Mike Breiding's Epic Road Trips

San Francisco

Master Menu

In March of 1968, Jane Rector Breiding and five of her six children fled Morgantown for San Francisco. After a short stay in Tucson, Suzi, Sutton, Michael, Wayne, and William (Bill) arrived in San Francisco. Joan would arrive several months later with her boyfriend, Julian Martin.

Except for Joan and Wayne, we left San Francisco four years later, in March of 1972. Joan never left and lives there still. Wayne eventually left but returned later, as did Sutton, Bill, and Mom. Suzi never returned since that day in March of 1972. Over the years I have returned a number of times as a visitor . Now The City is left with only one Breiding, Joan.

I made my first visit back to San Francisco in 1979, driving there in a new Subaru DL Sedan. My soon-to-be lover, Ethel Moffat, joined me on the trip.

Since that trip in 1979, I have been back at least 11 times, three of them (1996, 2014, 2022) with my beloved wife Betsy. Below is a listing of all those return visits. Click on the photo or year to go to the report.

NOTE: Many of these pages were built before smart phones were in common use and may not display properly. A tablet or larger display will work best.
Additionally, many pages were uploaded during the days of dial-up modems and so many of the images may appear small.

2013: October
No photos for this visit to San Fran. Wanna know why? Click the link.

2014: August

2018: October

2022: September - Part 2

2022: September - Part 1

⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄⋄

As you might expect, San Francisco is a very expensive place to stay, whether you are a resident or a tourist.
My visits would not have been possible without the kindness and tolerance of family and friends who provided me with a bed and guidance on my city explorations and suggestions on places to go and things to do.

The map below shows some of the places I have gone over the years. These are personal choices and do not include places such as Golden Gate Park and Bridge, Coit Tower, The Palace of Fine Arts, etc. There are plenty of print and online tour guides to get you to those and many other places.
My routine when visiting SF is easy to explain. I walk, ride the bus, ride my bike (formerly), eat, and drink. And of course, take photos—many photos—which always kept me on the lookout for something new and interesting.

Yes, long walks with recreational eating and then hopping on a bus back to where I was staying (or vice versa) have provided me many days of fun in San Francisco. These walks are often to summits that have a truly awe-inspiring view of that City by the Bay. And, being the sentimental fool that I am, on every return trip I must always revisit and reflect on those places that were oh so familiar and loved during that life-altering time between 1968 and 1972. And I look forward to more of the same. Hopefully...