Vacation 2011 P
San Francisco Area - California
Saturday - 23 July 2011
We followed Lucia to one of the branch libraries in the San Jose System
where she is working and got the librarians tour some time before it was open to the public.
Had breakfast at Country Inn and stopped by a Barnes and Noble to pick up a Delorme Atlas for California,
which I wish we had before yesterdays adventure finding Hwy 1.
We drove to San Francisco via the road which takes one by the housing which inspired Malvina Reynolds song Little houses... built of ticky tacky.
We drove on into town.
We found our way to the parking area by Coit Tower at the top of Telegraph Hill.
at the top of Telegraph Hill.
This day parking is restricted unless one had a special sticker,
so we headed back down some of San Francisco's infameous very steep streets.
Uphill
Older San Francisco street
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Downhill
We parked in a multi-level garage in the Fishermans Wharf area
and began exploring on foot.
The visitor center for the San Francisco Maritime National Park was the first stop,
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Pilot boats
whale boat model
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then on to the San Francisco Maritime Museum, which gave me a rude shock.
It is a shell of what it used to be. All the jumbled artifacts which made it a wonderful
Victorian style museum are gone. Only some large and rather impressive sailing ship models are exhibited
Clipper Ship model
Model of the Golden Hinde Sir Francis Drakes boat which visited California
and there is a traveling exhibit of early charts and maps of this area.
part of a Hondius map - made in 1606
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We walked to the end of the cable car run and found a long line.
Wait time to get aboard was over an hour, so we abandoned that idea and did a walking tour of the
San Francisco Maritime National Park pier. Had a look at the boats there.
The west side of the National Park pier.
The sailing ship Baclutha Alcatraz Island behind
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It was nearly lunch time so, sauntering East we had lunch at an Italian place.
Mona and Joseph were more sensible and ordered something familiar. I ordered the
house specialty, a seafood soup which had in it nearly everything that could be harvested
from the local waters, including mussels, fish, other shellfish and even octopus.
It was edible enough but for me a one-time pleasure.
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Coit Tower from the San Francisco Maritime Park
We walked further East and noted Coit Tower in the near distance.
Joseph and Mona thought we could make it up walking.... so we did.
NE side of Telegraph Hill is a cliff - Coit Tower at the top.
We overshot the near way up, then found an informal sign on a lamp post giving directions.
We continued to walk East, then around the corner to stairs heading up - and up - and up.
It was a hike up through the beautifully gardened back yards of many houses and apartments hanging
on the side of Telegraph Hill. With significant effort we made it to the top.
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One part of many stairs going up -- and looking down as the stairs go through gardens.
The gardens are magnificent.
Up and more up - one could built up a sweat.
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big yellow flowers hanging pendulous from a small tree
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incredible blue flower - medly of flowers
Then at a jog on the way up - a bit of humor.
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and as we near the top looking East
That is the gate to Pier 23 at the bottom.
Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay in the background.
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North side of Coit Tower - smaller version fits one screen
the Phoenix
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public toilet off the West side - fancy
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We did a thorough tour of he lower floor of the tower which has one of the most spectacular collections
of WPA (depression) realistic art visable anywhere.
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The Christopher Columbus statue in the middle of the parking area at Coit Tower.
From the East side of Coit Tower
Yerba Buena Island - the Bay Bridge - the cranes of the Container Ship docks in Oakland CA
From the NorthWest side of Coit Tower
Fogged over Golden Gate Bridge - Alacataz Island
Looking West from Coit Tower - probably Greenwich Street.
We again looked over towards the Golden Gate Bridge.
The fog thinned just enough for this view.
The fog thinned just enough for this view.
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I decided we really needed rest our legs and take the bus back to Fishermans Wharf.
~ in the bus ~
As all the buses from Coit Tower go that way it was an easy bit of navigation.
These buses are diesel/electric and have tremendous torque in low gear,
nontheless on one very steep street the bus had to stop for a car parking, and
when it attempted to move forward the tires broke traction, after a few tries it
moved forward and continued on its way. At the top of this hill the driver did a
backing up maneuver on the T side street (as it was a dead end) and made his way back down
Eventually we returned to the far eastern edge of the Fishermans Wharf area.
We were actually a bit east of Pier 39, and walked back West toward where we had parked.
There was a lively street performance of break dancing on sheets of cardboard.
The break dancer in the picture was spinning.
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As we moved west we saw the liberty ship Jeramiah OBrian in the distance.
Jeramiah OBrian seen framed in the dis-used railroad ferry dock near Pier 39.
~ closer view ~
Unfortunatley it closed to tours earlier in the day.
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We walked farther West and found the WWII submarine Pampanito.
It was still open and we thoroughtly enjoyed the tour through it.
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Like some modern aircraft, but in bunks - 3 rows on the left and 1 on the right - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kitchen (galley)
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interesting, torpedos have counter rotating props - so the might go straigt
WWII Submarines could do damage while on the surface...
deck gun
forward machine guns
aft ack-ack gun
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How a Submarine dives
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Adjacent to the Pampanito there was a largish warehouse full of a wide variety of
nickleodean machines, all working.
Mechanical music boxes, mechanical scenes of events such as
circus acts, some macabre as beheadings, and several fortune telling machines.
It also contained the only steam powered motorcycle I have ever seen.
The documentation said it was in working condition.
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Some fortune telling - some make music, no speakers, physical music makers
Then there was the steam powered motorcycle.
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Wizard predictions - - - - - - Laughing Sal
Perhaps a precursor of the sorting hat ? - - Then the really scarey fortune teller
Hmmmmm ?
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Lots of music out of this one - - Wonder what this one shows... sleeping perhaps.
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Reminded that we (USA) San Francisco group won the last Americas Cup race.
Find some of the video on the internet... BIG catamaran... flying one hull
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We were footsore and tired by this time, so returned to the car park and threaded our way out,
as many of the others parked there had the same idea at the same time.
Folks were polite and let us in the tight line exiting the garage.
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Driving through and out of town we had some close and personal encounters with cable cars,
which always have the right of way.
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The route took us past a bit of Chinatown
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Once we got on the major road toward San Jose we overshot our destination.
As luck would have it when we exited to do a navigation stop and turn around a Dennys was right there - supper beckoned
before returning late to our friends house and our little home on wheels.
