Baker Beach

The summer weather is holding and when M texted me to ask if I fancied going out to Baker Beach for the sunset.

Baker is one of the nicer beaches in San Francisco, albeit with a slightly odd crowd. The beach faces roughly west and has fine-grained sand, rather than the course stuff you find on Ocean Beach. It’s a steeply sloping shore, so surfers avoid it since by the time the wave rises it’s slamming you down onto hard sand, but it has one of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge you’ll find.

The beach is in two unofficial parts. Most of it is a family place, but the far end is sort-of designated a nudist section. The local rangers patrol regularly and will stop anything too outrageous but for those that like the full sun experience it’s the spot to hang out.

M and I were staying clothed, but picked a spot midway along in the no-mans-land between the two. A brief paddle was enough to determine that this was not the time to reprise yesterday’s frolics and we just settled in and watched the sun sink below the horizon. The picture doesn’t catch the half of it; say what you like about pollution but it does make for a pretty light show while it’s killing us.