Herb Caen was a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle for more than 50 years. His witty and insightful writing earned him the title “Mr. San Francisco.” One his most famous quotes about The City makes me wonder about my Dad’s experience of arriving in Heaven following his death in 2008. Caen had written, “I hope I go to Heaven, and when I do, I’m going to do what every San Franciscan does when he gets there. He looks around and says, ‘It ain’t bad, but it ain’t San Francisco.’”

In memory of my Dad, on the anniversary of his death, I spent the day yesterday walking in The City. That’s something Dad did on a regular basis after his retirement from the San Francisco Fire Department. These photos, and the captions provided, will tell the tale of my experience in The City on July 31, 2025.

I took CalTrain to San Francisco from the station in Santa Clara. When I arrive in The City, I took public transportation to St. Paul Catholic Church and school. This is where my Dad was baptized and where he attended elementary school. I attended the 8:30 a.m. Mass.

After Mass, I walked from the church to 25th & Sanchez Street to the childhood home of my Dad. Immediately after taking this photo, the garage door opened. I explained to the owner that this had been my father’s childhood home. “I don’t think so,” he replied. “My family has owned this house since 1947.” I explained that Dad was born in 1925 and had lived in this house until the mid-40’s. Surprised, the man asked me, “Was your grandfather a San Francisco firefighter?” I assured him he was. Apparently, the owner is well aware of the history of his family in this home, which includes purchasing it from an Irish firefighter!

After a quick breakfast at Chloe’s Café at 26th & Church, I set out on my walk. I didn’t have any particular agenda, so I walked over to Clipper Street… and looked up. I thought to myself, I can do this! So I began the climb up the hill, thinking that I would take it all the way up to Portola Drive. When I got to Clipper & Diamond, another thought crossed my mind. What a nice day to take Diamond Street over the hill to the south and visit Silver Tree Day Camp in Glen Canyon. So I changed directions. Along the way, I was reminded of the unique architecture of homes which had been built on the hillsides in Diamond Heights.

I made it to the top of Diamond Street and headed down into Glen Canyon, where I had worked at Silver Tree Day Camp back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. At that time, these paths along the hillside did not exist. In recent years, the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department has made Glen Canyon a treasured hiking venue in The City. I carefully worked my way from the top of the hill down to the road leading to the camp.

From the hillside, one can get a glimpse of the Silver Tree Day Camp building. Color-coded picnic tables behind the building were the setting for daily lunch and snacks for the campers.

This dirt road is the only access by car from the front entrance of Glen Park Playground on Elk Street to the main building of Silver Tree Camp. I took this road, often on foot, and occasionally on my bicycle, to get to work each day.

One of my favorite spots on the summer camp property has always been the porch overlooking the play area and the main camp site, where campers would gather for assemblies and singing. There was also a stage at main camp where campers put on skits for their parents when they would visit the camp at the end of the day on Thursday evenings.

After a rigorous hike up O’Shaughnessy Boulevard and then down Portola Drive, I enjoyed lunch at the Bull’s Head Restaurant in West Portal. From there I continued walking down Sloat Boulevard to 19th Avenue. At that point, I had another idea. I had not been down into Sigmund Stern Grove for many years, so I ventured down the hill into the valley to check it out.

The driveway down into Sigmund Stern Grove is spectacular. It’s hard to believe that right there in the midst of a congested urban area, one can find such a remote, peaceful, nature-filled paradise.

At the east end of Sigmund Stern Grove is the Trocadero Club house, which was constructed in 1892. In the early 20th century, this building was used as a road house, offering dancing and gambling at roulette tables. Today, the venue may be rented for weddings, family gatherings, or other social events.

I walked to the west end of Sigmund Stern Grove and up the hill near Pine Lake. By then, I was close to my own childhood home at 38th Avenue between Vicente and Wawona Streets. Of course, I had to make a stop. Ironically, it was here, 17 years ago last night, that my Dad fell down the back stairs, sustaining a traumatic head injury which ended his life.

Continuing west on Wawona Street, I got to 40th Avenue where I snapped this photo of the ball field at South Sunset Playground. This is where I played soccer and baseball. In the background, up the hill, is Saint Gabriel Church and school, where I attended grades one through eight.

Continuing down Wawona to 45th Avenue, then one block south to Sloat Boulevard, I made a quick stop at Java Beach Café. For me, no trip to The City is complete without a visit to Java Beach, either this one on Sloat or the original shop at a Judah and LaPlaya Streets.

After a long day of walking, I finally made it to Ocean Beach. I met two San Francisco Fire Department ambulance drivers who were taking a break in the parking area at the end of Sloat Boulevard. Of course, we talked a bit about Dad before I snapped this photo of the surf and went on my way.

There was one final leg of my walking journey through The City. I walked along what was once known as The Great Highway. Recently, the road was closed to traffic and converted into what is being called Sunset Dunes, a walking, running, biking recreation area that runs parallel to Ocean Beach. I walked from Sloat Boulevard to Judah Street, where I would finally have an opportunity to rest my tired feet.

At the west end of Judah Street, the N-Judah streetcar turns around for the return trip downtown, and eventually to the CalTrain Station at 4th & King Streets. I enjoyed a comfortable ride through The City and along the Embarcadero past Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. I got off at the end of the line, walked across the street, and boarded CalTrain for the ride back to my car in Santa Clara. It was an absolutely amazing day, resulting in some pretty nice stats:

Mark Twain once said, “The person who does not read has no advantage over the person who cannot read.” I believe the same is true for walking. By the grace of God, I have the ability to walk — even the challenging hills of San Francisco. I am grateful for this gift, and for the opportunity to honor my Dad with yesterday’s adventure.