San Fran Snapshot

I'm on a quick trip to San Francisco right now and thought I'd write a brief entry on my one and a half free days here in the city. I am on this trip for work, but have a little free time in my schedule in which I  plan see the highlights of San Francisco. Now I have also been to San Francisco once prior, so I didn't feel compelled to see everything this time around, it just those unmissable San Fran icons along the way. 

Admittedly, the first evening was spent on Market Street... Mostly at Target. Yes we have Le Targèt in Canada, but until it is up to par with guest designers and designer collaborations, it just won't be the same. It pales in comparison. After blowing my wad (of cash) at Target, my coworker and I went to a little pub called the Redford. The draw was mostly the fact that Alberta's premier Alison Redford had recently resigned her position. It seemed to be a somewhat politically themed bar and we thought if anybody needed a drink on wine Wednesday, it would be Redford.

This isn't a happy hour for Redford.

Bright and early the next morning we set out for our first full day in San Francisco. We began the morning by catching the F train up market street to the ferry building farmers market. You can buy a one day passport which allows you access to the F train, cable car, buses, and all additional public transport for (currently) $15 a day. 

The farmers market is full of all sorts of local specialty foods arranged beautifully and small-market stalls. I wish I had not eaten such a large breakfast, as there were also food vendors out front with tent displays. Every thing inside smelled so good! However, the only thing I could handle after a large breakfast was a tummy settling ginger soda.

Also visible from the ferry building is the San Francisco Oakland Bay bridge, which connects to Yerba Buena and Treasure Island. I saw very few pirates though.

Next, we hopped back on the F train and wrote it down the Embarcadero all the way to Pier 39. Although a tourist trap, or 39 and still all sorts of fun! And a functioning pier.

Besides all the delightful little shops and restaurants, Pier 39 is also home to the famous population of California sea lions. I recall there were a few years in which the sea lions vanished from their usual perch it on the pier, but they returned a few years ago. It was nice to see a healthy and playful population off the pier.

Sadly, I have yet to see one of the also famous great white sharks circling around the sea lions. 

Insert Jaws picture here.

One of the other great attractions on Pier 39 is the double-decker Ferris wheel. Not all of the inhabitants are horses however. There are seahorses, pandas, rabbits, and all manner of creatures.

The local San Francisco specialty is sourdough bread. And when you're on the pier couple that sourdough bread with famous clam or crab chowder, and you got a recipe for success of gastronomical proportions! Wanting to mix it up a little this time, I opted for a shrimp and crab spicy chowder in the classic sourdough bread bowl. It was larger than my head! I did not have enough room for eating that day.

It's is a cool bird I saw. He was being mean to pigeons. That makes him enough of a hero to be entered into immortality on my blog. Well done sir...*slow clap*

After the pier, we headed over toward Ghirardelli Square in hopes of hopping on the famous cable car up to Lombard Street. The line did not look too bad but we did end up waiting just over an hour to get on the cable car. I wondered if the times were standard or normal, but we found out later that a major fire downtown at severely slowed the cable cars progress. Still, we stuck with it and got to hop on an iconic car. 

Even if you don't ride the cable car, you should take the time to watch them at Hyde Street and Beach Street as the operators stop and turn the cars around preparing them for passengers and ascension of the hill. 

I have a video of the process that I will have to post later, as the current Blogger app will not allow me post videos here.

According to the cable car museum, the cable cars operate by moving on steel tracks set above a channel enclosing the cable. At the top of the channel is a slot through which the cable car’s grip grabs the cable moving below. Carrier pulleys spaced approximately every 15 feet support the cables to which the cars are attached. The cable car is operated by a gripman in a series of levers inside the center of the car. Ours was having a field day ringing the bell!

The San Francisco cable cars are the last manually operated cable cars in operation in the world.

We rode the cable car all the way from Ghirardelli Square back to the same block is our hotel. Just in time to take a quick cat nap, get cleaned up and rejoin our conference. We have Saturday morning and afternoon free as well. Our plan is to rent a car, drive the Goldengate bridge, check out Muir Woods, stop at Alamo Square to see the painted sisters, and more than likely visit Target again. 

Just a note on Alcatraz. The F train stop to get tickets for the Alcatraz ferry is Pier 33-35. I had the pleasure of doing and Alcatraz tour last time I was in San Francisco and definitely recommend it! I think it was the highlight of my trip. Not only is Alcatraz historically interesting, full of dynamic and frightening stories, but the island itself is quite beautiful. I genuinely enjoyed learning about the lives of the guards and families that resided on San Francisco. Additionally, there is at least one very dramatic escape story. Five men completely and mysteriously disappeared from Alcatraz. I'm about 100% certain that they're dead, but you never know! Quite the mystery.