BATW Members Hold Spring Mixer at Presidio

By Craig Benson (photos by David Perry)

Last weekend, on Saturday, April 26th, BATW had a spring fling mixer in the Presidio, with over 20 participants. The Presidio had been a military post for hundreds of years before it was turned into a national park. It has the distinction of being the only national park completely within a city. Through the years the military used it mostly as a place of embarkation and repatriation for soldiers heading to or from foreign wars, now it has a wide variety of recreational and educational opportunities as well as restaurants, lodging, living spaces, and offices. Our event was arranged and shepherded by the gracious David Perry, who, in addition to being a writer and member of BATW also represents the Presidio Trust in a PR capacity.

The event proper was preceded by free entry into the Disney Family Museum. The museum tells the story of Walt Disney from his early days growing up in the Midwest, through driving an ambulance in WW1 and getting started in animation, to building his entertainment empire.

We met David at 3:00 pm at the Presidio Officers Club, where he introduced us to our knowledgeable and friendly guide Clifford Schwartz, who has worked at the museum since 2015, a year after the museum opened. He took us on a tour through the exhibits, explaining the history of the museum and building, answering questions, and giving us insights into the various organizations involved in administering the facilities.

The building was originally constructed in 1776, and some of the original adobe walls have been preserved and can be seen in a room to the left of the entryway. The red-tile roofed Spanish Colonial Revival building has been extensively remodeled over the years and currently contains event spaces, the permanent historical exhibits of the museum, the newer Exclusion exhibit about the Japanese American incarceration during WWII, and the Colibri restaurant.

After an hour of learning with Clifford, we walked next door to the 22-room Inn at the Presidio. The Inn is one of three places to stay in the Presidio (not counting camping). We were shown one of the suites by General Manager Jeffry Suarez and then enjoyed a delicious wine and cheese spread in the reception/dining room of the hotel and picked up Presidio swag bags. The red-brick Georgian Revival building was previously used as quarters for unmarried officers and is decorated with historical memorabilia, such as the wall of bugles.

Our final stop of the mixer was the Il Parco Café, a short, if slightly damp, walk down the hill towards the bay, with some, courtesy of David, opting for a Waymo.  Il Parco has a small, modern indoor kitchen/ordering/serving area and a larger outdoor, mostly covered, dining area. They specialize in sourdough-starter-based focaccia and pizza and high-quality local ingredients. We hovered, waiting like hawks for tables out of the drizzle and under the heat lamp. Once seated, the café treated us to shots of wine (it was a tasting) and several types of super-deep dish pizza. We finished the afternoon chatting and gazing out over the bay.

Finally, there was one new member in attendance, Craig Benson (me).

Special thanks to:

Carolin Quinn with The Walt Disney Family Museum

Jeffry Suarez, General Manager, Inn at the Presidio

Il Parco Café for feeding us so well.

Special thanks to David Perry for organizing the event and guiding us through the afternoon.