Magical, mysterious tour of San Francisco in the '60s Some say that if you remember the 1960s, you weren’t there. Maybe, maybe not. But if you’d like to refresh your memory, the new Magic Bus tour in San Francisco makes it quite painless. Even younger people who just want to soak up some of the flavor and history — yes, it’s history now — will enjoy it.
The colorfully painted converted bus pulls up across the street from Macy’s in Union Square every Saturday, blowing bubbles from its automated machine, and dispensing happy people with daisies in their hair. The Antenna Theatre company that produces it combines multimedia with a traditional city tour that takes visitors back in time to San Francisco’s iconic role in the decade. As we wait in little huddles to board, smiling and giving the two-finger peace sign for pictures, it doesn’t take long to get back in the ’60s groove. It seems appropriate that gazing down on us from an iTunes billboard are The Beatles in their black-and-white prime. Later, on the bus, they will be described as “mop heads” and “the guys who gave people the idea they could go out and change the world.” After checking in with the darling hippie chick gatekeeper, actress Rebecca Tarnas, we get on the bus, pushing through the black curtains that cue you that the interior is also a theater. Seats are arranged back-to-back down the center, so everyone is looking out a window. Once the bus starts up and the screens/shades drop and the soundtrack starts, it feels like a flashback. The soundtrack promises that “this trip is about the dream of the ’60s, the things that should have been.” Screens drop down to project images such as the legendary psychedelic blobs of that era (3-D glasses are provided, although most people forget to use them) along with newsreels of historical events. Then they are pulled back up so you can see the current reality outside. Sometimes the screens stay half-up and half-down, just to mix you up a bit — the show and the bus go on. The Magic Bus travels through Chinatown, representing the great awakening to and powerful influences of the East. It gets caught in traffic here, like we locals usually do, but the show is cleverly thought out so that something is always entertaining us. As the bus travels into North Beach, stories of the beatniks begin and shades open to reveal City Lights Books and Vesuvio Cafe. Then we travel through time and space to the epicenter of it all — the Haight-Ashbury district. A basket of wrapped mints (stand-ins for acid) is passed around. With colorful blobs throbbing on the shades (or did I just imagine that?) and incense in the air, things just get trippier. Then the shades open to the famous Jefferson Airplane Victorian house accompanied by the strains of “White Rabbit.” Oh yeah! Let’s crank it up! Then it’s off to green, green Golden Gate Park, where we remember the 1967 Summer of Love Human Be-In with documentaries. As we drive past the Conservatory of Flowers, we’re told it is the “generator of all flower power for the city of San Francisco.” According to Chris Hardman, creative director and creator of the tour, “No other tour company knows this metaphorical fact.” We leave the Summer of Love and enter the Winter of Discontent at City Hall, remembering a long list of assassinations — John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk — a sad but significant part of the story. My favorite part is when people on the street notice the bus pass and take the time to wave and smile, sometimes even flashing the peace sign. That takes me back. That and the reminder from the soundtrack (from where or who?) about Alan Ginsberg saying we are all “beautiful golden sunflowers inside.” All too soon, we are getting off the bus, trying to figure out what to do about dinner as our daisies begin to wilt. If you go The Magic Bus tour departs at 1, 3, and 5 p.m. Saturdays. $40 general, $30 seniors 65 and older and students to age 26 with card. Recommended for children 7 and older. Reservations advised. www.magicbussf.com. 800-838-3006, 415-332-8867, Where to eat: The Cheesecake Factory — 251 Geary St., 8th floor, in Macy’s, 415-391-4444, www.thecheesecakefactory.com. No reservations and you can expect a wait at this popular but reasonably price chain. Katana-Ya — 430 Geary St., 415-771-1280. No reservations. This teeny venue serves huge bowls of noodles. Scala’s Bistro — 432 Powell St., in Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 415-395-8555, www.scalasbistro.com. Reservations essential. Delicious rustic Italian dishes. -- http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_17363688%3E Via InstaFetch -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sixties-L" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en.
