San Francisco in a heartbeat
My time in the city of San Francisco was brief, partly due to a delayed American Airlines flight which cost us a day and because of a 14-hour road trip through provincial California to see Yosemite National Park (covered here).
Before arriving, all I knew of San Fran was what I'd heard through friends, popular culture and the Internet.
I imagined a heavily-congested, built up city, pastel-coloured and pointed Victorian houses stacked along hilly streets like dominos, and sun-kissed San Franciscans casually hanging from vintage cable cars without a care in the world.
The fabled vision of San Fran only partly matched the reality of what we found here. The city, which was teeming with Easter Holiday tourists, is surprisingly smaller than I had expected. The lines for cable cars and food spots spiraled around street corners. But being so small, I found navigating my way around pretty straightforward.
I love long walks so, I abandoned the idea of a bus tour and set out across town on foot. Looking down at a map, it all seemed so easy. Deceptively easy.
My partner and I had booked to stay at a hotel on the top of Nob Hill. After all, we thought, it's a conveniently short distance from the Union Square precinct. It didn't take us long to realise that the incline is so steep that we got a workout with each walk to and from our hotel.
You wouldn't want to be dragging heavy luggage up the steep streets of San Francisco ... No, you wouldn't.
Note: This was the pivotal moment where I vowed there would be NO further wearing of heels in San Fran. (I destroyed a pair of ankle boots on the way up.)
Once you finally get up to the top of Nob Hill though, the outlook is spectacular. Even Golden Gate Bridge can be seen on the horizon. The above photo was taken from the observation deck of the Top of the Mark restaurant. A local tour guide mentioned that Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were regulars at this diner and would often sit back with a stiff drink, take in the panoramic views of the city skyline and smoke cigars. The legendary artists were also known to stage impromptu performances at Top of the Mark, he said.
PHOTO JOURNAL: SAN FRANCISCO
Union Square and city captures
Chasing cable cars
A bay view with Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in the distance
The Painted Ladies – Pretty Victorian-style houses on Steiner Street, Alamo Square Park.
Fisherman's Wharf
and ... The Golden Gate Bridge
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