Summer Shelter-In-Place Adventure in San Fransisco

Chris Q. lamented that due to his State’s Shelter-in-Place orders he could not take a road trip to escape his entrapment. A fan of classic Hollywood mysteries and famous stars Steve McQueen, Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart, Chris got the bright idea to explore locally, bringing along his Red Oxx Special Edition Red Eye Collective Lime Green Kat Pack Backpack for some truly special iconic San Fran photo ops. Here’s Chris with his unique take on our Summer Adventure Promotion.

Shelter-In-Place Vertigo with a Bullitt

I’m tired of sheltering-in-place. But we’re not supposed to be mingling or crossing state lines right now. What to do?

Then I suddenly realized something. I can hit the road in my city, San Francisco, and put Kim Novak, Jimmy Stewart, and Steve McQueen into my social bubble! How? I’m going to find where they lived, and drove, in Vertigo and Bullitt! With the help of my trusty Red Oxx backpack, of course.

Time to Loadout

Now that I’m geared up, I’m ready to start traveling the Streets of San Francisco (a Quinn Martin Production). I searched and searched Lyft for somebody driving a ’68 Mustang Fastback…no dice. So I’m reduced to crawling around in a borrowed Ford Focus instead. Betcha I’m not going to be meeting Jacqueline Bisset in this ride. 🙁

1st Stop: Bullitt’s Apartment

In the movie, Steve McQueen somehow instantly finds a parking spot in one of the worst places to own a car in San Francisco and goes into the corner store to buy a Swanson TV Dinner. Then he crosses the street and goes up the stairs to his apartment. Sadly for him, though, the groovy Red Oxx bag wasn’t there.

2nd Stop: Madeleine Elster’s Apartment Building

Jimmy Stewart stakes out Kim Novak across the street from the Brocklebank Apartments. He follows her dark green Jaguar as she drives all around San Francisco on a road trip of sorts, thinking he’s tailing someone named Madeleine. Too bad he didn’t have a Lime Green bag for all his detective gear.

3rd Stop: Scottie Ferguson’s Apartment

Until a few years ago, the entrance to the apartment was virtually unchanged from its appearance in Vertigo. Maybe the owner got tired of Hitchcock buffs taking photos. But now the Red Oxx herd knows where to go! Oh, and Scottie sure could have used a Laundro Bag to carry all the wet clothes from when he jumped into the Bay to "save" Madeleine.

Last stop: Judy Barton’s Residential Hotel

Yes, this is the hotel in the movie, even though the big green neon sign is gone. It’s even called Vertigo Hotel now. Believe it or not, the neighborhood is still kind of disreputable. That’s why my Red Oxx backpack isn’t in the picture…it’s not something I want to lose to a grab-and-run.

The End
It felt good to get out and about, even if my new friends only exist on a screen. But how different is that from what we’re all going through right now? I think I’ll take another road trip next month centered on music. The Jefferson Airplane mansion and the Grateful Dead house await, not to mention the Fillmore Auditorium and the site where Winterland stood. But don’t ask me to head up to Reno. I don’t want to run into Johnny Cash.

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Bonus Pro Tip

Driving around like you’re in Vertigo is pretty easy. The movie follows and, incredibly, shows the actual routes between places. Bullitt, on the other hand, can only be done in bits and pieces. The big car chase in particular would require a super space teleporter to actually drive.
Chris Q.
San Francisco

We look forward to your Music History Adventure Story… And yes, indeed, the car chase scene in Bullitt is one of the best in movie history. So good, in fact, we couldn’t resist, here it is…