City on the hills

We woke up on Monday, September 22, 2014 in the Redwood City, CA, in the motel "Good Nite Inn".
*Motel Good Nite Inn*
GPS-coordinates: 37°29'46.2"N, 122°14'09.0"W

The weather was warm, blue sky and sun.
As a new day was different from yesterday, neither gloomy clouds and a fog.

With excellent mood we went to San Francisco.

We were going to leave the car on Front Street, near piers and then walk through the city center, and then return to the waterfront.
Just walk and walk.

This beautiful street, the promenade Embarcadero.

Embarcadero - the promenade near the port, on the east coast of city, along the San Francisco Bay.
The street was built on the seawall, on a site previously occupied by the waters of the gulf.

We saw an interesting sculpture on the waterfront.

Dropping the car in the parking lot, we went to see the tram museum "Cable Car Museum" by Front St., Broadway St. and Mason St.
GPS-coordinates, parking: 37°48'05.1"N, 122°24'00.9"W

The pyramid - "Transamerica Pyramid" towers over all the buildings of the city.

"Transamerica" - the tallest building in San Francisco now.
The height of the pyramid is 260 meters, it is 48 floors.
Construction of the building began in 1969 and lasted for 3 years.
*Transamerica Pyramid*

Wider streets cross the narrow, with steps for pedestrians.

Many buildings are built in different styles.

Well, a lot of vegetation make the "picture" more brighter.

And here is the tram museum.
*San Francisco Cable Car Museum*
GPS-coordinates: 37°47'40.6"N, 122°24'41.2"W

You say, "Well, that may be interesting in the museum trams, tram we saw many times"...
Not so simple...
The tram is unusual, it's Cable Car.

Cable Car in San Francisco - one of the city's attractions.
The first cable car line was opened in 1873 and was a great success.
For more than a century, the cable tram carrying passengers on the San Francisco hills.
The cables are directly under the rails.
The cables are moved by the motor, which is located in a separate building - the depot.

The red brick building (pictured) is not only a museum of the history of the tram, but also the depot, with the engines and the cables, which pull the trams with passengers.
The museum was opened in 1974.
*San Francisco Cable Car Museum - Wiki*

Now, the network of routes of Cable Car in San Francisco consists of three lines:
- Powell-Hyde Line,
- Powell-Mason Line,
- California Street Line.
The main passengers are tourists.

Our next stop - Union Square Park.
We go slowly on Mason St., Washington St. and Powell St.

The architecture of the buildings changed, there were high-rise buildings.

But the "Pyramid" was still higher...

And nearby, the trams were with tourists.

The tram reduced the speed before the descent...

...And then quickly rushes down.
The tourists cry from fear.

During the conversation, we came to Union Square, at the corner of Powell St. and Post St.

WOW, what are the palm trees...

Union Square - this is a square in the center of San Francisco.
The area got its name from the demonstrations that took place on this site in the beginning of the Civil War 1861-1864.
Now Union Square - a place for celebrations, concerts and exhibitions.
*Union Square*
GPS-coordinates: 37°47'17.4"N, 122°24'27.8"W

In this district, there are luxury hotels, theaters, art galleries, good restaurants and shops (Macy's, Levi's, and others.).
It is a popular shopping and tourist district, which not sleeps 24 hours a day.

In the center of square is a granite column, on top of which a bronze girl holding a trident and a laurel wreath.
The monument symbolizes the heroism of the soldiers in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War of 1898.

From Union Square, we went by the Stockton St., Market St. and McAllister St. to Civic Center Plaza.

The corner of Powell St. and Market St. - it is the final stop of a tram - the ring.
WOW!
The tram does not turn around itself, a motorman deploys the tram on a rotating circle by the hands.
And the people were waiting for the landing.

Civic Center Plaza - is the square where located the administrative buildings of the city: the government building (City Hall), the courthouse (Supreme Court of California), and others.
Here there are a museum of Asian art, the central library, memorial buildings and monuments.
*Civic Center*
GPS-coordinates: 37°46'46.0"N, 122°25'04.2"W

City Hall - San Francisco government is here...

This courthouse - Supreme Court of California.

Asian Art Museum...

The monument to the pioneers of California - "Pioneer Monument".
The monument was opened in 1894.

Have you been on the Russian Hill?
- No?
- Then we go there!

From the Asian Art Museum, we walked by straight Hyde Street, to Lombard Street.

Russian Hill is a prestigious district of San Francisco, the curve Lombard Street located here.
The area is known for its hiking paths.
*Russian Hill*
GPS-coordinates: 37°48'07.2"N, 122°25'10.5"W

The name goes back to the days of the Gold Rush, when on top of the hill was a small Russian cemetery.
It is known that in the first half of the XX century, the area was populated by immigrants from Russia.
Currently, only few Russian immigrants live on the hill: the Russian-speaking community in San Francisco is located in Richmond.

The hill offers a wonderful view of the city and the bay.

Tourists and residents of the city rise up and down by the stairs, next to the rich houses.

But the most interesting place here - this is Lombard Street.
*Lombard Street*

It is a narrow and winding descent from the hills and the cars move very slowly.

The bay and the waterfront Embarcadero are not far from here.
You just go down by the streets.
We have done so...

On one side of the promenade - a city, on the other - the sea piers and the marinas.
*Embarcadero*

The area at the piers called Fisherman's Wharf" - is a tourist attraction in San Francisco.
*Fisherman's Wharf*
GPS-coordinates: 37°48'28.7"N, 122°25'03.5"W

The district got its name during the Gold Rush, when fishermen have caught crabs here.
Many of the city celebrations are held on the pier in our time, including the annual week of San Francisco Fleet.
*Fisherman's Wharf - Wiki*

Some piers are used as intended, the ocean ferries, yachts and boats stand here.

You can go on a sea tour near San Francisco, go fishing or just watch the ocean.

The remaining piers - is entertainment area for tourists: attractions, exhibitions, the sea aquarium, shops, restaurants and cafes.

Sea lions on the pier.

The "locals" are friendly to tourists and like to be photographed.

But sometimes they were dissatisfied.

You can see Alcatraz Island with piers very well.
You can take a tour to the island.

Alcatraz Island is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, a distance of 2.5 km from the city.
The territory of the island was used as a defensive fort, and later as a military prison, and then - as a prison for dangerous criminals such as Al Capone.
Now the island is a museum, you can take the ferry to the island from Pier 33.

Construction of the fortress began on the island in 1850, more than 110 long-range guns were installed.
Then, the fort was used to house prisoners of war.
The military prison on the island was from 1861 and until 1933.

The era of organized crime began during the Great Depression (mid-1930s).
Alcatraz reopened, but as a federal prison.
The Federal prison was on the island 28 years from 1934 to 1963.
The prison at Alcatraz was closed March 21, 1963.

The island was opened to tourists in 1973 and now about one million visitors are each year here.
*Alcatraz Island*

If you are tired of the ocean, you can take a bus tour...

Rent a bike...

Or a limousine...

And of course, buy ice cream...

Soon will come the evening, and we will leave a wonderful San Francisco.
We walked along the promenade to the parking lot.

We say goodbye to the city, with a Pyramid, with the ocean...
And San Francisco tells us goodbye...

We drove to our motel in Redwood City...

We were going to travel the next day along the coast of the Pacific Ocean to Los Angeles.