The tourist's entrance to Chinatown and the endless rows of dollar stores.

There are two Chinatowns. One for the tourists along Grant and the much dirtier and more real one along Stockton (pictured here.)

The classic San Francisco shot. The California Avenue cable car stops in Chinatown.

San Francisco's weirdness can also be found on walls.

The view down to the Embarcadero from Chinatown.

A swim from "The Rock" is probably not very pleasant in weather like this.

Elephant seals were a prime motivation for me to go to California. I got more than my fill thanks to the worst storm in years.

In the park outside this church, a street guy offered ME two hundred dollars. Did I mention, California is weird?

The Golden Gate Bridge from the Presidio. The storm attracted a few surfers to the water here.

The girl is a frequent and somewhat frightening piece of graffiti that popped up along Grant Street.

Another thing to note is the animal-themed graffiti. Here are two frogs which made sevral appearances in Chinatown.

A scene from Chinatown. There is too much for your eyes to take in at once.

The Trans-America Building and a giraffe. Fitting, I thought.

You will never feel as alive as you will when you are in San Francisco's Chinatown.

A sign in Chinatown that I fancied.

The financial district is just downhill from Chinatown's cheap dollar stores.

A scene from the heart of Chinatown.

This church marks the Italian neighborhood.

Pier 39 is the ultimate tourist trap. I like the views and the sea lions and skip the expensive stores.

The howler monkey that stared at me from my bed at the Adante Hotel.

This piece of graffiti appeared near the Powell Street turn-around.

A man in a banana suit. Ok...

There are many faces to the crowded Chinatown neighborhood.

A Dutch mill along the Pacific coast... Why not?

Riding the Golden Gate..

The San Francisco skyline from Marin County.

They say California is home to happy cows. These cows weren't so happy as they huddled together to face the storm from a Pt Reyes farm.

The storm pounds the Pacific coast at Point Reyes.

The surf at Point Reyes was fierce. The point reminded me of an Irish coast.

The waves break over the south beach at Point Reyes.