Mt. Davidson is a very well-known landmark in San Francisco, located in the south-central part of the city. The summit was graded flat long ago and a huge (100-feet plus) cross erected; over the years the summit has been host to numerous sunrise services for Easter and other holidays, and tourists visit the area all the time. It's not inconceivable to estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have been to this summit over the years. The summit and cross were also featured in the original Dirty Harry film, so I can say that I share a highpoint with Clint Eastwood.

I came up from the south along Interstate-280. Just before the freeway enters San Francisco, I exited and briefly followed CA-1 and then up Portola Boulevard, on of San Francisco's major streets. After about 2 miles of moderate traffic, I turned south-east into a jumble of roads amid some absolutely beautiful mansions. I knew I was very close to Mt. Davidson but I had no idea which route to follow. I would follow one road for a bit, then recheck the map and try to figure out what to do next. This went on for about 10 minutes. I wasn't too concerned. The views were lovely. Finally, I happened upon a nice mailman who pointed me the way to the right road. I drove up and parked along Dalewood Road, and began the short hike.

Dalewood Road is STEEP! I'd say its gradient is about 25%. Me, I was huffing and puffing up this relentlessly steep road. I've hiked huge peaks and long trails and was struggling on a city street? Well, I heroically pushed on, finally topping out on Dalewood. On one side were smaller condominium/townhouse style homes that probably cost a million-plus, and on the other side of the street was the Davidson area. I followed a dirt service road around, then up some rock steps and in a few moments I was at the top. The cross isn't very visible from below as there are equally enormous trees on the summit shrouding the cross. There was no one else there when I arrived, so I stayed a few minutes and read the plaque. In 1997, the city sold the cross and the land to the Council of Armenian-American Associations of Northern California, and now a plaque bears a memorial to the Armenian genocide in Turkey (Ottoman) in 1915-18. Alas, views out over the city were hard to come by right at the summit. A few other people showed up, and I got moving. As I hiked down Dalewood, the views were awesome. I was back to my truck and on my way.

My sister lives in San Francisco in the "South of Market" district. I got back onto Portola and stayed on it, as it turns into Market Street. The traffic was getting heavy and people in SF just pretty much walk into the street, assuming the motorists will do the veering if need be. I hadn't been in SF in 5 years and was not used to the traffic and overall mayhem, but I was able to find my sister's place with little difficulty. She was still at work (nurse), so I waited in my truck for about a half-hour. We went to a really good Ethiopian restaurant (and went through all the jokes as well) that night. The next day: the Golden Gate Bridge and Mt. Tamalpais in Marin county.