South End Swim Club and other San Francisco, CA Local Custom Tips

Anytime you are near Aquatic Park you are sure to see someone swimming out in the distance. Most likely, this is a member of the South End Swim Club. These hearty souls swim regularly in the Bay. For the most part they eschew wet suits. Many of them meet at 6:30 each morning for a daily work out. There are several group swims, not the least of which include the swim from Alcatraz, across the Golden Gate. Heary souls are these!

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Website: http://www.south-end.org/swim/swimSchedule.shtml

The Annual San Francisco Bay to Breakers 12 K Race is said to be the oldest consecutively run foot race in the world. Held annualy since 1912, this race has some of the craziest participants ever seen. The centipede catagory is always a favorite and the you can count on seeing more Elvises than you can shake a stick at. A large percentage of runners wear costumes, and some wear nothing at all.

In 1986, the 110,000 racers resulted in the Guiness Book of Records calling the Bay to Breakers the biggest footrace in the world.

My friend Bob will be running his 21st consecutive Bay to Breakers on May 15th, when this years race will be run.

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Website: http://www.baytobreakers.com/

Every year in May San Francisco celebrates cultural diversity with the largest Carnaval in California. A veritable orgie of food, music, dance, crafts.... the weekend culminates in a wild parade in the Mission District on Sunday.

2005's Carnaval is May 28th and 29th. Check out the website%L for a schedule of activities and performers.

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Website: www.carnavalsf.com

Claimed to be the "oldest ongoing blues festival in the world", the annual SF Blues Festival is a lively, rowdy, wild musical event. Located on the sprawling Great Meadow, above Fort Mason Center (across the street from the famous Marina Safeway - reputed to be SF's best pick up place), this is two days of musical orgy.

This years festival is September 24 and 25. The performers have not yet been announced. Tickets go on sale June 1st. One day passes are $25 in advance, $30 at the gate. Two day passes are $45 in advance only. Special reserved lawn seating is available for a special price.

Valet Bike Parking! Only in SF will you find such a thing. If you don't arrive by bike, public transportation is a must.

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Website: www.sfblues.com

Every year on the first weekend in October the Fleet comes in and San Francisco is filled with sailors. On Saturday and Sunday the city celebrates with a huge air show. SF Bay has to be one of the best venues in the world for the Blue Angels dramatic air show. People line every available edge of bay and watch the pilots do their amazing stunts.

The parade of ships begins about 10 am, depending on visiblity. October can be a foggy time so the times my be delayed. One of my favorite things to do is take my bike up on the GG Bridge and watch the boats go under. It's hard to deny the patriotic feelings that overcome you when you see the crew in dress whites and at attention passing beneath the bridge. Even a submarine had a line of seamen lined along it's surface! Fire boats welcome the ships with sprays of water.

One year I watched the air show from out on the Bay with my friends on their sail boat. The bay was a veritable parking lot! It was a floating party.

2005's event will be on October 8th and 9th. The Blue Angels do make survey flights on the 6th and a practice show on the 7th. These often come as a shock to people working in the downtown offices. More than a few have thought they were being attacked.

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Website: http://fleetweek.us/fleetweek

You'll want to keep your eyeballs peeled, because you'll see things in SF that you might not see anywhere else. Cigar smoking seagulls? Condom wearing dogs? We are an eclectic bunch. And each element of society, no matter how small, has it's own rights!

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Keep your's open and you never know what you will find. This amazing City of great diversity rewards the visitor with a palet of colors, a cocophany of sound, a menu of tastes and smells (some even good!) and something for everyone. If you get bored in San Francisco you've only yourself to blame.

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