Introduction
Golden Gate Park is surely one of the most beautiful
urban parks in the country. Its roughly one thousand acres are filled
with foliage from around the world and hundreds of pretty landscapes
and settings.
Making love outdoors brings together two of life's
joys. However, doing it in a major urban park also brings along
thousands of people generally disrupting the magic of the moment!
This book is intended to help you explore many of the
less-visited parts of Golden Gate Park, regardless of whether you want
to make love under the sun or just relax and enjoy a private picnic.
Overview
The fifty places described in this book span spots
included for their beauty, privacy and more. The various chapters will
guide you to locations which satisfy a wide diversity of tastes.
Several top-five lists highlight particularly noteworthy places, and a
checklist is included in case you want to visit all fifty spots.
About the Author
J. McGanty moved to San Francisco in the summer of
1984, living on 45th St. in the Sunset District. Golden Gate Park
quickly became a favorite place to go running, and McGanty came to
love the beauty and diversity of the park. But other than once running
the San Francisco marathon, he rarely ran far enough to explore the
many corners and hidden treasures of Golden Gate Park. Now, his hope
is this book will help many San Franciscans come to know the park
better, inspiring them to visit parts of the park they might otherwise
never see.
Legalities
Unfortunately, California law prohibits public nudity
(Penal Code section 314). Nude beaches such as Baker Beach in the
Presidio exist largely out of tolerance by some local communities and
their law enforcement agencies. Likewise, public displays of sex are
deemed disorderly conduct in California (a misdemeanor under Penal
Code section 647), regardless of how orderly you may feel you're
being.
Of course, this book isn't encouraging you to do
anything unlawful! Rather, you are encouraged to interpret "make love"
as referring to whatever lawful activities strike your fancy...!
Protecting The Park
On a more serious note, this book has been written
with a desire that we take care of the natural beauty of Golden Gate
Park. The places selected for this book are limited to areas which are
grassy, leaf-covered or exposed dirt. While some more private places
exist in the park that would require trampling plant life either at
the spots or in getting to them, these have been excluded from mention
in this book. Whenever possible, the provided directions to places are
via established footpaths, either large or small.
A number of areas in the park are closed either
temporarily for reforestation, or permanently because of erosion
concerns, etc. Such closures vary over time, so it's possible that a
location described in this book may be closed when you arrive there.
Please honor such closings, regardless of any recommendation in this
book. If you have a question about whether a particular area is closed
for reforestation, you can call (415) 753-7041.
Sharing The Park
Golden Gate Park, SF, CA draws a steady flow of people,
particularly on weekends and when the weather is good. While a few of
these people might be interested in watching what you're doing, or
perhaps joining in, most probably won't. You may want to be mindful of
who can see...or hear...you, as you select spots and what you decide
to do while you're there.
That said, Golden Gate Park is a wonderful place, and hopefully this
book will help you enjoy it in new and delightful ways!
