Whistle Stop Visit to San Francisco

Why San Fran?

Golden Gate Bridge - The iconic image of San Francisco

San Francisco has always been on my list of places to visit, although I am not really sure why. When I think about this city I always think of earthquakes, and that is not really a very appealing tourist attraction. Apart from the Golden Gate Bridge and the undulating rolling hills I probably couldn't have told you much about it, and until recently I did not realise that it was also home to Fisherman's Wharf or Alcatraz.

In true style, though, as soon as I had decided to go I read up in my guide books and realised that there was so much to see a squeeze into such as short visit of three days / two nights. Boy, did we manage to pack it in! Plus, we had amazing weather for the duration, not puff of fog in sight.

One of the may of the city's undulating hills

Alcatraz 'The Rock' Prison

What I was keen to see were the streets of rippling roads that really make it look like a city that was built around a roller coaster course. Walking here really would make you fit providing that you didn't keel over and die first!! It looks as though the footprint of the city was built on a crumpled up piece of paper, but I guess that is what you get for a section of land which is on two major tectonic fault lines - which makes San Francisco an earthquake hotspot - luckily there were none to be experienced whilst we were there!

Fisherman's Wharf

This is where we stayed for two nights at the Hyatt. It was really central and they looked after us really well. This is definitely a tourist area of the city and not a place where the locals live, and so therefore it caters accordingly. I was glad that we stayed here as there was a lot to see, but next time for a subsequent visit I would probably choose to stay somewhere else.

Clam Chowder in a Sour-dough Bowl

View of the Wharf from Pier 39 

Pier 39 is probably the most famous landmark of the wharf. Entering in on one side you have all the fresh fish markets which later in the afternoon caters mostly for food. Here you can get a traditional meal for the area - clam chowder served in a sough-dough bread bowl, and yes I had to sample it (although from a restaurant and not one of the street stalls). The Boudin Bakery is based in this area and supplies all of the bread to the local merchants - I expect this is also where my NYE sour-dough crab came from too! If you go here on a cold day especially, you really should get the bread-bowl chowder - it was a delicious treat.

The sea-lion residents of Pier 39

Of course, a trip to Pier 39 has to have the obligatory visit to go see the sea lions who have taken up a permanent residence there. They were quite funny to watch as they were often having grunting/barking contests and some were trying to get up onto the jetties whilst those who were already on them were trying to block their paths. Yes there were a lot just basking in the sun and not paying anyone much attention, but it was great to see them all up close and personal.

Living a childhood favourite
Movie - BIG!

Wandering around the pier you have a lot of the curiosity shops that you would associate from a sea-side tourist hotspot, but what really got me excited was coming across, Zoltar! Anyone who has seen the movie Big would understand why I was so excited! It was just like in the movie! I can't say what I wished for or know whether or not it will come true, but I had to have a go anyway, and the fortune it gave me was quite a good one anyway so no complaints there!

Festive Trolley

Cable Car Trolleys

The original cable car trams are San Fran icons. They used to be all over the city, but after the big 1989 earthquake, only three lines were restored. All the carriages are original, and have been collected from all around the world and restored to their original glory. Because we were there over the holiday season, all of them were individually festively decorated which added to their charm.

Cable car turnaround - Fisherman's Wharf

Mum holding on for dear life!

The trolleys themselves are manually operated and has two people inside them working the gears and break systems, and they can only travel in one direction - forwards - a feature which you really want in a city like San Fran as each street is like a roller-coaster track! This means, that when you get to the end of the line, each car is put on a 'turnaround' and is literally ....wait for it.... turned around! :) Three people manoeuvre it and push it onto the tracks again ready to head off on the return journey. At least it is a spectacle to keep the crowds entertained as the queues for riding these things are immense!

View from the front of the trolley boards hoping we don't hit traffic
(Literally hit by oncoming traffic!)

'Riding the boards'

It wouldn't be a proper tram ride without 'riding the boards' either. This means standing on the edge step whilst hanging on for dear life! You get a good view of the hill you are about to zoom down or up, but it doesn't leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy when you pass a tram travelling in the opposite direction and your back touched someone hanging off the other trolley!! It was good fun nonetheless and a must if you go visit this city.

Golden Gate Bridge

The iconic image of San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge. Standing at 1.7 miles in length and 227m high, it spans the opening of San Francisco Bay. Several bold statements have been made about the bridge, labelling it as one of the modern wonders of the world, and it has been hailed by travel guides and travellers alike as being one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, and definitely the most photographed. And yes I did add to that last statistic. It is hard not to. From every vantage point in the city, where I got a glimpse of the bridge in the background I felt compelled to take a snapshot.

We were there! Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

There is no denying that it is a completely awe-inspiring structure. I did spend some time thinking about what makes it so unique, after all, San Francisco also boasts the Bay Bridge which is also a stunningly beautiful suspension bridge, and is actually longer than its counterpart, but it does not have the same presence.Yes a lot of that has to do with the sheer size of the structure, but I think what truly does make this bridge iconic is its russet red colour which is illuminated by the sunlight.

Golden Gate Bridge catching the sun

I have heard and read varying accounts of how the bridge ended up this colour. The original paint colour came from a lead based primer which was then coated with a lead based top-coat. Whether it was designed to be that colour originally or it was kept due to the petitions of the locals is still up for debate. The one thing that is for certain is that the colour remained even though the paints used are now more protective and environmentally friendly. We were told that there is a team of painters, around 35 I think, who are employed just to keep the bridge painted. When one section is done, they move on to the next, and when they get to the end it is time to start at the beginning again!

This time we drove across the bridge so I couldn't really get a shot whilst on the structure, but you also have the option to walk or cycle across to the other side so on my next visit I hope to take up one of those options.

Victorian Buildings

The buildings are the biggest difference that I noticed in this city. A large percentage of them are old Victorian houses, all (or most) are painted in pastel colour, and sometimes more that one which gives it a very quaint and almost fairytale feel. It is something that you think should appear on the side of a seaside sweet box or something of that nature. The most famous of these are collectively known as the 'Seven Sisters'. We just drove passed them so unfortunately we didn't get the chance to stop and take photos (the residents don't like it either) but they are one of the most predominant images of buildings in SFO.

I have heard some people that I have spoken say that they think the old buildings give the city a run-down look, that the paintwork was crumbling and not kept up with repairs as much as they should be, and maybe there is a case for this. However, as more and more wealthy business people are moving out of the nearby silicon valley and back into the city, money talks and pockets of the city are taking on a more of a higher-end feel.

Neighbourhoods

The neighbourhoods of San Francisco are very close together and it is easy to walk from one to another, and sometimes quite easy to identify them also. For example, not sure that you have entered 'Little Italy' in the Italian sector? Just look at the lamp-posts - they are all painted with the Italian flag. Can't read any of the names on the signs, yes you have entered 'Chinatown' - get to the main drag here and there really is not mistaking it. All the trinket shops, carvings, silks and all of the fresh fruit, vegetables  fish that is sold on the streets, it really is like you have just entered another country - much more so than London's Chinatown anyway although it is much smaller, this one doesn't seem to have been westernised as much.

The neighbourhoods that I found harder to differentiate were the high-end ones. They are all posher than the other areas, such as Pacific Heights - the place to live if you have the pay-checks to go along with it. The other neighbourhoods around it are trying to keep up with the Jones's and to be quite frank, although they don't have the views of the posher up-hill neighbours, I would live in any of them.

There are too many different districts to mention here, but if you get to go visit this city, make sure you drive through or visit a lot of them as they do all have their personal characteristics.

Coit tower

Coit Tower 

This monument can be seen from nearly everywhere in the city (or it seemed to be to me and I am sure that this is probably a sweeping overstatement!). It was another landmark which I hadn't heard about at all before I visited San Francisco.

Looking to the Sky

The purpose of this tower was for 'beautification' of the city paid for by bequest of a lady called Lillie Hitchcock Coit when she died. The views of the city are phenomenal  although at the top in the strong winds you can feel the tower move slightly. One of the things that did make me smile is that people push pennies through the gap by the Perspex windows. Forever to remain the other side. Why? Wishes? Hopes? Leaving a piece of them behind? Whatever, it brought a smile to my face.

View of the top from the top

We walked up to it as the guidebook said that it was pretty walking through the neighbourhoods, and it was, but the steepness of the hills was something else entirely. There are steps in the middle of the pavement just in case the gradient is too steep for your balance - it was good exercise though, but not sure mum would agree! We got to the top and found that there was a bus that goes all the way up there so took it down instead!

Other things worth a mention...

Union Square

Macy's, Union Square

I'm sure there are a lot of historical things that I should be telling you about this square, but I really don't know any of them. The fact is, this is now the place to go if you want to go shopping in San Francisco. The Macy's is enormous! You could definitely get lost here. In fact, after a full days travelling from the OC, walking around the Wharf and hanging of trams I think I did lose the will to live a bit here. Because of the time of year there was a pop-up ice rink which makes it feel really festive.

Golden Gate Park

This is San Francisco's urban park and it reminded me of Central Park in New York, although this one is apparently 20% larger. This really was a whistle-stop tour so we didn't see much of the park, but it has its bandstand area, Japanese Gardens, and over three miles of grounds that one day I hope to go back and explore.

Twin peaks

These are two mountain peaks standing at 922m above the city (I'm not sure if that technically classes as a mountain), The views up here are spectacular. You are treated to panoramic views of the city. I would recommend not running up the peaks without training (I was under a time constraint) - I got to the top and thought that my lungs were going to explode, but I guess that says more about me than anything else!

To get up to Twin peaks you pass the Sutro Tower which is a communications mast. It is a big and imposing but now has achieved cult status. Some people even worship it apparently! Takes all sorts I suppose.

Lombard Street

The most crooked street in the world!
Lombard Street, San Francisco

Officially known as the most crooked street in the world, Lombard Street has eight hairpins turns in it. Passing it on the way to the hotel, I thought I would run back up there to take my own photos of the place. I can tell you that there was no running - it hadn't seemed such a steep hill in the taxi!

The original street had a 27% gradient which was too steep for most cars to pass, so the road planners put in the bends to make it easier for traffic and pedestrians alike. There are still people living on the street and it has been used in many films and TV shows but please don't ask me to name any!

Once I had finally got there after a short-ish hike I took my photos and then it felt like a bit of an anit-climax so I thought I might as well walk up the street. I am not really sure why I did that as I just ended up walking up a load of steps and got really hot, and then got to the top and walked down the straight steps on the other side for a bit of a variation and was still hot - but at least I can say I walked it!

Transamerica Pyradmid

It is the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco and reminded me a lot of the Chrysler Building in New York insofar that you would walk down some random street and suddenly there it was in the distance. I think I must have seen it from every angle. I am sure there are some very good architectural facts that someone would be able to give you, but I will sum it all up by saying that to me it looked like a finger with a very pointy nail on it, or maybe a claw......

Only the lobby is open to the public so unless you have a penchant for lobbies, just admire this one from a distance!

Churches

Where in the world?

One of the things I love about exploring a city by foot are all the churches that you stumble upon. Well, in Europe anyway. Out here in the US the churches are a lot more modern and don't quite have the same intricate nature and beauty that we are blessed with the other side of the pond. They do say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, so when I came across what seemed to the Paris's Notre Dame, I had to rub my eyes and wonder if my New Years Eve celebration had been a little too wild!  I can't blame them for replicating it though as I think it has to be one of my favourite buildings in the world. I didn't get the chance to go inside this one - this time!

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul

Another one which was worth a mention was the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul - not wanting to leave one saint out they named it after both of them. The entrance to the church was right on a park area so it was visually quite stunning, but make sure you only look at it from this angle, otherwise the illusion is shattered and you can see the warehouse like structure behind on which this beautiful façade has been attached.


Anyway, I LOVED this city, and god willing I will be back to visit again. If you get the chance to go - go do it, you will not regret it!

Admiring the view from Twin Peaks