San Fransisco in November

**tim o'brien** · 23-Aug-2004, 14:38

John K,

That is Mt. Hamilton Road that goes from Alum Rock Park (the closed entrance) to the summit where the Lick Observatory is. I just took my daughters up there yesterday. One hour to go 24 miles. A taste of Dramamine is in order for those who get motion sick. The observatory itself is a stunning piece of architecture as well as an amazing engineering work for the date it was built. Did ja know James Lick was responsible for Ghiradelli coming to SF?

San Jose is beautiful in November. And going south, Gilroy and points east heading over towards Modesto and Yosemite is a very nice drive that time of year. Assuming we get no early rain storms.

I have heard stories about selectively enforced tripod regulations in SF. They don't seem to like them down in the Union Square area.

I would also recommend a catamaran ride out under the GG if the chop and swells aren't too high.

tim in san jose

**QT Luong** · 23-Aug-2004, 16:32

The best destination for unspoiled nature scenics a few miles away from SF
are the hills, redwood forests, and coastline in Golden Gate Recreation area.
See http://www.danheller.com/marin.html (although he missed the
sea stacks of
Rodeo Beach).

As mentioned by others,
if you are willing to go one or two hours away, there are great coastal landscapes, and November is in general a great month. If it rains or is foggy, Golden Gate park or Muir Woods would make great destinations.

**Emmanuel BIGLER** · 24-Aug-2004, 11:16

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Seen from a Western European point of view, the climate in San Francisco (CA ? ;-) is something really strange. Foggy in summer, clear in winter ;-);-) In 1990 when I was there, many days in October and November were perfectly clear with just enough sea fog for the classical Golden-Gate-in-fog-plus-blue-sky postcard ;-)

Probably the clearest day of all my stay was my last day on January 1st, 1991 ; I drove to the top of Mount Tamalpais, Marin County, for the best views I ever had over the Bay Area for 6 months. Simply gorgeous ! So to continue with what Tuan says, fog+rain: stop at Muir Woods ; perfectly clear : continue to the top of Tamalpais.
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**Emmanuel BIGLER** · 24-Aug-2004, 11:33

<html>Another word to fully second T. Obrien about driving up to Mt Hamilton and Lick observatory, in addition to all excellent advice already given which I fully support as a San Francisco uncompromising enthusiast !

Imagine, seen from French eyes, a place in the US where you can get excellent fresh baguette everyday, everywhere, together with top-class local wines and beers ;-);-).

To the Lick observatory, yes the road is extremely slow and winding (don't drink and drive !), but you find there some examples of the most magnificent Californian Oaks I've ever seen. They deserve the visit and possibly a LF picture.

And I remember at Lick observatory a huge B&W print showing a far distant view of the Sierra with the Half Dome clearly visible, taken with a long, long, focal length from the observatory on a clear, clear day. A stunning (large format camera ???) image indeed and probably the most unusual view of the Half Dome.</html>

**QT Luong** · 24-Aug-2004, 13:06

I wouldn't place my hopes to high for the Sierra view from Lick. That B&W image
that Emmanuel mentions was taken many years ago when the air was cleaner, and anyways it would require a super-long lens which might not be practical in LF. Probably, using IR film will help with the haze, but when you don't see the subject with your eyes, it is difficult to point the camera !
In my opinion, the most interesting there is the

inside of the Lick observatory with the telescope, for which a wide-angle lens is a must.

If you are interested in
mountain top views and oak-covered hills, I would think Mount Diablo would be
more interesting than Lick. Regarding Union square in SF, if you appear to use a
professional looking camera, you might be told by the security guards that for commercial/professional photography you need to obtain a permit.

**Jeff Conrad** · 24-Aug-2004, 14:21

Regarding Union square in SF, if you appear to use a professional
looking camera, you might be told by the security guards that for
commercial/professional photography you need to obtain a permit.

It's been a long time since I've photographed around Union Square, but I've
heard similar baloney from private security types in other parts of the
city. A permit isn't required unless the photography is for other than
personal use and "interferes to any substantial degree with the ordinary
use and enjoyment of public streets or sidewalks." It's covered in Chapter
57 of the SF Administrative Code, which is included in the summary
of permit requirements on the LF Page. Quote this to the security guards
(who probably never even have heard of the Administrative Code ...), and
most probably will be sufficiently intimidated to leave you alone.

One other possible caveat: police are looking for a "middle eastern" man
who was seen

sketching and photographing
the Transamerica Building last
week.
I have no idea what might constitute "surveillance activity," but I'm
assuming, somewhat sadly, that the operative words are "middle eastern."
I've never been hassled by the SFPD in any part of the City, so this
this may be an isolated incident.