In 10 days, we pretty much did it all
The main reason for us taking that gruesome 5 hours flight to SF is to unlearn the traditional concept of what a national park is, to stop romanticising the notion that nature must be kept wild. So we witnessed first handedly, and compared the incredible Yosemite with the park situated in the heart of SF, as well as Marin Headlands (the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge).
The Yosemite National Park is something else.
"Not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life,
and the tranquility of the High Sierra"
I have never seen so many waterfalls in my life, not to mention that, the Yosemite Fall is over 800m tall! I felt so small and humbled by the massiveness of the mountain, and its beauty brought peace to my heart. This park is the very first in the world to be established in 1890, and the ideation and system of a 'national park' sprouted worldwide after. Thanks to John Muir and friends!
We were chaperoned by the University California Merced for the Yosemite Leadership Program where we got to see the O'Shaughnessy Dam and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and learned a thing or two about its significance for the state of California, as well as the Silicon Valley.
It was odd for all of us to see a dam in the middle of a national park. Isn't a national park must be strictly protected for its wilderness and shall not be tempered with by any means? However we learned later on that by creating this dam, the state of California has diverted a portion of the money generated from the contribution of the dam to set a 'symbiotic relationship' between human and nature. This is enough to cover the cost of protecting the national parks by the rangers, as the park provides human with its ecosystem services.
So really, we can not take the human aspect entirely out of the picture. Humans is a part of nature too.
The City (San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf)
Golden State Warriors vs. New Orlean Pelican NBA basketball game!
It was Robby's idea for us to spend USD150-170 for the experience of a lifetime. We would not have made it initially but because we happened to be evacuated a day early from Yosemite (due to heavy rain that melted snow and raises the level of River Merced) and came back to Oakland just in time for the game. It is a big home game, studded with star players like Stephen Curry (saw him, he was injured so he sat on the bench), Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, etc.
I was never a big basketball fan, nor did I play it ( I did mostly Netball) but it was definitely an experience not to miss! It was like a big show, very entertaining at every breaks. There was an awesome DJ spinning all the best musics and lights as if you are in a nightclub.
It did not felt like just watching a game, it was more than that. There were various shows from contortionists, dancers, cheerleaders, t-shirts throwing, audience game time to lucky seat winners.
It was a showbiz and we were entertained!
SF Aquarium Behind the Scene Tour
This is a tour cheaper than the ticket entering the normal exhibit. Their marine biologists are the guides so you can ask them anything and they will be able to answer it. It was a great way of learning how a sustainable aquarium should be run. This is starting from the source of food they are giving their animals on display, to composting of wastes, necropsies of dead exhibits and most importantly, the education integration onto the tour.
If you have the chance to take this tour, I highly recommended it - it will last you just 1 hour!
Crissy Field Learning Center with the best park ranger in the world, Fatima!
Thank God for Fatima, she is an awesome educator / park ranger and she instilled the love for nature and being outdoor through her interactive games and storytelling. I love her so much! She started off by sharing her story growing up as Spanish-Mexican immigrant in America and how she came up with her dream of becoming a park ranger.
The games were centered around the history of San Francisco, the native and early settlers, Buffalo Soldiers and how the park is designated from cumulative agreement of the public. We learned about Coyote's brush, and some other native plants which are useful as medicine.
I am so inspired by her and the love, peace and kindness that she is trying to propagate into us!
E-biking on the Golden Gate Bridge
This is the second best thing to happen after the overnight encampment in the USS Missouri, Hawai'i. As a group, we rented the e-bikes to bike the famous bridge. Up the hill we go and broke no sweat from the motored wheel. The feeling of biking in the city and on the bridge is pure joy, I would do it again.
During our stay in the Marin Headlands National Park...
Headlands Center for the Art: Lucas Foglia's Human Nature Exhibit.
What I really liked about the program is that we covered almost every aspect of environmental issues, including using art to convey the message to the masses. Lucas has been an inspiration as he took striking, non-cliche photographs to help people understand the intricate relationship of human and nature.
Art is not a propaganda. While propaganda tells you what to do, art allows you to interpret it individually - Lucas Foglia.
You can see more of his work here at lucasfoglia.com
We also paid a visit to the SF Marine Mammal Center.
A hospital dedicated for the rescue, rehabilitate and release of distressed wildlife - and of course, how can we forget the uber cuteness of the seals, sea lions and otters patients at the center! It drives us all crazy.
We took a walk outside with Nature Bridge,
And boy it was so damn cold and windy! We saw a wild deer while on the campus, and identified a few key species common to the area such as the Poison Oak (if it is 3 and shiny, leave it be!), Turkey Vulture (from the V-shaped wing span), saw a wild deer and the introduction to spring bloom (phyto- and zoo-plankton looking through microscopes).
Thank you California !
PS, it was a gruesome flight because there was an evil baby sitting next to us and were crying for the entirety flight...
