"Where in North America is this?" Section X

[CalOldBlue]

In the middle of a laptop switch, which includes going from XP to W7... and I've lost track of my Dreamweaver settings so I'm not able to upload new photos. That said, here's one up moved up a while back but never used.

Where is this, and what are all these people doing?


Photo: Don Casey

[CalOldBlue]

... so here's another one to chew on; where is this?


Photo: Don Casey

[Mark Sedenquist]

A rock-n-roll concert someplace -- except for the trees, it could almost be a return to Woodstock and that looks like one of The great lakes lighthouses.... but... I know, nothing is that easy....

Mark

[CalOldBlue]

#1 - not a concert per se, but there WILL be music as part of this part of the greater event (but that is only ancillary to the event). And there IS a connection with Woodstock; the name of this part of the greater event plays off the name Woodstock.

#2 - yes, a lighthouse, but nowhere near the Great Lakes.

It won't help, so I'll mention I took the first photo several years ago, and the second photo last week.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Don, that was a helpful clue!

Concert venue photo was probably taken at the Speedway Meadows -- which is part of Golden Gate Park. WestFest held a 40th anniversary party/art event/musical tribute last year. Here are some photos....

But I don't know which year you attended...

...and yeah, the rest of the clue isn't much help -- I've no idea where you were last week!

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

I'm familiar with most, if not all, of the lighthouses in California and Oregon, and I don't remember any of them looking like your photo. The beach sand looks whitish -- so maybe this could Texas?

A slightly more useful hint might be helpful here!

Mark

[CalOldBlue]

#1: it IS in Golden Gate Park, but not Speedway Meadow. This is the end of an annual event that has been going on for decades, and involves tens of thousands of participants. It is an "only in San Francisco" kind of event.

#2: not Texas, but definitely south; look south of the 28th parallel. And the location is famed for something unique that involves the beaches.

also... as I hinted above, while there will be music, this is not really a concert event; more like a mini-concert at the end of an event.

[Mark Sedenquist]

How about the San Francisco marathon or "Bay to Breakers" race?

[Mark Sedenquist]

How about the Anclote Key lighthouse....?

[CalOldBlue]

Yep; this is the scene at "Footstock", the gathering in the Polo Field at the end of a Bay to Breakers race.

The B2B is an annual 12K held in San Francisco in May. Generally fields 75,000 or so walkers, runners, streakers and Elvis impersonators. There's a costume contest held along the way, and a good time is had by all (or most).

Some of the more "only in SF" aspects of this:

1) The crowd at the start is so large that by the time the last folk reach the starting line, the winners have already finished (and generally are Kenyans).

2) "Centipedes". A group of runners roped together. Some are competitive, some are just for fun. There is a prize for the first centipede to cross the finish line. For years UC Davis students/alumns sponsered a centipede which prided itself on beating the first female finisher. At long last that streak was broken. There are specific rules as to how many runners and how lashed togther they have to be. Traditionally, the first runner in a 'pede wears a set of antennae.

3) Nude runners. Not officially sanctioned, but rarely arrested.

4) The Salmon. A group of runners dressed as salmon, who run the race from finish to start (as in salmon swimming upstream). I usually hit them somewhere around mile two. Considering this is a 7.5 mile race, you can see how slow I am.

5) The costumes. Anything and everything. Some topical, others just plain weird. Always a group of Elvis impersonators in a group. Dumbest thing I ever saw was a guy dressed as an alligator, stomach down on a skateboard trying to push himself the entire 12K. People kept stepping on/tripping over him.

6) Booze on wheels. Being cracked down on, but on the course there have been things such as an entire rolling Tiki bar, to frat boys pushing kegs of beer in a shopping carts.

Footstock has food, beer (although much more controlled than a decade ago; you're fenced into a small compound now), and about a gazillion porta-potties. There usually is a band or bands.

I've missed the last several races.

As for the other one; right state, wrong location.

I'll give you what may be a misleading clue: that bright thing in the picture is not the light, it's the SETTING sun. So I'm standing roughly East of the lighthouse, on the beach, with the water at my back.