Lots to do and see at Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Stow Lake was the first lake we came upon during our walk in the Golden Gate Park. It is also the largest lake among all the other lakes within this green oasis of San Francisco.

Chinese Pavilion at Stow Lake, San Francisco

On the Stow Lake trail, we came upon the Chinese Pavilion and were surprised to discover Huntington Fall cascading down right beside it. This was one of the pleasures of hiking on park trails - discovering the hidden little gems and secret places in the park.

Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, USA

For people with more time to spend In the Golden Gate Park, there is the Stow Lake Boathouse where one can rent a boat and paddle around the lake. For those who prefer to be on land, there are bike rental and Segway tours which would enable visitors to explore more of the park in lesser time than on foot.

Some seniors enjoy feeding the many birds at Stow Lake

Without knowing that we were walking in a big circle along Stow Lake, we came back to the point of where we started when we saw the artist perching still  by the lake! Not wanting to get lost in the park before the sun went down, we got out of the small trail at 19 Ave. and continued on the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to get to the end of the park by the Pacific Ocean side. 

Exotic plants and flowers are abundant in the park

In the meantime, I noticed that my husband was a little quiet and sluggish during the walk though he did not complain or say anything.

( Later on in the evening while having dinner with Er, he told me that his old illness came back giving him a lot of discomfort. I wish he told me earlier so that we could have stopped walking sooner.)

We continued our hike in the park stopping frequently to take pictures of the colourful California flowers. 

I was very thankful that my husband was very patient with me during my photo stops along the way.

Murphy Windmill built in 1905

At the southwestern end of the park, between La Playa Street and 48th Ave. we came upon the Murphy
Windmill which has been recently restored. It was constructed in 1905 and was the largest windmill in the world at the time with114' long sails.

Not far from the Murphy windmill, there is another windmill called the Dutch Windmill located at the northwestern end of the park that "used to pump up to 1.5 million gallons of water daily for irrigation use to a reservoir now named Stow Lake!"

Ocean  Beach at Dusk

Though the sun had almost disappeared in the horizon by the time we got to the beach, we went and looked out at the powerful waves of the Pacific Ocean.

People were walking their dogs, strolling on the soft sand. It was windy and too cool for any surfing activities. I could imagine this beach must be humming with sunbathers and surfers on a sunny warm day.

Some art work at the Beach Chalet Visitors' Centre

Stopping by the Visitor Centre at the Beach Chalet Restaurant, we admired some artwork on the wall. The restaurant on the second floor provides patrons with a great ocean view.



We did a lot of walking exercises visiting the Golden gate Park, having walked from 2:30pm to 6pm today. I did not feel guilty of not working out at the gym at all while we are on holiday as we do enjoy hiking!

R.T.
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California