Sunday afternoon in the city

So I spent the afternoon ranging up and down the Embarcadero in search of fine chocolate, sunny walking, and a first peek at the newly opened Exploratorium at piers 15 and 17* in San Francisco, at the Embarcadero and Green St.

I just have to say, to those who were worried that the new building would somehow be detrimentally slicker than the old, do not fear!  Yes, the steel struts in the ceiling are painted, and it lacks the dingy atmosphere of the old building in the Palace of Fine Arts.  There are no hordes of wedding parties having their pictures taken, no swans, no faux Roman ruins, and admittedly, no free parking.

And, on opening weekend, the way-finding was atrocious; I was there with my friend Simplicitus, who has a museum membership, and after stumbling in the first doors you come to (as you're walking from the Ferry Building side), being directed through the gift shop, and past the ordinary ticket line, all the way to a desk in the back, he was finally able to confirm his membership and we got in.

Once inside, things were much the same as at the old location; lots of interactive exhibits, more space, and a general air of controlled pandemonium.  Nowhere near as slick as the Academy of Sciences, and lots of old favorites I remember from my first trip 30 years ago.    The shop is still there, but cleaner.  The views out of windows to the surrounding piers and out to the bay do not detract but add a little needed light.

Upstairs and across a bridge to Pier 17, there's a great quieter room devoted to the Bay Observation Gallery, with some incredible experiments in scientific visualization, including an intriguing atlas presenting examples of archival material on various aspects of the Bay watershed; very nice!

A quiet oasis away from the more frenetic main floor.   All in all, I think a great addition to a waterfront that is spiffing up in preparation for the America's Cup as well.   The Giants won, the atmosphere was mellow, all was good in the city by the Bay today.  

*For those of you unfamiliar with the admittedly peculiar pier numbering system, remember that odd piers are north of the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, and even piers are south.