National park tips: Drink in this San Francisco bar with a steampunk starship vibe

Got a minute to think (and drink) about the next 10 millennia?

Since the 1970s, San Francisco’s Fort Mason, between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Presidio, has been a haven for arts, education and cultural organizations. And in 2014 the Long Now Foundation opened the Interval, a 49-seat bar/café with a steampunk starship vibe.

Amid tall bookshelves; strange metal devices; music and art by Brian Eno; and a chalk-drawing robot named Otto, patrons are encouraged to think about the big picture and Long Now projects such as the 10,000-year clock under construction in West Texas. Sometimes there are speakers.

Why is this a park tip? Because the Interval and the entire Fort Mason complex are part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Peruse the quirky drink, coffee and tea menu (cocktails mostly $11-$14), where Rube Goldberg Variation #3 (bourbon, mezcal, apricot liqueur) and the Mexican Firing Squad Special (tequila, lime, grenadine, Angostura and orange bitters) are joined by several concoctions for teetotalers.

10 adventures to pursue in San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area »

In honor of this year’s National Park Service centennial, the Travel section is posting 100 park travel ideas and tips based on trips staff travel writer Christopher Reynolds has taken, along with photo-op advice from Times photographer Mark Boster. We’ll post one per day through Dec. 31.

Follow Reynolds on Twitter: @MrCSReynolds

See travel videos by Reynolds from around the world.

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