Pier 39

I stood in the middle of the dock early that morning, the shops weren't open yet. The fruit stand people were just setting up their displays of fresh berries, bananas, and apples. A smattering of restaurants had opened their doors for those who had ventured out for breakfast or coffee. I held in my hand a lovely latte and biscoff cookie that I'd purchased from one of the open places. Other than employees who drifted past, on their way to open the stores, I shared the space with just a small handful of others who had made their way to the water this early in the day.


It was a serene setting in the quiet morning. No loud chattering of tourists, raucous music that would surely enliven the place in just a matter of minutes had yet to

begun, even the carousel was still, it's music only existing in the memories of children who'd ridden it the day before. In the quiet early morning setting, I could hear the bark of seals and calls of seagulls who graced the bay outside of the pier.

I wandered to the back of the pier and heard a bell clanging in the distance, fog had not yet burned off giving the Golden Gate Bridge a mystical quality. I observed Alcatraz in the distance and Sausalito even further out. I wondered what secrets both locations held in store. I wouldn't be visiting either location on this particular trip but earmarked them for future vacations. Armed with the knowledge that it would be best to book an Alcatraz tour in advance and allow a full day in Sausalito I happily accepted I would be spending another day exploring San Francisco. I had so much still to see. I hadn't been to Union Square nor hunted down the delectable treats Ghirardelli Square had to offer up. Plus Coit Tower was still calling my name. For the moment, I enjoyed the serenity of the morning, the cool air that brushed my cheeks. and the fog that floated over the water. It was a perfect moment, I had no where I had to be and a full day of exploration ahead of me.

I sipped my latte and noted as the stores began to open, other tourists began to trickle in. I spied a hop-on-hop-off tour company selling tickets and made my way to them. I sighed with pleasure. It was time to begin my exploration of the city.