Hi

I will be visiting San Francisco later this month.

I wondered if anyone from the Nexus had recommendations on cool places to visit - alternative/underground bookshops, visionary art collections, cool shops, places of historical psychedelic interest, conferences/talks, good music/gigs, etc?

Basically anything off-the-wall is of interest...

Cheers,
Majapanix

The Redwood forest at Muir Woods is amazing. If it is still around try to find Karma Moffet's Tibetan shop is cool - he plays all of the instruments he sells like ringing bowls. Mount Diablo is amazing and nearby, Rock City is amazing on mushrooms and many other substances, granite rocks and lots of caves up there. If you are around Fisherman's Wharf/Cannery Row area there used to be a cool art shop (not museum) that lots of Dali paintings for sale and these really cool space paintings that were painted on glass with lightening, like a tesla coil and the lightening spreads the liquid paint out and creates these amazing scenes that look like Hubble photos. The most incredible thing about these paintings (if painting with lightening was not cool enough) is that when you dim the lights, you actually see stars and other subtle items in the painting start to show up. Apparently the artist layers hundreds of layers of paint to create these pieces of art. Can't remember the name of the gallery, but it was right on one of the main streets near the Cannery and Ghirardelli Square. They might still have a Pink Floyd laser show at the Planetarium in Golden Gate Park/De Young Museum. Also, the Exploratorium is an unbelievably cool place. Have fun, have not been to SF for years, but always loved my visits there. Hope some of these suggestions help. Let us know where you played once you are done.

Don't forget haight/ashbury, it's got a lot of weird shops and you can get a hell of a deal on smoking utensils.

Yeah, also Berkeley is nearby and easy to access via Bart. University Ave is always a trip, especially on the weekends.

Just saw a promo for the new "Oddities" TV series and they are doing a break off series set in a San Francisco store that just happens to be located on Haight St. The name of the store is Loved To Death. Looks kinda scary cool.

Loved To Death™
1681 Haight St
San Francisco, CA
(415) 551-1036
info@lovedtodeath.net

^^Funny story, the first time I visited San Francisco I went into that store and they had cameras taping around and before I left I had to sign a release to be on the show If I only had TV I could finally see myself get my 15 minutes!

It was actually a really cool store, expensive as all hell but they had all kinds of creepy fun stuff!

lived there most of my life (but no longer). What a wonderful place!
In no particular order:

1. walking around Chinatown and North Beach neighborhoods ... then eat at Cafe Sport (Believe it or not, the waiter is your friend, do not piss him off, tip 30%, and you may have some of the best Italian food ever).

2. check out the gnarly Ocean Beach surf (many world class surfers live nearby) and after the fog gets into your bones, grab a cappuccino at Java Beach (LaPlaya and Judah, at the N-Judah Muni turnaround).

3. visit to the Stanford (35mi south) and Berkeley (15 mi across Bay, accessible via BART, too) campuses.

4. hike from Muir Woods to Stinson Beach via Bootjack and Steep Ravine trails...roundtrip plan a day including the beach. as the name suggests there is elevation, but not too bad. Hope you like scenery!

5. hiking (flat) thru the SF Zen Center's Green Gulch Farm in Muir Beach....beautiful hills, organic gardening, and Zen Meditation. You may still be able to arrange overnights.

6. Good Vibes:
Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley (a tradition back to '60s, Bob Weir is one of the new owners)
Terrapin Crossroads, San Rafael (Phil Lesh's new club, and he's playing later this month)