Saket Vora

The following day, the three of us hopped on a morning train up to the City, making the transfer to the BART so as to emerge in the bustling and lively Powell St. station, right on Market Street in the heart of the shopping district. What a change from the calmness of Palo Alto suburbia! The warmth struck me — the forecasts were right on, for once — it was going to be an unusually warm day in the City. We strolled down Market St., among the towering skyscrapers of the financial district on our way to the Embarcadero and the Bay. By happy chance, three of Kelly’s colleagues from the College of Textiles at NC State were in San Francisco.

Their program has a remarkable scholarship opportunity — a fully paid stipend to make a trip anywhere to visit companies on the cutting edge of textiles. And get the image of cotton mills out of your head — that’s one thing you’ll quickly realize after talking with these textile engineering students. Lauren, Taylor, and Carol were in Portland a few days ago talking with top-notch product designers at Nike and Adidas, were hitting Columbia, North Face in San Francisco, and then heading south to visit Patagonia.

We met them at the Ferry Building in the middle of an open-air farmer’s market. Moving along the booths, Kelly caught up with her friends while we sampled the fruits of the season. Food was slim (or crowded) at the Ferry Building, so we crossed back through the flea market and found a deli to grab a quick bite before heading back out on the streets with Lombard St. as our destination.

Lombard Street is of course the “most crookedness street in the country” and a favorite to showcase the steep hills that make San Francisco such a unique urban environment.We made our way up Montgomery and Columbia streets, past the triangular TransAmerica building and through the Italian district. There was some “Amazing Race” like game being played, for we saw pairs of competitors with race numbers dashing by us.

As we made the turn onto Lombard, my friends got their first real taste of the quadricep-testing hills. Welcome to San Francisco! Hehe. Fueled by the hope of an ice cream truck at the top, we made it to the top and enjoyed the view over the City. In the distance, dozens of sailboats lazily made their way around the Bay.

The textile folks jumped on a trolly back to Fisherman’s Wharf as Greg, Kelly, and I headed downhill to the Hyde St. Pier and the waterfront. Bypassing Ghiradelli Square, we made our way out onto the pier that jutted out the farthest into the Bay. I was pleased to find the Golden Gate clearly visible (it’s hidden from view at the more touristy Fisherman’s Wharf), and we took a moment to take in the informal sailing regatta unfolding in front us with Alcatraz Island in the background.

Greg deconstructed the action — pointing out how a boat’s spinnaker deflates when being chased up close, how the boats tack, where the sailors stand and operate the boats. Things were much more refreshing by the waterfront. We made our way east towards Pier 39 to see the the seals, and the sourdough creatures spawned in the kitchen of Boudin’s did not disappoint. The baker even had a small sourdough teddy bear tucked into his breast pocket!

We cooled down with ICEEs (just like the way Chris Ternes and I did at Greg and Kelly’s wedding rehearsal), and waited for Greg’s cousin Jim Cavalieri to come by. This was another big reason for Greg to visit San Francisco. I had met his father at Greg’s wedding and remembered that he was out in the Bay Area with SalesForce.com. Cavalieri was among the first to start at SalesForce and serves as SVP and chief security officer. We met with him and his family near Pier 39 and went to a restaurant on the pier to catch up over drinks. As the kids tried to best each other with ever more creative crayon drawings, the conversation floated between family updates, Greg and Kelly’s thoughts of Stanford, Jim’s experience at SalesForce and life out here in the Bay Area, a neat invention that Jim was envisioning for his wine cellar, and even what I was up to out here. It was a lot of fun — bright and fun personalities. After a few hours, we bid adieu and the Cavalieris headed back across the Bay while Greg, Kelly, and I found a restaurant in the Wharf. We waited at the bar with an amusingly spunky old bartender, and had a window facing the setting sun over the harbor for the main course.

I had wanted to meet up with Melih — Greg and Melih had known each other through the computer engineering program as well as serving on the photography staff of The Technician, but I realized we wouldn’t make the train if we waited any longer. Next time, sorry Melih! Our MUNI ride was free due to some malfunction, and the conductor kept it loose with deadpanned wry jokes all the way back to Market St. Mindful of the tight schedule, we made it on board the Caltrain and settled in for the ride home. 

This was the first proper visit to San Francisco for Greg and Kelly, and what a great one it was! The liveliness of Market St., a farmer’s market on the Embarcadero with friends, a trek through the hills, the cool breeze and gorgeous view of the Bay, seeing family, dinner at the Wharf, and the certain zaniness of SF public transport. Come back soon, for there is still so much more to see!