Presidential HEAD Trip

San Francisco has long been a popular destination for U.S. Presidents. The first presidential visit to SF was in 1880 and since then every Chief Executive, except for two, have enjoyed Bagdad by the Bay while in office. That’s 25 presidents! Join the HEAD Society on Saturday, February 11 to explore this fascinating chapter of Bay Area history. 

At 2pm, we’ll meet at one of San Francisco’s smallest bars, Buddha Lounge (901 Grant Ave. @ Washington St.). This Chinatown dive is one of 34 Legacy Bars in San Francisco (along with Specs’ 12 Adler from the Devil’s Acre HEAD Trip). As we wait for our group to gather, enjoy one of the bar’s two specialties. One is, of course, Buddha Beer served in green Buddha-shaped bottles. The other is a Chinese Mai Tai. This drink was made famous down the street at the Li Po Lounge. Buddha Lounge adds its own secret ingredient, Three Penis Whiskey imported from China. It’s a cash only establishment. 

 If you’re taking BART into SF, get off at the Powell Street Station. Walk a short distance and get on the new Central Subway (follow the many signs). Muni’s newest line will take you up to Chinatown lickety split! The Chinatown Station is near the corner of Stockton & Washington Streets. Walk down Stockton St. and turn right on Washington. It’s a short downhill stroll to the Buddha Lounge. 

After we gather, and a little day drinking, we’ll be off to the Great Eastern Restaurant (649 Jackson St.) to feast on some Presidential dim sum as enjoyed by President Barack Obama on a chilly day in February 2015 (The Secret Service drove him directly there from the airport! He must have really been jonesing for those dumplings!).   

After a late lunch, we’ll saunter through Chinatown. Our next stop is just beyond the Dragon Gate, The Irish Bank. It’s a cozy, museum-like pub tucked down a short alley. As far as we know, no president ever drank here but it’s the perfect place to honor the 4 U.S. Presidents of Irish ancestry. We’ll even have our own Presidential Pub Quiz complete with prizes (drinks, of course). 

 Next stop, Union Square, where we’ll stand in the footsteps of Gerald Ford and his wannabe, but failed assassin, Sara Jane Moore. We’ll also admire the Dewey/U.S. Sailor monument. It has connections to 2 Presidents. 

 From Union Square, we’ll walk back to Market Street, past the Palace Hotel and over to House of Shields. It’s San Francisco’s 8th oldest bar and was once connected to the Palace Hotel through a secret underground tunnel. Ordinarily used to move women and whiskey, this tunnel was also possibly a conduit for relocation of the body of the 29th President. We’ll sip on well-crafted cocktails and discover the conspiracies and rumors dating back to 1923. Did the President die of a heart attack in his hotel room bed or in the arms of a beautiful woman (not his wife) upstairs at House of Shields? Some even say he was poisoned by his wife. Who knows? Maybe we do! 

 Please RSVP @ beerguy24@gmail.com.