“Life is not always
perfect. Like a road,
it has many bends,
ups and downs,
but that’s its beauty.” 
Amit Ray

Interstate 280, between San José and San Francisco, is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the United States. The trees, rolling hills, open meadows, mountain views, and, at times, a blanket of fog cascading over the top of the hills from the Pacific Ocean, make it a pleasure to drive. Since I moved from The City to San José 53 years ago, I have driven this road more times than I could ever count. Even today, it is a scenic drive I enjoy.

While I did not take the photo of 280 above, I chose it for today’s blog because it is eerily similar to the conditions I experienced driving to San Francisco yesterday morning. The weather reports had warned of inclement weather in The City. Those reports proved to be amazingly accurate.

It was cold, damp, and windy all day, but that didn’t stop beachgoers from making a strong presence along Ocean Beach. I must admit that I am spoiled. Rarely does San Francisco offer what can be called “beach weather.” Yes, there are a few days each year when above-average temperatures draw people to the shore of the Pacific Ocean, but those days are rare indeed. 

After a few hours of reading through the manuscript of my friend’s first book, I took a walk along the Great Highway, which parallels Ocean Beach. The high temperature on this mid-July San Francisco day was 59º. At the time I walked, my weather app indicated that it was 58º, and the “feels like” temperature was 48º. Still, there were numerous groups of people enjoying the natural beauty of the beach.

Walking along the beach yesterday reminded me of Mark Twain’s famous quote about The City: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”