Exploring the Presidio of San Francisco

I woke up on Wednesday (7/16) in a restless mood and decided that I would go for an impromptu adventure. I had seen "check out the Presidio of San Francisco" on numerous travel websites and was interested, so there I went. For those of you that don't know, a Presidio is a fortified military base that was established by the Spanish empire. Most of the Presidios that were set up by colonial Spaniards have been converted into modern-day military outposts, and such was true for the Presidio of San Francisco. Fortunately for me, this particular Presidio ended it's military status in 1994 and the land was donated to the National Parks Service. Most of the buildings are from the WWII era when the Presidio was revamped and armed to deal with the Pacific front, allowing locals and tourists to have a glimpse into a historic military base.

I parked at a Jack-In-The-Box that was about a 15 minute walk from the park itself, because I assumed parking at the Presidio would be crazy expensive-I was right. When I finally reached the gate, I looked up and was surprised by this beauty.

Resident building at the Presidio

The sign in front of the resident building

At first, I wasn't sure what the building was, so I walked up expecting a museum or a visitor center on the inside. Unfortuntaley, the front door was locked and based on the giant password tablet, I inferred that you had to be a resident with a pin to enter. Fortunately, my time wasn't wasted, as I got to take some photos by the central pillars.

Don't ask me why I'm making that face... I don't know!

Stone engraving of the Caduceus

Determined to see the heart of the park, I wandered onwards, taking photos along the way.

Shaka by the sea

The walk to the next monument was long and uphill, but I pushed forward when I turned a corner and saw this unique building.

This little fort had peaked my interest

I knew it probably had military origins, but I wasn't sure exactly what it was. I walked for about 5 more minutes and then I arrived at the trail turn-off for it. When I arrived, I read that it was a battery to deter combatants coming by sea.

Establishing shot of the battery (shooting from left to right)

Establishing shot of the battery (shooting from right to left)

Not a jail cell... Some kind of fortified window

Establishing shot of the upper level of the battery

Defending the battery against the soldiers of the axis powers

Looking for any incoming danger

I may be a one man army, but I'm prepared to fight

I spent about ten minutes exploring and taking pictures before heading onward. I kept seeing signs directing me to the Golden Gate Bridge, but I was running out of time to explore-and I would drive across it in a few days to leave the city-so I decided to take a picture at the top of a hill

Instead of taking another boring selfie, I decided I'd try to do something more creative to capture the Golden Gate Bridge. I decided to flex the bridge out of my arm.

I actually got to see a big ship go under the bridge. From far away, it looked like there was no way the ship would fit under the bridge, but there is actually quite a bit of clearance between the bottom of the bridge and the highest shipping box.

On my walk to the bridge, I had passed a turn-off for a WWII memorial, and decided that I would hit it on my way back.

After taking a moment to stand in solidarity with the fallen soldiers and reading the text (pictured above), I was able to really take the whole thing in.The memorial was really pretty and well designed. It not only stone carvings, but it also had a statue on the side (pictured below).

Giving my respects to those who gave their lives for the sake of others

Along that same road, there was the main military establishment and fort. I decided that I would walk up and have that be the last stop of the day. I got to take two photos next to old military facilities.

I eventually arrived in a big plaza that featured a series of identical buildings.

Fortunately for me, I was able to get a shot of the Goldem Gate Bridge rising up from behind one of the roofs.

All in all, I have to say the Presidio of San Francisco was absolutely worth my time and helped resolve my restlessness. The highlight of the trip was absolutely seeing the battery, as I had it all to myself and got to explore the entire structure, but everything I saw was spectacular. If you ever find yourself in San Francisco, I absolutely recommend visiting the Presidio. It was not only free, but it was also quite educational and exciting!