San Francisco

Hi, Welcome to San Francisco

This has to be one of our best memories, visiting a city we always wanted to and never thought we would.  We did the normal touristy places such as:  Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Lombard Street ( most crooked street in the world), Cable Cars, Union Square, Coit Tower, Pier 39 and the Sea Lions

Rick planned our time in San Francisco very well, it was important to us that we covered everything we wanted to see in the limited time we had.  The streets are on a grid system and that makes it easier to get around. We made full use of the cable cars and as you see we took many  photos.

Golden Gate Bridge

We took the bus to the bridge, getting around by bus was easy and actually praised them!! ( for Rick that's definitely good praise"... He knew where to stand, how long we would have to wait, which side of the road to be on, (smiles) and he really made it look very easy...I can hire him out for a  huge fee, so long as he is returned in the same package ha ha!

The length of the steel wires used in the cables of the bridge is enough to circle the earth three times!
During construction, a safety net below the bridge saved the lives of 19 men who became known as the 'Half-Way-to-Hell Club.' 'It took two decades and two hundred million words to convince people the bridge was feasible.' --Joseph Strauss, the Bridge's Chief Architect

Cable Cars

We found the best route to take is the Powell-Hyde Cable Car Line, extending from the Union Square District to the Fisherman's Wharf District.
San Francisco's cable cars date back to the 1870s. If someone told me that had only 30 minutes to experience the City, I would tell them to hop on board a Cable Car, wedge yourself in, and hang on! The steepest descents (& best Bay views) come on the Powell-Hyde line, heading north. It is also the most crowded, but well worth it. The fare is $2 each way or you can buy discount Muni tickets.

Coit Tower

The wild local heiress Lillie Hitchcock Coit donated the money for her posthumous tribute to the San Francisco fire department, after the 1906 earthquake fire. The 180-foot tall Coit Tower is reminiscent of a fire hose nozzle and overlooks an impressive 360 degree panorama view of the Embarcadero, Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge , Mt. Sutro , and the Financial District. In front of The Coit Tower is a statue of Christopher Columbus.

Alcatraz

Alcatraz Island can only be reached by ferry boat from Fisherman’s Wharf.  You catch the ferry from Pier 41 and Alcatraz is about a mile and a half from land.  It takes about 30-40 minutes so make sure you take a sweater as the chilly winds really do blow on the trip over to The Rock.

Alcatraz was once the temporary home of famous criminals like Al “Scarface” Capone, “Doc” Barker, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz”. Alcatraz Island now harbours nesting birds in such numbers that the Park Service limits access to parts of the island during nesting season.

There is an audio tour which you can take out which is really beneficial for the tour of the prison.  It tells you when to stop, where to look and what happened in that cell or area.

Facts:

• 1859 - a fort is established.
• 1907 - it became a prison.
• 1934-1963 - it served as a maximum security prison.
• 1969 - it was seized by members of the American Indian Movement.
• 1971 - the group was expelled.
   

Lombard Street

Lombard Street is San Francisco-- and America's crookedest street.  What does this mean?  The steep, hilly street was created with sharp curves to switchback down the one-way hill past beautiful Victorian mansions.  The street is paved with bricks and is an amazing site, we viewed it from the top and then walked down and viewed it from the bottom looking up.

The best place to photograph the street, is from Leavenworth Street, at the bottom - looking up. You will see cars heading down slowly, daring souls walking up, and down the sides, while the flowers and buildings provide dazzling colour. It is truly an incredible sight.

To get to Lombard Street, take the Hyde Street Cable Car line, which stops on the crest. From this beautiful vantage point, you can also see down Hyde Street to Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz and the rest of the Bay. Looking east, North Beach, Telegraph Hill, and the Bay Bridge present a breathtaking sight.

Lombard Street is not only "The Crooked Street." It continues in both directions, going all the way east, up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower, and continuing west down through the Marina, where it becomes the major conduit to Golden Gate Bridge. A walk in either direction makes for a pleasant hike.

Yet it is the crooked part that keeps the people talking. For a treat, get a cab ride down Lombard late at night - fast! Guaranteed, you’ll remember that ride long after you’ve left San Francisco...  We I hasten to add were not that brave...maybe you can do it and tell us how it felt ha ha ha!

Pier 39

You have to visit Pier 39, because if you didn't you would be wondering what the noise was  ha ha! Here take a look...

Pier 41 - also known as Fishermans Wharf

This is where you would purchase your tickets to take the ferry over to Alcatraz.  We found this a good area to eat in also and dined here both lunchtime and evenings. There is something about eating as the sun goes down and tucking into an array of fish and prawns cooked in various sauces...yes we are well and drank accordingly.