How about a Google map of the section of San Francisco that we were in? If you’ve wandered around San Francisco you can ignore it. If not, it might help to see where we were today. We landed at the Ferry Building in the lower right, walked along the Embarcadero and then walked up to Coit Tower along Filbert St and back down to the Embarcadero along Greenwich St. We then continued along the Embarcadero to Pier 39 to see the sea lions, then to the SF Maritime National Historical Park, to Ghirardelli Sq, up Hyde St to Lombard St to watch cars maneuver down it, then along Lombard to Columbus and over on Washington back to the Ferry.
Watch out - this blog gets bawdy at the end.
Aha, after we burned ourselves out on Telegraph Hill climbing up Filbert Steps to Coit Tower and back down Greenwich Steps, we thought a flat walk along the Embarcadero was in order and what better place to be a tourist than on Pier 39? Actually, though the area had lots of tourists, still, there weren’t as many as there will be this weekend or this summer.
Well, maybe they’re all outside watching the sea lions. They are a big tourist attraction here in San Francisco though at first the Marina staff tried to get rid of them. The sea lions first ‘hauled out’ onto the K-dock of Pier 39 shortly after the Loma Prieta earthquake in October 1989. By 1990, one year later, they began to arrive in droves and completely took over the K-Dock. Here’s when the Marina staff tried to get rid of them but the Marine Mammal Center, an organization devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals recommended that the sea lions stay in their new habitat.
And, obviously, they bring the tourists in. We’ve been here several times and there is always a large rotating crowd watching, laughing, taking pictures and thoroughly enjoying the show. And, believe me, it is quite a show. They never stop barking at each other, rolling around, playfully pushing each other into the water and swimming around the area. I hear that at their largest, there were 1701 in 2009, though we saw quite a bit fewer than that today.
Here’s Big Gar in the front row for the show.
Then check out these two on the edge of the closest dock. They took turns pushing each other off into the water. Then the one in that water would take a swimming leap onto the dock as the other tried to push it off. Once the one in the water, snuck under the dock and came up behind the one on the dock and pushed the one on the dock into the water. Pretty clever.
It’s about time for lunch and no better place to get it than at Boudin Sourdough where you can get soup in a sourdough bowl. sandwiches on sourdough rolls, salads with sourdough croutons - well you get the picture. We checked out the rest of the breads while our order was getting ready.
Boudin started in 1849 when the Boudin family first blended their traditional French cooking techniques with the tangy dough used by the Gold Rush miners. They say that their secret lies in the mother dough, which gets its distinct taste from the fog-cooled climate here in San Francisco. AND, of course, we are eating bread derived from the original 150-yr old starter which their bakers still use everyday.
Then we took it outside and ate on their patio. Beautiful day and a delicious sandwich. Um-m-m. As we strolled along the Embarcadero we enjoyed the sights of sailboats in the marinas, sea gulls swooping down and landing on the piers, buskers plying their arts: drums, guitar, magic tricks etc., the wares of the various merchants displayed in shop windows, outdoor restaurants with crabs, lobsters, fish and things I didn’t recognize displayed for customers to pick their own for lunch, tourists enjoying themselves and the absolutely marvelous weather. Could it get any better? Oh, yeah, Ghirardelli is just around the corner.
Hey, it’s a waterfront, a tourist trap and I found a trick mirror. Gotta do a selfie.
But first a tour of the Maritime Museum in the National Park here. What a marvelous museum, all about the founding of San Francisco and the part played by ship building, shipping and how each influenced the growth of San Francisco. The story is told through film, artifacts and descriptive panels. But it’s the sounds that accompany it all that enhance the experience. You can hear seagulls screeching, oars scraping against oar locks, men calling out out, waves lapping against the shore and fog horns in the distance.
We spent time in this museum the last time we were in San Francisco and found it excellent this time around too. I was especially intrigued by the growth of the city. They measured out lots in the water, sold them,
filled them in with rocks chipped out of Telegraph Hill and other areas and built the city out. Here are several maps showing how they reclaimed the water of the bay and expanded the city.
Part of the Maritime Museum is the 1939 Streamline Moderne Bathhouse Building, about a block away. Here again are some wonderful murals created by the WPA artists during the Great Depression. Colorful, distinctive, how could I not enjoy not roaming around here. You can see some of these murals in a separate blog titled: Just Pictures. Couldn't put them all here since I had 6 or 7.
Beautiful day and out side, along the bay people were having fun in the sun. There are swimmers who swim the entire length of this small bay and one is out there now. Along the bay was a group of young men is practicing some drills and routines.
Now - here is great art. Some might become enraptured with a Rembrandt, others might find a Picasso perfect but me, I like the simple things in life. But, art schmart, let’s go inside and see what they’ve got. Oh, what a surprise: it’s a hot fudge sundae - my favorite kind of art.
Ah, here are all the tourists. It was as crowded as usual in Ghirardelli’s. Playing musical chairs as we all circle for an empty table.
And, then it’s time to be heading back to the ferry. We’ve got two choices: through the city which means UP the hills but we can pass by Lombard street and through Chinatown. Or, along the Embarcadero, flat and level and back the way we came in - nothing new to see. Hmmm. And up we went. Hey, is there a rope at the top of the hill to pull we up? Where’s the escalator? Actually, this hill is as close to straight up as a sidewalk can be.
Sometimes the streets just seem to disappear over the side. Plummet is a word that comes to mind. Alcatraz in the background.
But the views are stunning.
While we’re huffing and puffing up this monster hill, let’s talk about parking in San Francisco. Dull, absolutely, but tricky too. Finding a spot is tough here in the city but then when you find one, you’ve got to get into it. Parallel parking on a 20% grade hill has got to be fun: no wonder there are so many small cars. Remember, turn your tires into the curb.
Sometimes, the parking is perpendicular to the street. Tricky, tricky. Perpendicular parking on a 20% grade. How do you get out of the upside of the car? You fall out of the downhill side and roll down the street, I imagine.
Here we are at the top of Lombard Street, the curviest street in America.
We wanted to walk down Lombard Street since the best pictures of people driving down are from the bottom. Here, because it is so steep, they give you a choice: steps or a slant. I chose the steps.
Tourists and cameras galore. You almost forget that people actually live along this street.
Then through Chinatown where the food stuffs are something for pictures. Colorful but I don’t see any French fries. It is a real journey through different foods.
Here are dried baby octopi.
You know, I’ve never seen a sign like this in Des Moines.
Finally, we’re back at the ferry and it’s loading. Oops, will we make it? The guy up front of the line is counting: 10, 11. Closer, closer. He’s looking like he’s going to cut us off. 12, 13, closer, closer. I’m through. 14. Gary’s through, 15, and, one more 16. We were the 2nd and 3rd to last people let on this ferry. Whoo-eee. They pull up the gangway and we’re off.
Well, there is another ferry but, it’s a half hour wait. We’re on our way.
I think we hit most of the tourist icons today: we saw the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the sea lions on Pier 39, the Marine Museum, Ghirardelli’s, Lombard Street, Chinatown. Is there anything left? Oh, my yes, plenty. And, we’re off for Point Reyes National Seashore tomorrow.
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