Visit San Francisco in Sept./Oct. for summery fall days

If this last sunshine-filled weekend was any indication, a typically cold summer in San Francisco may soon be coming to an end (except in the Richmond and Sunset districts, and AT&T Park, pockets where cold is seemingly eternal). Locals talked of it having been “cold for weeks” before we arrived. But during our quick vacation, we enjoyed wonderfully warm afternoons, which hinted at more consistency in warmth to come, locals hope.

The chilling summer air of this city, with fog pockets that run deep, is widely known. You know that quote that may have been said by Mark Twain (but probably not) — “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”? It’s a saying that, after all these years of weather shifts and global warming and what-not, still rings remarkably true. Have a look at this interesting rundown on the unique San Francisco climate.

Now that fall is fast approaching, San Franciscans are finally putting away their jackets and gearing up for the traditionally hotter months of September and October. So, what to do in the dog days of fall, if you’re visiting then?

When I resided in S.F. once upon a time, I spent many hours in Golden Gate and Dolores (pictured above) parks. We wiled away an afternoon at the latter last weekend, and I was reminded of what a marvelous thing it is to do. Perched on a hill, you can relax while watching local life, including dogs and drummers, on a green overlooking Mission Dolores and the city skyline beyond.

Bring a blanket, and craft a picnic with eats from my erstwhile constant-tempter Tartine Bakery (pictured above) or from Bi-Rite, a couple doors down, a pricey yet lovely little organics-filled grocery. Bi-Rite’s creamery is across the street from the market, and crowds are well aware that it’s the place for cold artisanal scoops, on the very occasional days when fall heats up so much you’d almost think you were in Los Angeles.

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photos: Susan Derby]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 2:07 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under California, Fall, Northern California, San Francisco, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.