18 Feb Sutro Baths: Bathing Suit Not Required

So apparently my expression of concern at not having my bathers handy on our way to the Sutro Baths was pretty funny. When I got there I realized why. The Baths is an attraction not due to promise of a casual dip, but because it’s in ruins; the place burned down in 1967. Needless to say, we weren’t going there to swim, particularly since it was god damn freezing on the day.

The facility opened in 1896 and was a public, saltwater swimming pool complex, the largest indoor pool in the world at the time in fact. What’s left is waves crashing into a vaguely man-made landscape, built into the side of a cliff. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to undermine its coolness. It’s definitely a beautiful place and the kind that forces you into a state of contemplation. Having been torn apart by flames and slowly sculpted by the sea, it lies somewhere between natural and man made magnificence. This was the first and overall impression it made, from atop the cliff-side into which it’s carved.

The view from the bottom is just as awesome as the top. You descend swirling sets of steps, feeling the salty ocean spray spritzing your cheeks and lips the further you go. There’s an interesting little cave to explore about half or two-thirds of the way down. Having the walls of its long, narrow shape beaten by waves made being on the inside a very strange acoustic experience. I’d definitely have spent a bit more time in there if it hadn’t have been for the other seven or so, quite loud tourists forcibly making the moment their own.

Being at the bottom is wonderful. Two large, rectangular pools that once made bathing suits necessary sit relatively still but in a constant state of subtle overflow thanks to the tide. The crashing waves are intense, their relentless cycle of bashing and pulling at what’s left of the front wall making it apparent that the Baths are slowly but surely becoming a part of the sea. All that was left was to scramble back up the alternating platforms of dirt, rock and concrete slab on the side of the Baths opposite to the stairs. A nice, little pseudo rock-climbing experience was a good way to finish. This place has all kinds of appeal.