Friday in San Francisco: Irish Coffees, Country Roads, and a Box of Rain

China Cat Chat
Aug 7
3 min read

Updated: Aug 8

We woke up early in Sausalito, buzzing with anticipation. Today was the day — the first of three Dead & Company shows for the GD60 celebration in Golden Gate Park. But first, we had a whole city to wander.

Our morning began with a ferry ride from the Sausalito port to the San Francisco Ferry Building. The views were stunning — low fog over the bay, seagulls coasting by, and the city skyline slowly coming into focus. At the Ferry Building, we stumbled upon a hidden gem: El Porteño. Their Argentine empanadas were flaky perfection, and we shared alfajores — soft, sweet, and absolutely the best thing we tasted all morning — while sitting out on the dock, watching boats drift by. Oh, and a charcoal coffee was a wild new twist (and delicious). A perfect, romantic breakfast to start our first show day.

From there, we walked the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf, taking in the cool, fresh air, colorful shops, and ever-growing number of Deadheads we passed along the way. We stopped often to chat with fellow heads, hand out our custom China Cat Chat postcards, and share the vibe. It felt like the city itself was humming with pre-show energy. Michelle found a silly spinning top chair that was crazy fun! Also, we ran into a vendor selling ponchos and I spotted a Dead-inspired graphic right away...we had to have it!

Next, we made our way to The Buena Vista — famous for its Irish Coffee — a place Michelle was wanting to visit because her mom had talked about it for years. Just a block before we arrived, as we passed an Italian restaurant, we heard something unmistakable coming from the outdoor speakers: “Country Roads” by John Denver. Michelle's mom's favorite song.

It hit us both. That was her, no doubt — giving us a nudge, a smile, a little cosmic hello from Heaven. It was one of those Deadhead moments that you don’t forget. We toasted her a few minutes later inside the packed bar, each holding a foamy, steaming glass of Irish Coffee in our hands.

Neither of us drink much, so we were a little cautious, but it hit just right — warming and energizing, not dizzying. With a big smile, we hopped a cable car nearby and rode it past Lombard Street, taking in more sights before calling a Lyft to get us to the park in time for our First Entry slot.

Michelle had been randomly chosen as one of just 300 fans with First Entry privileges — and each person was allowed one guest (she picked me). That meant we got to walk in before the 60,000+ general admission crowd, past the massive lines, through a private entrance, and onto the empty Polo Field.

We picked a spot right in front of the sound booth — wide open views, no one pushing from behind, and space to dance all night.

Around 4:30 p.m., Billy Strings took the stage and absolutely lit it up. His set was energetic and joyful, with a bluegrass twist singing "If your hair's too long, their's sin in your heart".

And then... Dead & Company. We danced. We laughed. The sun went down, and the firelight came up. And we got a Box of Rain... on Night 1, sung by Grahame Lesh! Unbelievable... Michelle & Todd