It was our first visit to San Francisco...and a most interesting one it was! Cable cars,
trolleys, bridges and hills...
...and tours on open-top buses were all part of the package.
We stayed at an historic hotel...right downtown...and were told it was best to leave the car at home since parking was at a premium. Since leaving the car behind wasn't really an option...we paid to have our car stored for the duration of our stay...and travelled like they do in San Francisco! We put many miles on our shoes...and used every form of transit available...and truly experienced the city.
We know from past experience that the best way to learn a little about a city is to take a narrated tour...the 'hop on-hop off' variety. And that is exactly how we began our visit to San Francisco. We learned so much...and hopped off at our favorite spots.
We found out that the chances of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge when it is not obscured in fog...are about one in seven. Despite the odds...
...we had sunshine and clear blue skies! We hopped off when we arrived at the famous landmark. It seemed the perfect day to walk the bridge...and so we did.
The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1935...and so it became the global symbol for both San Francisco and California. It is 1.7 miles long...90 feet wide and 220 feet above the waters below. An average of 40 million vehicles cross the bridge annually. And one other bit of info that I had a hard time wrapping my mind around...the cables used to suspend the bridge are over 36 inches in diameter.
We passed bikers, tourists, maintenance guys and painters...the job of painting the bridge is never-ending. When they reach the end...they start over!
We saw many of the famous landmarks...
...including the historic city hall. It was the venue for the marriage of Marilyn Monroe and Joe De Maggio in 1954 (I don't actually remember that)...and has been featured in many movies.
We drove through neighbourhoods with Victorian homes...some which have become quite well-known over the years.
These 'Painted Ladies'...as they are called...is a row of seven homes along Alamo Square park...often seen on postcards of San Francisco.
The yellow house in this row of seven was made famous in the filming of the
television series Full House.
Many Victorian homes were destroyed by fire following the great earthquake of 1906...but those that remain are jewels along the streets.
The
Presidio...which served as an army post for three nations for over two-hundred years (Spain, Mexico and the USA)...was transferred to the Park Service in 1994. It is now a national park, within the boundaries of the city.
Within the park are large subdivisions of former military housing that are available for lease...if one happens to have unlimited resources.
This particular home is renting for $5000 per month...and that does not include the car parked at the curb. San Francisco has the second most expensive real estate in the world...next to London, England.
We passed through Chinatown...and Little Italy...
...rode uphill and down...and gazed up through a maze of trolley cables as we toured. We spent a good deal of time at Fisherman's Wharf...
...observing and sampling!
We ate at the
Boudin Restaurant...home of the famous San Francisco sourdough. There are no secrets at this bakery...we watched the bread being baked from an observation deck...while on the sidewalk the crowds gathered at the windows.
Pier 39...which lies a few blocks from Fisherman's Wharf...is a 45 acre complex on the waterfront...
...where one can spend a lot of time shopping, eating, people watching or watching the sea lions. The best fun is always free!
A large colony of sea lions spends the winter months right at this pier...a most amazing site.
I was planning to include a short video clip...but I'll leave with you this still image...since blogger wouldn't upload my movie. They looked pretty cozy!
We tried each and every mode of public transit...
...and rode the cable cars just for the fun of it.
We took the F-line train to the waterfront...along with all the locals...
...who were all too preoccupied with their blackberries to enjoy any of the sites we passed!
I'll leave you with one final image of Powell Street...and it's famous cable cars...a museum in motion.
That's all for today...but one of these days I'll be back to take you by ferry to that island you see behind us in the photo. Just for a visit!
...have every gift wrapped and under the tree...
...and even have the table set to the hilt? 
...was a baby shower for Micah...who is already three weeks old.
Lisa's sister planned the shower...and opened her home to family and friends for a welcoming party for the 'most laid back' guest of honour. He prefers the night life at this stage...and likes to sleep during the day. Emme gifted her little cousin with the hat she knit last week...and as you can tell...he was overjoyed! Though he was quite oblivious to the goings on...he is a precious and much loved addition to the family. 
I wish all of you...my American friends and family who are gathering around a table somewhere today...a most blessed Thanksgiving celebration. 
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