San Francisco

So I just got back from a few days in San Francisco for my spring break and thought I would post a few photos and details of what I did. Most of my time there was spent on a tour throughout the city and surrounding areas, walking around the city taking pictures, and spending some good quality time with my dad in the evenings. I have seen most of the sights already since I have been to SF many times before when we lived a couple hours away in Sacramento, but it had been about 10 years (crazy) since I have been back there. Now that my family is moving to Houston instead of San Francisco I figured it was a good time to check it out again.

Here are some photos of what I was able to see during the few days I was there, and a little background information.

Ferry Terminal & The Bay Bridge
Before my tour started I had some free time to hang out on the waterfront by the Bay Bridge. We started the tour here at the Ferry Terminal and then headed north to our first stop which was Lombard Street.








Lombard Street
Lombard Street has a section, seen in this picture, that is famously known as the "most crooked street in the world," although the tour guide assured us that it was actually the second most crooked street...after Wall Street. After checking out Lombard Street, we headed over to China Town.













China Town
China Town in San Francisco is one of the largest in North America and is the oldest in America, being established in the 1850's. Many Chinese immigrated to the San Francisco area to help with construction of the intercontinental railroad, and when the construction was completed, decided to stay. This caused a lot of tension between the established citizens and the new Chinese citizens and many acts of violence occurred as a result. Seeking protection by strength in numbers, the Chinese people in the city grouped together in this area, creating the modern day China Town of San Francisco.

After several other stops, including Grace Cathedral and the Coit Tower, we arrived at the "Six Sisters."





"Six Sisters" or "Painted Ladies"
This location is very famous and has been used in many tv shows and movies. You might recognize it as the backdrop for the show "Full House." San Francisco architecture used to be very Victorian, but the great fire and earthquake of 1906 destroyed mostly all of the Victorian architecture in the city. This part of the city survived the destruction and gives us an idea of what houses and buildings used to look like pre-1906.

After a quick stop at Golden Gate Park, The Palace of Fine Arts, and a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge, we arrived in the city of Sausalito.


Fortunately for me, while in Sausalito I was treated to a fantastic performance by "Hippie and the Guitar Playing Dog." While this coastal city is known for its Mediterranean feel and food, it is most notably famous for being the location where Metallica recorded the immortal "Black Album." Okay so it's not known for that, but it should be!

Next part of the tour, Muir Woods.





Muir Woods
Muir Woods is a certified national monument, and yes, it is a forest. Clear? Okay, good. Named for John Muir, a pioneer of the National Park Service, this area contains some of the largest trees in the world. Due to the moisturizing fog and close proximity to the ocean, coastal redwoods found in this forest have been known to grow over 350 feet tall and wide enough to drive a school bus through the trunk. Amazing? Yeah.










Muir Beach Overlook
After leaving Muir Woods we headed over to the nearby overlook of Muir Beach. The picture does little justice, but the cliffs were about 200-300 feet above the beach. Winds were gusting upwards of 50 miles per hour and yes I am lucky to be alive. The view was amazing and we were lucky to have such a clear and perfect day to see the horizon.

After the overlook, we headed back to Sausalito for a cruise across the Bay back to San Francisco and end to the journey.

Golden Gate Bridge
What would a trip to San Francisco be without some good shots of the big red bridge? A waste, that's what. Luckily for me I was able to get some good pictures of the bridge during our cruise before my camera battery died. Unfortunately it died right before I got some good close ups of Alcatraz. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

The cruise ended the all day tour, but I have a few more pictures from the next day, which I spent walking the whole city.


The Cable Car
Cable Cars used to be the primary form of public transportation in the city, but the 1906 earthquake destroyed most of the lines. Luckily, a few lines survived and are still in operation to this very day. 9 inches underground, a cable moves continuously along the tracks at 7 miles per hour. The Cable Car has a latch that grabs the cable, thus moving it forward. Brakes are changed every 3 days on each car due to the wear and tear of stopping on all the hills. At the end of the line, a turntable is used to rotate the car and it heads back in the direction it came from.

Transamerica Pyramid
This is the tallest building in San Francisco and the 98th tallest in the world at 853 feet. Easily recognized by its pyramid-like shape, this skyscraper has become the premiere focal point of the Bay Area skyline. You can't see the whole building in the picture, but this was as close as I could get. Once again, I was lucky to have a clear sky because it is not unusual for the top half of the building to be covered with fog.











Fisherman's Wharf & Alcatraz
Quite possibly SF's most popular tourist spot, Fisherman's Wharf runs from Ghirardelli Square (mmm, chocolate) to Pier 35. Pier 39 is the most famous of the piers along the wharf as it contains several museums, restaurants, and one of the most awesome sports stores I have ever been to. Out in the bay is Alcatraz, the island fortress known as the coolest prison ever, at least it should be. The former prison-home of Al Capone, no one is known to have ever successfully escaped, except for Sean Connery in "The Rock."


There you have it, a few pictures from my trip.

-Steve