Blue Angels for Broke-Asses All Weekend Long

Oh, God! Is it really Fleet Week already again this weekend? Meaning those obnoxious planes are going to be making all of that noise all over our precious San Francisco for four whole days? And there will be crowds of people and a whole bunch of militant idiots clogging the streets and harbors of our liberal city? Yes, sir! That is exactly right!

I understand that the whole military aspect of Fleet Week is pretty annoying. But, at the same time – it is pretty damn cool to see those sleek, blue fighter planes doing insane nose dives and loopty-loops all over the sky. Instead of drinking “Hatorade” all weekend and dissing the whole thing, why don’t you just accept it and learn to enjoy Fleet Week like a true broke-ass should. It’s not like you can exactly escape it, anyways – unless you seriously drive at least 50 miles away from here in all directions…

I’m not suggesting that you go down to Pier 39 or to Union Square to watch the parades or anything like that. But this Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 6th -9th, you have the opportunity to just lie on your back and look up into the sky and see some crazy shit go down – or up – or …you know what I  mean. Anyways, there are a whole bunch of interesting places to watch the Blue Angels fly around. Here are a few places I’d recommend to knock back a couple of beers, smoke a joint and watch the show.

1. Stay close to home. Go up on your rooftop. You’ll be all the closer to the action. Plus, you can keep your beers cold in the fridge. Better yet, bring a cooler up with you. (I did this last year, and it was such a rush when one of the Blue Angels flew over me, I honestly almost fell off the roof. I screamed a lot, and it was a totally worth the scare.)
2. If you want a crowd and don’t want to pay, take the 22 bus down to Chrissy Field and lay in the grass. Play some frisbee and watch the planes fly over the Golden Gate Bridge.
3. For less of a crowd, ride your bike across the Golden Gate Bride and up to the Marin Headlands for a different perspective.
4. Take the BART over to the East Bay. I’d suggest going to Richmond’s Bay Trail for a water front seat. The planes may seem smaller, but hey – there’s less noise pollution.
5. Drive up to Twin Peaks to get a panoramic view of the airspace.
6. Jump on your rich friend’s sail boat. Lounging deck side is probably the hottest way to see the show. Be sure to have some Yacht Rock music playing in the background.
7. Go on one of the Navy ships that are in town for Fleet Week. It is FREE to go on them. (Maybe you’ll even run into some of those hot sailors fellow writer, Anna G., wrote about when they bombarded Fleet Week in New York last May!)
8. Hike up Telegraph Hill and hang out on the street in front of some rich person’s house. You will have a great view, and maybe they will even invite you in for a glass of wine.
9. Climb up the hundreds of stairs at Alta Vista park in Pac Heights. It is pretty high and you can see the Bay, so I am guessing it would be a perfect hangout. Play some tennis if you get bored.
10. Take a ferry to Alcatraz. You’ll have to pay something to get there, but I can’t really think of a creepier place to see the show. Plus, it makes for a cool story. Just don’t get arrested for bringing booze on to the premises. They might keep you locked up there for a while…