So I was trying to locate a picture of the Sutro Mansion, and failed, but I did locate this image of how it looked in 1880. So if Mae Linh and I were getting married over 100 years ago, we'd be inviting you here.
The turret and house stuff is all gone, but that great big wall along the water is still there.
How we found the spot:
So anyone who knows Mike and me, you know that we are not the hiking type, but for some reason on a really sunny day we decided to go for a walk near Ocean Beach. The bus dropped us off near the dunes, and we noticed stairs leading up and what seemed like over the dunes to Ocean beach. We thought, why not and climbed the stairs. The Stairs lead out to a breathtaking overlook of the ocean, but it still wasn't the beach. We contemplated going back down and around when we noticed a beaten path through the brush that continued up the hill. Being the questing type, we hit the trail. The trail ended in a plateau that was NOT Ocean Beach but a white pickup truck was parked just a few more extra feet on top the hill. Throwing caution to the wind we made out own path to the pick up truck. What we found was not the beach, but soooo much better. Now I know how Frodo and his crew felt when the FINALLY got to Rivendell. After risking our lives (don't worry Moms, it wasn't that bad ;)), we had found an oasis. We traversed the manicured lawns, passed the stone lions and found the old mansion grounds. Looking out over the ocean and most of the west side of San Francisco, Mike and I looked at each other and said, "This is the spot." Quest completed.
Relive our experience with the virtual tour of the park.
http://www.virtuar.com/ysf2/ap-Sutro-Heights.htm
