And so it begins: The Holidays

It's that Holiday Time

Christmas carols have never made any sense to me. They sing about snow, Jesus and people being jolly. In my experience, the holidays have been stressful, dark and depressing (I lived in Oregon for a long time- the rain really does get to you). But, there's something unique in San Francisco. I was actually "complaining" to a friend of mine the other day about how in the summertime, I got excited for fall, because I assumed it would be colder and the parties would slow. Boy was I wrong! The fall is our real summer, and everyone comes out to celebrate. Then, late fall, I was getting excited awaiting winter, also thinking that the cold would force people to stay in. Nope, it's the holiday season. 

I've given up hope. There will never be an end to fun in San Francisco. 

This year, I've decided to make the holidays my own. If I were to write a Christmas carol, it would be about sparkling palm trees, gin fizz parties, and dating. Not such a bad tune, I'd think.

One of the first things we did to celebrate this holiday season was to go downtown for an ice skating adventure.

First stop: Chinatown.

Chinatown

For this Monday, my friend Spencer decided to tag along. A bartender, gifted photographer and avid collector, Spencer always has some interesting information to impart. If you ask him, he could draw you a very detailed map of the 1906 fire lines through the Mission District. Currently, he's turned me onto to this new app, Ghost Detector Pro, that 'photographs' ghosts. Skeptical as I am, I confess to loving it.

those are ghosts

Spencer, ghost app and I headed to Li Po Lounge in Chinatown to meet Krysten and Isabelle, for Chinese Mai Tais: Dark Rum, Light Rum, 151 Rum, Chinese Whiskey, and Pineapple Juice. TROUBLE.

* History note: Ah Toy, a Chinese immigrant, created Chinatown's first bordello, on what is now known as Waverly Place. A tall and beautiful woman, she caught the eye of many men, giving her the idea of opening her own peep show. That evolved into a bordello, and soon she was "importing" young Chinese girls for employment. In and out of court throughout her career, she finally retired, opting to sell clams instead. 

Li Po Lounge

Properly satiated and with a burning desire for adventure, we headed to our second stop: the Westin Saint Francis, to ride their glass elevators. I remember riding them with my grandparents when I was a child, but sadly, you can no longer access them without a room key. 

Refusing defeat, we waited for distraction, and thankfully, we didn't have to wait long. Some man swiped his card, and we stepped in behind him. Though we only made it to the nineteenth floor, it was still worth it.

As any building over a hundred years old would, the Saint Francis has some interesting history. It was built in 1904 and survived the 1906 earthquake. Immediately, it was considered one of the city's most prestigious addresses. Unsurprising, it's accommodated many famous people including Helen Keller, Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Cecil B. DeMille, Charlie Chaplin, Isadora Duncan, and Sinclair Lewis, to name a few. 

One of my favorite stories involved a very famous chef and the 1916 Presidential election. Victor Hirtzler, chef of the royal courts in Europe, (having lost his job when the government of Portugal went bankrupt due to the richness of his food) was coaxed into working at the Saint Francis. During the presidential campaign, Charles Evans Hughes, the Republican candidate, was staying at the hotel. There was an important strike, in which the waiters (members of the culinary union) walked out twenty minutes before a large banquet. Hitzler, undeterred, insisted on serving the banquet himself. The Union, having found out that Hughes had crossed the line and eaten the food anyway, denounced him as anti-union, costing him the election.

Another story, involved the silent film actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Hosting a three day party on the twelfth floor, a young actress was taken ill and died four days later. Arbuckle was then arrested and tried for manslaughter. This was one of the most publicized trials in California history, and one of Hollywood's first scandals. Acquitted, Arbuckle's career was ruined. Will H. Hays pulled his films, and began his systematic censorship of American motion pictures, a type of regulation that existed in Hollywood until the 1970s.

We don't like him.

Leaving the hotel, we crossed to Union Square to go ice skating. Union Square in December is lovely, with everything bright and gaudy. Though the palm trees have Christmas lights, and at most, people were wearing heavy sweaters, outdoor ice skating is about as close to the rest of the country as we could get for holiday traditions. 

As for Union Square, have you ever wanted to know who the bronze beauty is, soaring high above? That's Victory, and she was modeled after the "Great Grandmother of San Francisco" Alma le Normand de Bretteville. A total babe, she started turning heads in art school. Choosing to model in order to pay for painting classes, she soon became quite famous among the art circles. Sculptor Robert Aitken asked her to model for this sculpture, a monument noting the recent assassination of William McKinley and to honor the naval hero Admiral Dewey. She holds the laurel wreath of peace and points her triumphant trident to heaven. It was unveiled in 1902.

Having married a man of means, she went on to become a very prestigious art collector. Needing a place to showcase her collection, she built the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.

We like her.

Though the season is in full swing, we are just getting started on our holiday making. More adventures to come!

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