escaped most people’s attention, until now. She was once employed by our namesake, Market Street Railway Company, Muni’s old competitor, as a streetcar conductor. The first black female conductor in San Francisco history, in fact. She said this decades ago in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” when she describes in some detail standing on the back platform of a 7-Haight streetcar collecting nickels from boarding passengers. But now it has become national news, because she talked about it with Oprah. Here’s a clip from that interview, courtesy Harpo Productions. How Dr. Maya Angelou Became San Francisco’s First Black Streetcar ConductorDr. Maya Angelou says the love of her mother, Vivian Baxter, encouraged her to live a life full of pizzazz. It was also that love that helped Dr. Angelou to become the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco at age 16. “I loved the uniforms,” Dr. Angelou says. “So I said, ‘That’s a job I want.’” When she went to get an application, Dr. Angelou says, the staff refused to give her one. Find out how her mother encouraged her to persevere. Then, see how Vivian made sure her daughter was safe at work during her early-morning shifts. We provided some photos of Market Street Railway streetcars on the 7-line to the program. They added photos of female transit workers from other systems, not San Francisco’s. The program promotes “How Dr. Angelou Became San Francisco’s First Black Streetcar Conductor.” Hiring records no longer exist, but anecdotal evidence we’ve gathered over the years indicate several African-American found employment on the streetcars a little earlier than Dr. Angelou. That, however, in no way diminishes her incredible story of perseverance and determination in overcoming both racism and sexism to land the job she wanted — when she was just 16 years old. The video clip is well worth watching. Comments on this post »

Bay to Breakers 2013 logo via screenshot. Sunday brings San Francisco’s 102nd Bay to Breakers, with wild costumes, traffic disruptions, a giant party — and a footrace. Here’s the information you need to survive Bay to Breakers in the neighborhoods near Ocean Beach. Changes for Bay to Breakers 2013 Security is the keyword for this year’s Bay to Breakers, reflecting concerns raised by the recent bombing of the Boston Marathon. Security measures will be in place from start to finish, including security cameras, increased personnel including federal agents, and a number of new rules. One of those new rules is that participants who aren’t registered are not allowed on the course, at least not officially, and could be kicked off. Another is that backpacks and large bags are out, with the maximum size of any allowable container set at 8.5 inches by 11 inches by 4 inches. That backpack ban follows and adds to bans on other activity that have been imposed in previous years. Once a ubiquitous sight in the Bay to Breakers, floats and any kind of wheeled cart won’t be allowed. And although there’s an official beer of Bay to Breakers, it and any other kind of alcohol are not allowed in the race. Bay to Breakers 2013 course map. Source: baytobreakers.com The 2013 Bay to Breakers also brings some changes to parking and traffic arrangements. The end of the course still winds through Golden Gate Park, but this year it exits the park via Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive instead of John F. Kennedy Drive, so runners will make a right turn at the western edge of the park to head north on the Great Highway to the finish line, instead of south as in earlier years. B2B 2013 finish line map. Source: BaytoBreakers.com The Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Fulton Street, as well as the main Ocean Beach parking lot west of Golden Gate Park, will host the Bay to Breakers’ end-of-race activities, whereas previous years’ parties have been on MLK Drive or in the Polo Fields. Organizers have planned music, food trucks, a beer garden and product giveaways. Transit disruptions for Bay to Breakers 2013 Sunday’s race starts at 7 a.m., but many Muni transit lines will be affected by Bay to Breakers long before and after that. The night before the race, lines including the 5-Fulton and 38-Geary will be rerouted. On Sunday, lines including the N-Judah, 2-Clement, 5-Fulton, 18-46th Avenue, 28-19th Avenue, 29-Sunset, 31-Balboa and 38-Geary will be affected. Muni will offer special express service for the Bay to Breakers. Most express service will require a Muni special event fare. See details of Muni’s race-day service below. Traffic changes for Bay to Breakers 2013 The main Ocean Beach parking lot opposite Golden Gate Park has been closed since Thursday, with tents and rows of portable toilets set up on the pavement and temporary security cameras strapped to light poles. The lot will be closed until 5 p.m. Monday. A number of streets near Ocean Beach and the west end of Golden Gate Park, as well as streets within the park will be closed Sunday, with a few closures starting Saturday night. All the closed roads are also no-parking tow-away zones. Check out this list of street closures for Bay to Breakers 2013: Bay to Breakers Street Closures 2013 More information on Muni’s Bay to Breakers express service: Muni express service for Bay to Breakers 2013 Tweet This Post