1380 – Golden Gate Park 1 | Walk With Me

Episode 1380 – Golden Gate Park 1 | Walk With Me

 

[START OF RECORDING]

 

SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who’s gonna take you through a walk through Golden Gate Park, who’s in…looking at the bus to Cervantes, and looking up at Cervantes is, of course, Don Quixote. If there’s ever been a Quixotian figure in the history of podcasts, it’s me, 'cause I’m here to take you on a walk that you don’t need to go on and a walk you don’t need to listen to but you could listen to, a walk that may or may not put you to sleep. Welcome to Sleep With Me, the podcast to put you to sleep.

 

This is a on-location walking episode, a little…I guess the goal is to put one of these out a month, at least. They're so popular. We put out a variety of styles of episodes, so if this episode isn't for you, don't worry, we got plenty more coming out. But yeah, I’m gonna take you on a walk that you don’t necessarily need to listen to, or there’s no pressure to fall asleep, either. This show is here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep, which is a little bit different, yeah. I’m here to be a distracting, friendly voice. So, check it out and see how it goes.

 

What we got coming up is support, and those people that support the show directly or support our sponsors are the ones opting in who get the most out of the podcast, and they give back so it can be here for them and everybody else. But if you're new, don't worry about it. Then we’ll have a long, meandering intro, a little bit shorter on these on-location episodes, but that’s meant to ease you into bedtime, and then…or listen to as you get ready for bed, and then there will be our…the rest of the walk through a part of Golden Gate Park. So, I’m really glad you're here, and I hope I can keep you company and help you fall asleep. Thanks for coming by.

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake; thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, to create a safe place where you could set aside any of that stuff, where I can distract you so that you could fall asleep. The way I do it here is I send my voice across the deep, dark night.

 

I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, and…all to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff. You could probably hear just in the distance…so, we're here walking through Golden Gate Park, and you can just hear the faint noise in the distance of people roller-skating to music. It’s cool because I’ve never been able to capture this until now, is…one of the metaphors for the podcast, right, is like…a rave at a distance is one of the metaphors for the podcast. But what I do, yeah, is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones. It means my voice is not traditionally soothing and I go off topic, I get mixed up, I take you on a walk, and…I don't even know.

 

I mean, we go on…it’s a pretty nice, meandering walk, and all of it isn't so much to put you to sleep but to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff, to be your friend in the deep, dark night. I make this show for two reasons; one, I’ve been there tossing, turning, mind racing, trouble getting to sleep, trouble staying asleep, so I know what that feels like for me, and a lot of times I just want somebody that gets how I feel and isn't trying to help me fall asleep or pressure me to fall asleep. I mean, I wish that was the case, that I’d ever tried anything that always worked to put me to sleep. But I guess I always wanted a friend in the deep, dark night that could be there whenever I needed them, which just is impossible, right? I shared a room with my brother, but he couldn't stay up all night keeping me company.

 

But with the power of podcasting, it’s possible. So, yeah, I make the show because I’ve been there, but also because you deserve a good night's sleep. You deserve a place where you could get the rest you need so your life is more manageable, so you don’t have to dread bedtime, that you have a bedtime you could look forward to or at least feel neutral about. That’s what I’m here to try to provide, and every episode’s a little bit different. Tonight I still send my voice across the deep, dark night, but I’m gonna be walking through the park. I’m even walking through the park now, ending at the…just outside of the Golden Gate Park…oh, you could hear some birds, even…at the Panhandle where I parked, which kinda looks like a handle, and the park is the pan.

 

So, yeah, I make the show because you deserve a bedtime where you could get the rest you need. What else do you need to know? I think that’s what I was saying, yeah. This is the podcast that does take some getting used to, so give it a few tries. That’s what most regular listeners say, is, hey, I was skeptical when I first listened. I was confused when I was…first listen. I don't know if liked it when I first listened. But then after the second or third try I realized, oh, okay, he’s serious. He’s always never going…he’s always going nowhere, and that’s why I like listening to the show now. He really is just here to keep me company and take my mind off of stuff so I could fall asleep. He’s not here to put me to sleep, and I didn’t realize what that meant, and now I do. So, give it a few tries.

 

Now, if you find out you don’t like the show after you listen to this…the episode and a couple other ones or you try different other ones, we have a website set up, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, that has other sleepy stuff on there and other sleep podcasts and stuff that might put you to sleep. So, check that website out, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, if this podcast doesn't work out for you. So, when most people get here, they're skeptical, doubtful, the podcast takes some getting used to…it’s also a podcast that you only just kind of listen to, which is also a bit different, right? It’s a podcast you just barely listen to, kinda like when you could hear the roller-skaters in the distance, right?

 

It’s a…it’s like at a distance, that far of a distance, right, the music, especially the music that was getting funky and stuff in the best way possible…that at a distance you say, huh, okay, that’s kind of sleepy. This is a podcast that’s like a out-of-focus picture or like sand running through your hands, background noise, or, yeah, music at a distance. Or right now you can maybe just barely hear people playing tennis, and…I was just thinking of new metaphors. But so, this show is here for over an hour so you don’t ever have to think about falling asleep. I’m here to be your distraction in the deep, dark night, your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your bore-bie, your Boris Borlaf, your best bore-friend f’eva, and keep you company while you drift off.

 

So, just give it a few tries like that and see how it goes, 'cause the idea…most stuff is supposed to put you to sleep, but this is just a mild distraction in the deep, dark night. The structure of the show can also throw people off, so I’ll just tell you why we structure the show the way we do, and then you could take it from there yourself. But the show starts off with a greeting, and the greeting is just supposed to make you feel seen and welcome and say, yeah, I could check that podcast out, maybe get a tone of the show that’s a little bit goofy, a little bit silly. Then there’s support so paying for the show is optional, then a long, meandering intro. Sometimes with these on-location episodes, I know a little bit less about how long they're gonna be.

 

But the long, meandering intro isn't so much meant to put you to sleep but to ease you into bedtime or to listen to while you're getting ready for bed, like a slow landing strip versus…I don't know, it’s just…a lot of people listen to it as they're doing their bedtime routine or they're in bed getting comfortable. We also have a version of the podcast called Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me that doesn't have intros if just the bedtime stories work better for you. But for most listeners, the idea of hanging out and having someone to chit-chat with is kinda like a part of winding down and getting ready and going to bed. So, yeah, that’s the intro, then there’s support, then there will be a bedtime story.

 

Tonight we’ll be walking through Golden Gate Park and meandering…walking on meandering paths and stuff like that. Yeah, I’m really glad you're here. There will be city sounds. Like, right now, somebody’s bouncing a basketball. I don't know, the show is meant to kind of take you on a journey, a distracting journey so that you could fall asleep. So, I’m really glad you're here. I work really hard. So do a team of people. We really want to help you fall asleep. Yeah, and I appreciate you coming by and checking the show out. If this is your first time, this is a different style of episode but also a popular style of episode, our walking and on-location episodes. We're trying to make more and more of these.

 

The able…the way we're able to be here for you…if you're a regular listener who listens to somewhere between eight or more episodes a month, it’s those regular listeners, the people that get the most out of the podcast and that are in a position to support the show back, that opt in to support the show back, that’s how we're able to be here, and it really does feel wonderful to make the show, and it feels wonderful…those people that support the show, I’ve just been in dialogue with them. It takes a lot. It’s not about the money, right? For them, they know they get $250 of value out of the show a year or $15 of value out of the show a month.

 

It’s about overcoming the…those different blocks that are in our way of like, oh, it doesn't matter, or oh, maybe, or oh, I don't need to, or oh…I don't know, it means a lot to me because I couldn't be here without them. So, thank you. I really hope this episode…you enjoy it or it helps you fall asleep or if you need a break during the day, it gives you something to listen to. It really worked out, 'cause I’m just exiting the park now. You can hear the traffic picking up, and I’m gonna turn it over to Scoots as he’s just getting into the park. Take it away, Scoots.

 

Alright, it’s Scoots, and either I’m location-scouting or getting just audio. I’m here in Golden Gate Park, and it’s about lunchtime. I’m on…what is this? The north side of the park, and…so, yeah, I guess this will kind of be location-scouting, though it could be a episode. You never know. I brought my stuff. I thought it was gonna rain today all day, so I was just…I’m going to a museum. I can't record at the museum, the de Young Museum here in Golden Gate…whoa, listen to those birds. Okay, so, I don't know, maybe we’ll get a little bit. But what I’m gonna do right this second is get some lunch and walk along the — oh, beautiful — south side of the park. That’s what side of the park I’m on. So, I’m on a walking path. It’s kind of a mixed…there’s some sun right here where I’m standing.

 

There’s birds, there’s people walking, there is wind, but thus far it hasn’t been terrible. Also, I could put the hood of my raincoat on if I need to, but now I’m gonna have to pause. I’ll be back. So, what I’m gonna do is get some lunch outside of the park. Where? I’m not exactly sure. I’m gonna have to look up my options. Wow, those are some loud birds. Really getting after it. Yeah, good job, birds. Or, at least in my monitor, you sound loud. So, we're lucky; we already got some bird sounds. I’m not sure what road we're on, but we're coming up on the baseball fields and stuff, so I guess what I could do is pause and figure out both lunch and some sort of thing. My goal was to cover this park in three or four episodes or two episodes. I don't know.

 

Now my goal today is to get out and walk ‘til it looks like it’s gonna rain or I get in…if we're able to record, if this wind and weather holds up, then…if we get a episode’s worth of recording…I parked by the Panhandle, so I probably did the intro…I’ll do the intro there. Okay, let’s get a map going, Scoots. Alright, Scoots, thanks for keeping me on track. Okay, that was where we were going to park; we're gonna exit outta there. Let’s find our location. Oh yeah, we're on MLK Jr. Drive. This road is open on the weekends, though some roads are closed. This is one of the big recreation fields, and, yeah, where we would want to eat is coming up on our left. So, I guess what I’ll do is exit the park here. I can see the de Young across the park.

 

Okay, I know where I’m gonna eat, which is my brother’s favorite place to eat, which is The Yellow Submarine. I didn’t realize we were right there, so…I feel bad eating there without him, but it’s been a while since I had a sub sandwich. So, I’m gonna walk there — it will get windy — and then I’ll come back to MLK Drive and we’ll cover a little bit of the park here. Yeah. Alright everybody, it’s Scoots; I’m back. A little bit of a gap. So, I’m gonna zip up my coat here since it’s early in the show. I took a couple side things. My initial…I didn’t have any cash on me or a ATM card. So, user error. So, I ate somewhere else or got to go…I just headed outside in the front of the County Fair Building where there was a giant Zumba class going that looked like a great deal of fun.

 

I don't know, that’s when…sometimes I’m not investigating what’s actually alive, right? I think, oh, man, everything’s…so, it was cool to see all these people dancing and…a large variety of people. So, now I’m gonna…we're gonna kinda continue. I’m right outside of the botanical garden, just on the path…that main path through the park and street through the park, and very grateful I’m not looking for parking, 'cause I’ve looked for parking in this area. What we're gonna do is walk for a little while. It looks like the sun went out. It’s tough to tell if this is fog or rain coming in. The Japanese garden is on my right side across the street; botanical gardens on my left side. It is a Sunday, so I really can't go recording in either one of those. What I’m gonna do is walk for a while and then loop back to the…that’s a bus passing.

 

Loop back, I guess…I guess we could loop around Stow Lake or maybe go…how far? I don't know, and…maybe to Mallard Lake and then take that path and then head to the museum. I’ll go…obviously I can't bring you, unfortunately. But yeah, right now let’s just walk for a little while. We have done that episode about Stow Lake, one of my favorite manufactured lakes. Don't know if we’ll go there today. I don't even know what time it is, to be honest. Oh, okay, we're still in really good shape time-wise. Yeah, botanical gardens…it’s looking like people are coming in and out there. It’s kind of the perfect Sunday to be recording just because the weather’s not great, but it’s still really busy in a good way, but not in a way, thus far, that…I guess the idea is you don’t hear it anyway when I’m trying to cut different stuff out.

 

So, yeah. I got a beautiful path. Sometimes with these paths, I think of…though it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and that I’ve never been to Outside Lands, I do think about this area for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, sometimes about…I can't ever remember where we parked for it, but parking for it would be quite the thing, and then just walking it and seeing all these people at this amazing, free concert at the park. But that weekend kind of became the weekend that my daughter and I would go to the autumnal celebrations. So, this is definitely a sacrifice I was willing to make, because my daughter love…and I love going to those autumnal celebrations at theme parks. That would happen to be the weekend she would have a long weekend. So, I just crossed the road.

 

Again, this…the San Francisco Botanical Gardens on this side is pretty extensive. It covers a lot of extensive territory. You could hear some birds and some cars. I don't know if this is actually…there’s a hill to my right which may be the hill for Stow Lake, and some beautiful bird sounds. I didn’t know we’d get that lucky with bird sounds. Because of the trees, we really do have a nice eye insulation from the wind that just made an appearance. But it does look like I may want to look for another path, because this one is getting busier and busier. Alright, the wind is picking up and the traffic’s picking up, so I’m gonna go up these steps. I think it’s gonna put us at the edge…the outside edge of Stow Lake, maybe. Then we could follow it. Yeah, there’s a bench here. Oh boy, yeah, you can see Strawberry Hill and the edge of the lake.

 

Here, it almost looks like a river, one of my favorite manufactured lakes in the world here. People are going up Strawberry Hill. We're shielded from the wind where we are right now. Yeah, birds flying, birds floating…I don't see any boats out but, I don't know, maybe the boat thing’s not open. Plus, it’s supposed to rain today even though it hasn’t rained. Yeah, we got away from a little bit of the crowds, and I’m gonna continue on and keep getting some distance. We’ll see what happens with this wind, I guess. Yeah, these are what I’m always trying to record or think about recording, right? Like, today I didn’t even think we’d have a opportunity to, but I brought everything just in case. Also…so, let’s see, how do I explain this? I’ve been…I save my steps or…so, usually on Sundays…or, I’m trying to live at moderation.

 

So, usually on Sundays is my long run, and for me, a long run is six to eight miles. But if I go on my long run, then the idea of walking…even though I can do it, right…it’s like, is that really a good idea, Scoots, like, to go on your long run, or is that really sustainable or is gonna be the best practice; you go on a long run and then you walk through the park? So, today I was…I was like, well, okay, if it doesn't rain — and when I got up to run, it wasn’t raining — I said, well, we could…my morning schedule changed to bring my daughter somewhere and Koa somewhere. So, I was like, okay, well, yeah, let’s try. Then if we…even if we can only walk and we can't record, we’ll location-scout an adventure and then we’ll know for the next time. Then…so, that’s what we're doing now. Yeah, how much…?

 

We're at about two and a half or…from when I parked my car. Wow, there’s another really good parking spot opening up there. So, yeah, opportunities abound. I hear a lot of the ducks honk, honk, honking. Yeah, hi. Yeah, I don't have anything. They're coming over, but I’m still moving. Okay, then there’s…we're up, elevated, right? Stow Lake’s one of these elevated lakes. Maybe it was a dune or…I don't know…I don't know anything about the construction of the park, but…I don't know, maybe this is a natural hill. But down…I have a really good memory of down in the valley below this on the weekend my brother was supposed to get married, that…or, he did get married; I don't know why he was supposed to. My youngest brother, my brother…another one of my brothers and I hung out in the field.

 

I’m pretty sure…maybe this was when I was recording the episode here for Spoke…I think it was, and he…I recorded it and met up with him, which would be our Golden Gate episode. It was for a app company, I think, a audio app company that didn’t work out. But it still became a episode of Sleep With Me, so…but yeah, it’s…oh yeah, there’s a playground down there. There’s cars down there. We are gonna take…when we can, I’m gonna try to cut around this crowd of people here. Okay, cutting around didn’t work, but still here at Stow Lake. Stow Lake’s kinda like…this part is more like Stow River 'cause it just circles this island, and it does look like more…like our…or Stow Stream or something. That’s more alliterative, huh?

 

There’s a really nice bridge here from…all the way from 1893 that I definitely remember standing on and recording, maybe kinda finishing out that episode. Definitely would not be a day to try to record going up Strawberry Hill, but what I am gonna try to do is head to my left, which I’m gonna be heading still west towards the ocean and to the end of the park, maybe get halfway through the park. I think we're about a third through the park now, and stay on this southern side and just kinda see, and then loop around the other back side of the lake on the first path I see that goes that way. But yeah, so, this bridge is from 1893. Oh, look, there’s a group of people that must have just done one of those…I don't know. They're all together eating.

 

I don't know if there was those…it looks like they did one of those runs where you get splashed with colors of paint together. But it could be something else, too. So, yeah, circle it around. Man, I have a lot of memories of this lake, recording and just walking. We’ve probably been here, I don't know, not that many times. But the thing about this particular area is that it’s…it is somewhat archetypal because it is this, I don't know, replication of nature that feels…I don't know, a manufactured lake. I think we did a episode about it. But it has a manufactured waterfall that doesn't run all the time, and, I don't know, it just has that look and feel. I don't know why I find it comforting. I’m not saying it’s more comforting than a real lake.

 

I’m just saying there’s something…I think I have just a positive…I had positive interactions with another manufactured lake where I grew up. Well, one, that’s where I took my first swimming lessons, was next to the manufactured lake, and I think at some point in the past there was even a non-swimming-pool swimming area, maybe. Okay, so now I’m headed southwest down a hill on a path I don't necessarily think I’ve ever been on. There’s a lot of fresh mulch, a lot of strong…hm, like…oh, I guess it’s the mulch. It’s a cedar, like a cedar-y smell. Huh, down there…what’s down there? It’s just another path down in the valley. So, yeah, I’m headed down here, then there’s a major road, the cross-over road. There’s also a path right here that loops around.

 

But I think what we’ll do is we’ll try to go find one more lake, 'cause we're kind of in my favorite thing to do with all you, places that are familiar but yet undiscovered by Scoots. So, it’s like, okay, I know I’ve been in Stow Lake. I know I’ve been in this meadow below it, but now, when we reach the end of this path, I’ll be headed into a place that I haven't been before. Okay, so I just made it across the Traverse Drive or whatever it’s called. I’m headed up a little hill, a path, and it’ll protect us from the wind, hopefully, and take us on a little adventure. It takes…okay, that goes back down. So, now we're headed north on this path, and we’ve got a bit more grasslands, though ahead is some good trees. You can hear the wind up in those trees. It sounds pretty nice. So nice, the wind blew twice.

 

Yeah, some nice lily-like plants growing. Now we got a downhill…path is well-worn but quiet right now. So, what we're looking for…there’s another road to our left. So, west of us there’s a road which I guess we’ll have to cross. So, I can see that, and then there’s a road to our right. You can hear…kinda hear a couple brake sounds up there. Now what would be great is if there’s some sort of underground cutback through to where we want to be. I don't know that there necessarily is, but the first thing I’m gonna do is try to head west the next time we can, across this road, and see…there’s two other lakes on the map that I’m not familiar with. So, now we're in undiscovered country for Scoots, or rarely-discovered country. This is a part of the park I’m really not familiar with.

 

There’s less buildings and…I just have done a little bit of biking here, but getting a bike from where I used to live out to here…I don't have a car with a bike-a-ma-bob thing. So, I remember we came out here once to meet my brother, and we rode around. That was 2014. The only reason I remember that is, one, I was…had gotten sober, and two…well, part of it, the reason I remember it is 'cause we were watching the World Cup. We rode our bikes around, then went to a pizza place, watched the World Cup, and then it was like…I don't know, it wasn’t just me, right? It was funny relating to other people that are sober of like, oh wow, it’s pretty cool to watch the World Cup sober with other sober people. So, I guess the long and short of it is I haven't spent a lot of time in this park.

 

So, we got across that road, and I do see a lake here. Now, do we want to go high or low around this lake? ‘Cause they have two paths. Let’s go high around it, 'cause there’s someone on the low path. This is a gravel track. Now we're nearly, surely in…don’t call me Shirley. We're nearly for sure in a place we’ve never been before. This is pretty cool. There’s a lot of yellow flowers springing out, and leaves, a little bit of birds. I was about to ask where you were, birds, but you said, alls you gotta do is listen with your heart. I say, thanks. But again, we're in this more calm part of the park. Other different smells…good, loamy smells, but not cedar. Depending on where you are, the smells change, too. It’s funny 'cause it looks like there’s a little bit of the park to the west of us, but this doesn't really go along the lake.

 

This is kind of a cut around. Then the question is, what lake is this, right? ‘Cause we saw two of them on the map. These are a little bit more…this looks a little bit more rustic? I don't want to call it rustic, but it’s more for looks. It could be a drainage basin-type thing. Okay, yeah, this was one of the two lakes. This is Elk Glen Lake. That road is MLK Drive. It kinda looks like we're halfway. If you keep continuing, on the other side is Mallard Lake. That’s kinda close to the road. What if we go around this lake and take a right and take some of these paths? There’s Hellman Hollow. You might be able to see the disc course, disc golf course. What’s that there? Elk Glen Picnic Area. I mean, maybe you go…so, I’m gonna go right and then left and go along the shore of the lake. Okay, great.

 

Okay, I can maybe take my hat off just because…just trying to keep warm and keep the wind at a distance, but right now, in this hollow, it’s not…it’s unzip-my-coat weather. Okay, so, I’m looking to get back to this next path along the lake shore, and what we’ll do is see where we go. Wow, you got bird sounds down here, though. It really is well…I mean, I guess when you think about these parks, right, they're both…they're meant to be a urban oasis, and the question of…I mean, these particular big parks is you can get a lot of pulman, great blue herons, straight across. Makes me think of my mom. It’s right on the water and it’s in the reeds, probably looking to snack and say, yeah, what am I gonna have for my dinner, right? There’s also maybe a slight smell of somebody grilling.

 

I can't tell 'cause this is…always…these parks are always birthday-party season; just not around here I haven't seen any. So, yeah, I don't know, this lake could just be a beautiful, lovely…also serve as a retention basin. I have no idea, but I like it. I like it a lot. Alright, there’s…oh, we got a willow here. Oh man, a weeping willow. I think we got two of them in a row. I’m going under the willow, enough that I had to bend down. Back-to-back willow trees. Thank you, willows. I appreciate it. Then a towering eucalyptus that, when you come out of the willows, you can smell. It smells really good. Also some birds, maybe even a trill. Not far ahead we got a serious purple bush. I don't know if that’s what lavender is. This is my northern path I was kinda looking at taking.

 

At some point I’ll have to pop my last soda, a Diet Coke; not Coke Zero. Oh yeah, look at this purple and the birds singing about it. Can you believe we're in San Francisco? Oh, wow. So, I don't know what kind of plant this is. It has little, tiny leaves, little purple buds, a lot of nectar and pollen-spreading going on. So, I’m gonna take a step away from it. Yeah, so, this is cool. I’m so glad you're with me, 'cause this time I’m 100%…again…just like that…this is like Star Trek but in a park in a place I’ve lived for twenty-something years where I’m in undiscovered country. I maybe rode a bike through here once, but I’ve definitely never walked through here, and it’s really nice. You could see a old-fashioned streetlight or a lamp down the hill on the side of MLK Drive, MLK Jr. Drive.

 

There’s a parking and office facility to my right where they store their equipment for park-type stuff, another path going downhill, and then a path going back to one of the two roads. I would just like to know if there’s something that goes below any of these roads. Oh yeah, getting some more bird cawing. It’s always funny, too, looking at a non-topographic map. Not that I could read topographic maps, but I was assuming as soon as I hit this path it would be open meadows, but it’s more of a meandering path. I see some…we got some really nice yellow flowers. Oh, okay, down there is like a meadow. Somebody’s setting up maybe a bouncy house. But up top here is some lilies. Oh, and I can smell charcoal. So, that’s the birthday party.

 

They're either setting up a tarp or something, and…oh man, the charcoal smells good. Another, for me, archetypal smell, right, because of these parks and of people being at leisure. Actually, to be honest, a lot of times enjoying other people’s grilling and charcoal is a lot better than just smelling it, and having that scent moment is kinda better than…it doesn't quite smell the same when you're there doing the work or even if you're at the party, unless you get there and it’s like the anticipation. Okay, I’m doing a uphill…there’s bikers passing by, too. I could see down on the other side of MLK Jr. Drive the other lake we were talking about. So, I am gonna continue…and there’s wind, so I’m gonna continue kinda…right now we're going northwest, but at some point I’m gonna try to turn back east.

 

Oh yeah, I wanted to check our distance. You're right. Oh yeah, perfect. Right now…I was recording the whole time I was walking, but I’m at a little over three-and-a-half miles. On your recording dial, we are getting to where we should get a hour plus of usable recording. So, cool. More purple and some pines. Maybe one day I’ll actually record…okay, it looks like I could take a right here. Huh, what’s that over there, though? Another sporting field, I think. I’d like to maybe go through this path. Can I get it on the map? Oh, that’s probably the polo field down there, which I feel is better served, yeah, for the next time we come through there. So, yeah, what if we go straight, head towards JFK Drive? It should be closed. Yeah, so I’m gonna cross this road that comes through here, which there’s no cars on right now.

 

So, I don't know, maybe it doesn't go through the park totally, 'cause the roads that do are usually a lot busier. Oh no, it’s definitely closed to traffic. Cool. We're not gonna take it, but we are gonna…oh yeah, and there’s a bunch of roads intertwined there that are all closed. But what I want to do is get down to this next set of woods. There’s a nice meadow. Right now I’m headed west, southwest, but to my right about…down a little bit of a hill is a meadow. I just gotta figure out a access point. It looks like there’s one coming up on my right here. Is it this one or is this just…is this a trail or not? Oh, it is. No, I don't think it is actually a trail. It looks like it’s blocked off down there, so let’s not go that way. Don’t want to disturb any growing plants or anything that needs extra TLC. Okay, so, we’ll wait.

 

We're back on the road, which is closed. There’s people running, people walking, and I’m definitely headed southwest, or I believe I’m headed southwest. I’ll get a…probably a nice high view of the polo grounds, which I really know nothing about, and there’s a lot of other places to adventure here that…I guess I kind of have had some recordings that didn’t work out. It was before we had this method, and…'cause I can remember going to…there’s a fly…maybe there’s a time I rode the bikes with fly fishing and everything. But I’ll tell you what; whatever this long, thin meadow is to my right, I really like that. I’m glad I also overcame all my internal resistance to do this and record this. Okay, here’s the third lake that we had seen on the map, I believe, which is…yeah, man, we made it. Metson Lake.

 

We're on Middle Drive West. Now, Metson Lake is a little bit more…it’s closer to…not sea level, but you know what I mean when I say sea level? It’s more of that pond-style lake, and really nice, though. Wow. I’m still trying to find a way to get down, 'cause now we are at the polo fields, which are all set up for soccer players. It looks like there’s a path here. I don't know, I’m guessing these paths aren't official, so I don't want to take any 'cause I don't want to tread on any plants that need TLC. So, it ends up it’s a good thing I saved my steps, 'cause now we’ve gone further than I planned, but in a good way. Those bikers even found it hilarious. They said, Scoots thought he was just gonna do a thing.

 

But yeah, I had my lunch and…okay, so, alright…man, but this is so cool being in a place I’ve been close to but never been in. You know that there’s…wherever we live, there’s stuff like this even if it’s small or it’s a great park like this. Oh, there’s some lilies — oh wow, a lot of them — in the woods growing up. Or, yeah, those are calla lilies. I got my path now to the right, so…and it looks like it curves all the way around. Now, these polo fields…I don't know anything about the history, but there’s still some…there’s soccer players out there, and then it does seem to have a tunnel. I’m not sure where…maybe the tunnel went in. There’s a tower; I don't know if that’s for how they officiate…oh, and there’s people running. Oh, man, what a great idea. I wonder…it’s a pretty big loop, so I wonder what the loop is.

 

You can even hear the soccer players cheering one another on and stuff. It’s a gigantic field, much bigger than…wow, it’s huge. Again, it’s just tucked in here. Then it’s like, holy cow, we’ve only gone through half the park. That’s really another mind-blowing thing, right? You can hear people playing soccer and cheering each other on. I’ll just try to talk over it 'cause it might be relaxing to hear people support…well, I guess I could open my soda now. Oh no, that’s not that loud anymore, so no need to. Oh, it’s young youth. So, those were parents cheering on their youth, saying, go, kid, go! Okay, I’m just over here…this is a multis trail just kind of as a general thing. I think I’m gonna take…so, this trail — yeah, 'cause that’s a bike trail — it goes down the heart of that open valley. Great for picnics.

 

Just remember if you're gonna have a picnic in San Francisco, you gotta plan it on a day where there’s not gonna be fog, but the fog’s still gonna be coming way earlier than you would think. So, plan your picnic between…hopefully it’s gone by 10:30, 11:00 ‘til 2:00, but yeah, anytime after 2:00, you know, Barry cannot make any promises. But the sun’s coming out right now. So, wow, we really got lucky. So, this really is…really is nice that we got a chance to record this. Yeah, let me open this drink. We're gonna head into these woods. I don't know where they go. They go along…across from where I was before uphill and east…northeast. Alright, soda’s open. Scoots is walking. I’m walking, I’m talking, birds are squawking, and not in Weehawken.

 

You may be bawking, but that’s more…I guess there’s chickens that bawk, bawk, bawk. Maybe that’s how they say ‘bawk’ in…bawk. That’s how they say it in Ronkonkoma. Maybe Weehawken. I’m not sure how…I’m not familiar with…I don't know anybody from Weehawken, that I know is from Weehawken. But so, this path has the…what do you call that? The workout stuff on it, and that was a big thing. It’s cool that some places keep them up or…we’ve even seen ones with new stuff. Par course…which if you lived here, it’d be cool, but I briefly tried to do one for a little while when my daughter was in a stroller, and the day I was…that I was supposed to work from home to be with her. Okay, so, we're walking, we're talking. There’s some pull-up bars, a variety of them. A variety of heights, too, which is nice.

 

Yeah, not very many people on this path. I’m thinking we're heading…listen to the wind that’s being blocked by the trees. That sounds like tidal oceans. But yeah, so, we're definitely headed mostly east, meandering north and south. We're not quite…maybe at the center of the park, the northwest, 'cause I can see…we're kinda high up and I can see the…I’m really impressed with this valley here. Maybe that was whatever meadow. I don't know why they wouldn't have — or maybe they do — some music concerts all the way down here. I guess it’s less…or maybe they…I don't know. Yeah, I guess I don't know, but…'cause this one is huge, just huge and long, open. It’s getting a lot of sunshine. Oh, you hear those branches banging together? Because of the weather, there’s not a lot of picnicking going on.

 

A couple kids’ birthday parties that we’ve seen, but in this particular meadow, there’s some bikes, people playing catch, swinging…getting ready for softball and Little League seasons. A lot of picnic tables, too, that are getting good sun. I think we're gonna bump right into JFK. There’s cars on it, though. Maybe it’s open in some places and closed in other places. It looks like a lot of parking here. I mean, I guess it’s a bit of a walk from the places where people would want to be, or maybe this is the Transverse Road. There is…I’m gonna cross this road and then head up on this…there’s another path. This is Mark Meadow, it says. There’s a couple groups in Mark Meadow doing stuff. Oh yeah, this is JFK Promenade. So, yeah, I’m gonna cross and heads up on this woods path here.

 

You can hear picnickers talking to one another. At some point I’ll get into a part of the park I’ve been to before if I’m going this way, I think, but if I don't…I mean, I will, but…yeah, I mean, there’s just something about being in unfamiliar…it’s not like I’m lost, right, but…the other thing…it’s like, Scoots you always have to be in search of newness? No, but it is nice to be out here getting out and about. Oh yeah, there’s people playing…so, here’s the disc golf course here, and…or at least one or two holes. Most of the people playing that right there seem to be real players as in the sense they had a bunch of specialized carriers. So, that’s cool, too. I didn’t realize there was backpacks where you could fit ten or fifteen different ones. Okay, we got a couple jokers up the path making a lot of noise, so I will have to figure this one out.

 

I don't know if they're playing with a kid or a dog or what, but…oh no, they're teeing off. Okay. So, that’s what they were laughing about, the guy’s tee off. He made a roll; you may have even heard it land, which is cool. Okay, so we just dodged some wind. They even have backstops for the tees. I’ve never seen this golf course. So, it’s like, we don’t always have to be in search of newness. Oh, that’s the eighteenth hole, so it’s no wonder they were hooting and hollering, having fun. They're just finishing their day on the disc golf course. It’s only…I played disc golf light with my daughter when she was real little and then maybe one or two of my brothers. There’s one in Berkeley and then there’s one in San Leandro, but I would only have a driver and a putter, and then you'd lose those.

 

At Berkeley there were usually someone…if you lost it in the water, they would be collecting them. Not immediately, but they would…you could buy discs from them. But I don't think it’s…I don't know, I never…I haven't…I’ve been golfing once with golf clubs other than pitch and putt. When was that? Yeah, maybe once in the last twenty-six, seven, eight years, maybe the last thirty years. Oh wait, here’s another…this is like a basin. That’s not even a lake, man. Wow, another one right down there. We're too high and there’s no path down there, but we're discovering everything, man. It’s like…what do I mean basin? ‘Cause it’s surrounded by cement instead of just dirt. Oh, maybe not; it’s bigger than I thought. Huh. Maybe I’ll get a view of it here. Oh yeah, here’s a open spot. Is this Stow Lake? I don't think so.

 

Let’s look up what we got here. Holy macaroni. Hello, hello. This is Lloyd Lake. Hello, Lloyd Lake. You look lovely. There’s some portals to the past. I saw someone taking a picture there. Alright, so we got Lloyd Lake down there, and…I don't know, man, I’m impressed. They didn’t need my approval for this park, but I’m impressed nonetheless that…yeah, so now we're pretty close to the north side of the park. Oh, we could go…I don't want to get stuck by Lloyd Lake, so let’s continue along here. This is, I think, Traverse Drive, and then JFK is above us. But there’s no cars on this road until that one, but we’ll go this way, hugging…well, we're not hugging the shores of Lloyd Lake; we're above it. A little Golden Gate lake tour, man. Alright, so we just crossed JFK. There is a bit of wind, but yeah, I think we’ll be alright.

 

I think we’ll be alright. There’s a lot of people out running and walking and enjoying one another’s company. Yeah, we could actually do…get a little bit of a tunnel here. Then, I believe, maybe if I head up this way, we’ll get a little bit more windbreak and we’ll be back around Stow Lake. So, I’m gonna head up a little hill here off of JFK. So, that’s the point in which JFK Drive begins to be closed, which is cool. Ocean Beach, the road there, just got closed, and it’s gonna be turned into a park. So, I don't know if it’ll ever be not windy enough to me…for me to record there, but when we do the western-most side of the park, it definitely will be a thing for me to do. So, yeah. Okay, so, gaining some elevation, Scoots putting in some work. Still in undiscovered country. Some really nice picnic areas here in a grove with grills.

 

Most of these, again, I’m sure you could rent. I believe Stow Lake is just on the other side of us. I may have even been around here when this park did call to me, to be like, hey man, I don't know if you've explored us quite enough. What I should have said is, you're correct. I believe you. Alright, we are at the Stow Lake…loud, so we’ll take a break. But, well, you won't…yeah, be right back. Alright everybody, Scoots is back, and it’s still windy, so I’m still trying to find my way back into the woods somewhere. Okay, maybe this trail right here? Right now my temperature’s kinda kicked up. The sun’s out, and I almost brought one more layer with me, but I did not because I said, huh, well, I have this raincoat. It’s also a good windbreak. It’s also pretty good at kinda keeping you warm. So, I said, why not just try it?

 

We’re on a really nice path here through a grove of trees. Stow Lake’s to our right, in behind us, and just a nice, little path that we're headed down. Oh, there’s…that can't be the bouncy house that the people were setting up, but there’s people with a bouncy house. There’s also a log cabin down here. Wait, is that a fire pit, too? Holy mackerel. Oh no, just a couple of…I’ve never seen this log cabin before. Or have I? I don't know. I’m trying to avoid the party, too, so I gotta…it’s a big birthday party. So, there’s…yeah, wow, there’s a couple statues. What is this log cabin? It doesn't even have a sign on it. There’s just a log cabin just out here, and you can kinda hear the rumbling of the bouncy house. Oh, there’s the front of it. There’s a lot of discussion going on, though. So interesting.

 

Okay, they're reading the sign, those kids, so…yeah. You want to see a log cabin? There’s one here, and it doesn't say what it is there, but…cool. Now I’m discovering…JFK Drive’s really windy, really busy. Okay, this statue…over rude paths beset with hunger and risk, she pressed onwards towards the vision of a better country. To an assemblage of men busy with the perishable rewards of the day, she brought threefold leven of enduring society; faith, gentleness, and home, with the nurture of children. That quote…it’s a Pioneer Mother Monument restoration funded by the Questers. She’s cool. I can't get enough…really can't get enough, in my opinion, of public art and statues. Okay, serious wind issues though, so…hm. I’m gonna have to cut inland by this party.

 

Oh no, but I could do…I think I can cut across this field, though that…so, there’s a lot of…yeah, that’s not gonna work. Okay, so let’s try this way. Maybe we’ll try to take this path and run by the party. But so, there’s a few different collections of yellow Adirondak chairs in the park now that I’ve never seen before, in pairs, which really is a wonderful idea. They're kinda in different places; there’s some by picnic tables and picnic areas, and then there’s other ones that are just seemingly tucked away, and then there’s even a couple on JFK Drive. Alright, we made it past the party. Now we just gotta see if this path stays in the woods, because the woods is what’s keeping us cooking here, keeping us recording. Okay, so we have quite a hill to our right, and there’s not…oh wait, there is a path up this hill.

 

Now, this isn't an adventure path, but we're gonna take it 'cause we kinda need to take something. Or does it just end at a hangout? There’s a little hangout here, hangout spot, with concrete stuff. But this trail does continue on, so we’ll keep going on it. Oh yeah, it smells good in here. It smells very…I don't know. So, this just ends again and circles back. So, it didn’t give us any…it’s just a short loop. Yeah, it was an adventure nonetheless. A lot of P-R-I-C-K-E-R-Ss, but that’s another thing. In San Francisco…I mean, well, especially in March, I’m not gonna wear shorts anywhere, but most of the time I won't wear shorts anywhere, anyway. So, it’s like…yeah, okay, so there’s the Whale’s Tail. I’ve never seen that before.

 

So, don’t think I’ve been this far down JFK Drive, though I gotta be getting close to the parts of JFK Drive that are more well-trafficked, though not there yet. Some purple wildflowers there looking really nice. You can hear some birds cawing, saying, go, Scoots, go; you're in a pretty good windbreak. Again, listen to that wind up there. It does sound like long waves in a canyon washing in. It’s kinda peaceful. Oh, I could see the de Young, I think. Destination is coming up here. I mean, it’s still a bit away. It’s wild that I’ve lived here when these museums opened. I think I even went to each museum before they closed, the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum, but I’m not totally positive on that. But I’m pretty sure.

 

That doesn't even include the Exploratorium, so…it’s been a while since I’ve been at either the Academy of Sciences or the de Young. My brother works at the Academy of Sciences, but I guess it doesn't let me off the hook for not going there more often. It says, hey, Scoots, you gotta get out more, man. Alright, now we're at a intersection here, a somewhat busy intersection, and I kinda have…if I go left, it goes back towards JFK. If I go right, I’m not sure where it goes. Let me see if I could see on the path. Oh, okay, I know where we are. We're exactly behind the Japanese tea garden. So…and actually, there’s bamboo on my right. So, what we’ll do is we’ll circle around. We covered some serious ground. We got more to cover, and you didn’t miss anything if you slept through this, which is the good news. Wait, there’s a trail here.

 

Should we…? The bird says, take this trail. Okay. I’m not sure it’s actually…I mean, it is a trail. It goes through these…this grove of redwoods here. Oh yeah, right along the back fence of the Japenese garden, you could see people in there enjoying themselves. You could come here and people-watch people in the garden. Another great place to take people or if you're visiting the botanical garden and the Japanese garden. Both are really nice and usually a good stop. Oh, and there’s two more Adirondak chairs in here and some wood stumps for people to chill on. Oh, and there’s even another…I think the rose garden is nearby, which again, when we do the…next time we’ll start on the northern side of this park, where this time we started kinda on the southern side, and we’ll hit all that. Yeah.

 

So, I’m back in familiar turf, and what I’ll do is we’ll slowly wind it down, yeah, 'cause…glad you got to join me for this walk just behind the de Young. I’ll check out the de Young and then I’ll record a intro for this, and then…yeah, so, I’ll be talking to you. It’s always fun. The reason I do that…so, I don't always do it for these walking episodes, but then I kinda know everything that happened and that it was a episode. So, yeah, the sun’s out. Art awaits me, and I really appreciate you. If you're still listening, there’s plenty more episodes to go. I’m so grateful I do get to help out in any way I can. Yeah, so, I’ll tuck you in here in my last few steps. You can hear the jingle of dogs. People are running. People are walking, drinking coffee, and just enjoying things. I’ve been enjoying being out here walking with all of you.

 

The hum of the electrical and cooling and whatever you call it for the de Young, it’s not a bad sound to carry us off. Oh, I was saying, yeah, so there’s…oh, there’s another set in a grove of these Adirondak chairs. Oh, that’s a single one, and there’s a single one on the other side of the street. Huh, we could do that next time, too. So, the wind’s picking up. The tower…so…oh yeah, so the…they built these museums when…at some point when I lived here. Both are retro…yeah, let’s just say they built them, and the de Young has definitely changed. It’s copper-clad and it was designed to change over time. I’m really looking forward to what it looks like in forty years, because…if it turns…if it oxidizes like the Statue of Liberty, it’d be pretty spectacular. But it’s kinda already spectacular. So, yeah. Alright everybody, goodnight, and sleep well, and I will talk to you soon. Thanks for listening, and this is all for now from Scoots.

 

[END OF RECORDING]

(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)

On Location / Walk With Me

 

Roller Skating History

https://daily.jstor.org/the-history-behind-the-roller-skating-trend/

https://www.npr.org/2022/11/14/1123281060/roller-skating-love

https://rainbowskateland.com/the-history-of-roller-skating-from-its-origins-to-modern-day-trends/

 

Golden Gate Park

https://sfrecpark.org/1119/History-of-Golden-Gate-Park

https://www.foundsf.org/Golden_Gate_Park_History

https://www.kqed.org/news/11915008/golden-gate-park-was-once-miles-and-miles-of-sand-dunes

 

Color Runs

https://arhsharbinger.com/25703/opinion/color-run-steals-concept-of-holi/

https://echox.org/holi-the-hindu-festival-of-colors-versus-the-color-run-appreciation-or-appropriation/

https://www.wuwm.com/regional/2017-05-12/coated-in-color-popular-running-events-tied-to-hindu-religion-and-culture

 

San Francisco Fog

https://www.kqed.org/news/11682057/how-the-bay-areas-fog-came-to-be-named-karl

https://thebolditalic.com/an-illustrated-guide-to-san-francisco-s-fog-the-bold-italic-san-francisco-2749ed403db3

https://sanfranciscopost.com/fog-city-tales-mystique-and-history-of-san-franciscos-fog/

 

DOWN TO BUSINESS

I’m gonna take you through a walk through Golden Gate Park

Looking at the Bust of Cervantes

I’m a Quixotean podcasting figure

 

PLUGS

Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

 

SPONSORS

Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods

 

INTRO

Walking through Golden Gate park

The faint noise of people roller skating in the distance

It’s almost like a literal rave in the distance

A pretty nice, meandering walk

No pressure to fall asleep

I’ve never had a nighttime friend that could be there for me 100% of the time

I’m in the pan of the Panhandle park

sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou

Just barely listening to me

Like roller skaters in the distance

I’m here to be your distraction

Explaining the structure of the show

A long, meandering intro

Thanks for being here

A different style of episode

 

STORY

Either I’m location scouting or just walking around

The north side of the park

I can’t record at the de Young Museum

Listen to those birds

I’m gonna pause for a sec

Not sure where I’m gonna get lunch

Good job, birds

I hope to cover this park over a few episodes

On MLK Jr Drive

One of the big recreation fields

Okay, I’ll exit for a sec to go have lunch

I’m gonna eat at the Yellow Submarine

I took a couple side things

I didn’t have cash so I had to eat somewhere else

A giant Zumba class in front of the County Fair building

Japanese Garden is on my left

It’s Sunday aka it’s busy

Maybe we’ll walk around Stow Lake or Mallard Lake

The weather isn’t great but it’s still really busy

I have been here for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass before

Beautiful bird sounds

A nice insulation from the wind that just made an appearance

The wind is picking up, so I’m gonna up these steps

Oh boy, I see Strawberry Hill

One of my favorite manufactured lakes in the world

No boats out

Birds flying, birds floating

I’m trying to moderate my steps on Sundays

Normally I do a long run on Sundays

Maybe I don’t do a long run and then a long walk in the same day

Ducks that are honk honk honking

One of those elevated lakes

I think I recorded another Golden Gate episode way back when with my brother

More like Stow River

Or Stow Stream

I remember recording on this bridge from 1893

Heading to my left

Those people like they did one of those color runs

A somewhat archetypal area

I don’t know why I find this fake lake comforting

Now I’m headed southwest down a hill

Strong mulch smell

A cedary smell

Finding new places I haven’t been before

On an adventure

Now we’re headed north

That wind sounds so nice, it blew twice

There’s another road to our left

Rarely Discovered Country

I’m not as familiar with this area

I rode around here once with my brother in 2014

I think I was newly sober

Let’s go on the high path here

Don’t call me Shirley

Birds, where are you?

All I have to do is listen with my heart

So, what lake is this?

A drainage-basin type thing

Okay this Elk Basin Lake

Some route planning

Maybe I can take my hat off now since it’s a little warmer

Oh man, great blue heron straight across

That reminds me of my mom

The slight smell of somebody grilling

This is a lovely…retention basin?

Oh man, 2 weeping willows!

Back to back willow trees!

Serious purple bush up ahead

Can you believe we’re in San Francisco right now?

I don’t know what kind of purple plant this is

I better avoid the pollen right now

I’m officially in the undiscovered country

Someone is setting up a bouncy house!

Man, that bbq charcoal smells good

I like the smell of other people barbecuing

Bikers passing by

So far, we’re a little over 3.5 miles

Oh that’s the polo field down there

More route planning

Heading down this hill

How do I access that meadow?

I really know nothing about these polo grounds

I really like this long, thin meadow

Wow, this is Metson Lake

More of a Pond-Style Lake

Wow, that’s a lot of lilies in the woods

What’s that tower for?

Oh, that’s parents cheering their child soccer players on

If you’re gonna have a picnic on SF, expect the fog to come in way earlier than you think

Wow, we really got lucky

Okay, my soda is officially open

Birds are squawking but I’m not in Weehawken

Do chickens bawk with an accent in Weehawken?

A new frisbee golf course

That wind sounds like tidal oceans

Meandering mostly east

Not a lot of picnicking in this particular meadow

Up another meadow

Disc Golfers with specialized disc carriers

A couple of jokers in the distance

Oh, they’re laughing about one of the throws

They even have backstops for the tees

In Search of Newness

I’ve played disc golf like once

Wow, another lake down there!

Wow, it’s bigger than I thought

Is this Stow Lake?

Holy Macaroni, hello Lloyd Lake!

Not quite hugging the shores of Lloyd Lake

I just crossed JFK Drive

There is a bit of wind

A little bit of a tunnel

Okay, getting some elevation now

I do believe Stow Lake is just on the other side

I’m gonna take a little break and be right back

The sun is out!

What is this log cabin?

And a firepit??

A statue for the Pioneer Woman

A few collections of yellow Adirondack chairs – I’ve never seen these before

A brief adventure on a short loop

A lot of P-R-I-C-K-E-R-S

Oh, there’s a Whale’s Tail on JFK Drive

Birds are cheering me on

Long waves on a canyon

Oh, I can see the de Young

It’s wild I’ve lived here since before these museums opened

Now we’re at an intersection – I don’t know where this leads

Oh, we’re exactly behind the Japanese Tea Garden

We covered some serious ground this time around

More chairs and stumps to sit on

We’ll slowly wind down now

It’s always fun to talk with you

The de Young has changed over time with its copper clad facing

Kinda Already Spectacular

Goodnight

 

SUMMARY:

Episode: 1380

Title: Golden Gate Park | Walk With Me

Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Kindred; Odoo; Uncommon Goods

Notable Language:

• The pan of the Panhandle park
• Good job, birds
• Honk Honk Honking
• Stow Stream
• A cedary smell
• Rarely Discovered Country
• A drainage-basin type thing
• Pond-Style Lake
• In Search of Newness
• P-R-I-C-K-E-R-S
• Kinda Already Spectacular

 

Notable Culture:

• • Miguel Cervantes

• Don Quixote

• • sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
  • de Young Museum
  • Golden Gate Park
  • Stow Lake
  • Mallard Lake
  • Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

• Airplane! Movie

• Star Trek

• California Academy of Sciences
• Exploratorium
• Statue of Liberty

 

Notable Talking Points:

• Walking through Golden Gate park
• The faint noise of people roller skating in the distance
• It’s almost like a literal rave in the distance
• A pretty nice, meandering walk
• No pressure to fall asleep
• I’ve never had a nighttime friend that could be there for me 100% of the time
• I’m in the pan of the Panhandle park
• sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
• Just barely listening to me
• Like roller skaters in the distance
• I’m here to be your distraction
• Explaining the structure of the show
• A long, meandering intro
• Thanks for being here
• A different style of episode
• Either I’m location scouting or just walking around
• The north side of the park
• I can’t record at the de Young Museum
• Listen to those birds
• I’m gonna pause for a sec
• Not sure where I’m gonna get lunch
• Good job, birds
• I hope to cover this park over a few episodes
• On MLK Jr Drive
• One of the big recreation fields
• Okay, I’ll exit for a sec to go have lunch
• I’m gonna eat at the Yellow Submarine
• I took a couple side things
• I didn’t have cash so I had to eat somewhere else
• A giant Zumba class in front of the County Fair building
• Japanese Garden is on my left
• It’s Sunday aka it’s busy
• Maybe we’ll walk around Stow Lake or Mallard Lake
• The weather isn’t great but it’s still really busy
• I have been here for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass before
• Beautiful bird sounds
• A nice insulation from the wind that just made an appearance
• The wind is picking up, so I’m gonna up these steps
• Oh boy, I see Strawberry Hill
• One of my favorite manufactured lakes in the world
• No boats out
• Birds flying, birds floating
• I’m trying to moderate my steps on Sundays
• Normally I do a long run on Sundays
• Maybe I don’t do a long run and then a long walk in the same day
• Ducks that are honk honk honking
• One of those elevated lakes
• I think I recorded another Golden Gate episode way back when with my brother
• More like Stow River
• Or Stow Stream
• I remember recording on this bridge from 1893
• Heading to my left
• Those people like they did one of those color runs
• A somewhat archetypal area
• I don’t know why I find this fake lake comforting
• Now I’m headed southwest down a hill
• Strong mulch smell
• A cedary smell
• Finding new places I haven’t been before
• On an adventure
• Now we’re headed north
• That wind sounds so nice, it blew twice
• There’s another road to our left
• Rarely Discovered Country
• I’m not as familiar with this area
• I rode around here once with my brother in 2014
• I think I was newly sober
• Let’s go on the high path here
• Don’t call me Shirley
• Birds, where are you?
• All I have to do is listen with my heart
• So, what lake is this?
• A drainage-basin type thing
• Okay this Elk Basin Lake
• Some route planning
• Maybe I can take my hat off now since it’s a little warmer
• Oh man, great blue heron straight across
• That reminds me of my mom
• The slight smell of somebody grilling
• This is a lovely…retention basin?
• Oh man, 2 weeping willows!
• Back to back willow trees!
• Serious purple bush up ahead
• Can you believe we’re in San Francisco right now?
• I don’t know what kind of purple plant this is
• I better avoid the pollen right now
• I’m officially in the undiscovered country
• Someone is setting up a bouncy house!
• Man, that bbq charcoal smells good
• I like the smell of other people barbecuing
• Bikers passing by
• So far, we’re a little over 3.5 miles
• Oh that’s the polo field down there
• More route planning
• Heading down this hill
• How do I access that meadow?
• I really know nothing about these polo grounds
• I really like this long, thin meadow
• Wow, this is Metson Lake
• More of a Pond-Style Lake
• Wow, that’s a lot of lilies in the woods
• What’s that tower for?
• Oh, that’s parents cheering their child soccer players on
• If you’re gonna have a picnic on SF, expect the fog to come in way earlier than you think
• Wow, we really got lucky
• Okay, my soda is officially open
• Birds are squawking but I’m not in Weehawken
• Do chickens bawk with an accent in Weehawken?
• A new frisbee golf course
• That wind sounds like tidal oceans
• Meandering mostly east
• Not a lot of picnicking in this particular meadow
• Up another meadow
• Disc Golfers with specialized disc carriers
• A couple of jokers in the distance
• Oh, they’re laughing about one of the throws
• They even have backstops for the tees
• In Search of Newness
• I’ve played disc golf like once
• Wow, another lake down there!
• Wow, it’s bigger than I thought
• Is this Stow Lake?
• Holy Macaroni, hello Lloyd Lake!
• Not quite hugging the shores of Lloyd Lake
• I just crossed JFK Drive
• There is a bit of wind
• A little bit of a tunnel
• Okay, getting some elevation now
• I do believe Stow Lake is just on the other side
• I’m gonna take a little break and be right back
• The sun is out!
• What is this log cabin?
• And a firepit??
• A statue for the Pioneer Woman
• A few collections of yellow Adirondack chairs – I’ve never seen these before
• A brief adventure on a short loop
• A lot of P-R-I-C-K-E-R-S
• Oh, there’s a Whale’s Tail on JFK Drive
• Birds are cheering me on
• Long waves on a canyon
• Oh, I can see the de Young
• It’s wild I’ve lived here since before these museums opened
• Now we’re at an intersection – I don’t know where this leads
• Oh, we’re exactly behind the Japanese Tea Garden
• We covered some serious ground this time around
• More chairs and stumps to sit on
• We’ll slowly wind down now
• It’s always fun to talk with you
• The de Young has changed over time with its copper clad facing
• Kinda Already Spectacular
• Goodnight