I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Yesterday was my adventure day.  After Hubby left for work, I quickly ate my breakfast and before 9:00 was on my way to the BART (subway) and headed into downtown San Francisco.  

The sun was shining brilliantly in the bright blue sky when I came up from underground at Powell & Market Streets at 10am.  The lineup for the cable cars was ridiculously long so I decided to wander up Powell Street to Union Square to peek inside Macy's.  

View from Macy's at Saks, Tiffany's and William-Sonoma.  

At this point I began thinking, "What's my best way to get down to the Wharf?" so I started walking.  I walked down towards the Financial District, passing by the TransAmerica Pyramid Building...

and kept walking... walking... behind Telegraph Hill where Coit Tower sits majestically overlooking the City,..

Check out the staircase up to Coit Tower 

I had considered going up... but thought better of it!

I kept walking and eventually made my way to the Embarcadero, where the many Piers of the Bay are located.  I came out where a Cruise Ship was docked.  It was my first time seeing a cruise ship up close.

Crossing the street over to the bay side of the road, I walked along the pier to Pier 39, one of the big touristy spots down on the waterfront.  I peeked in a few of the shops, (used the restroom), and watched the sea lions sunbathing on their floating docks...

 

Sun bathing Sea Lions

I continued to meander along the pier, walking through Fisherman's Wharf...

Famous Sign of the Wharf

I finally made it to the cable car turnaround in the SF Maritime National Historical Park.  I sat for only a few minutes, to take in the spectacular view...

Mmm.. Ghiradelli Square ~ I was too pooped to head over for a free sample

Looking over towards the Golden Gate

Gazing over the Bay towards Sausalito

It was at this point that my aching hips decided to hitch a ride on the cable car.  Fortunately the lines were smaller so my wait time wasn't too bad.  I hopped on the side of the Powell-Hyde cable car and held on for dear life as we made the lift up the massive Hyde Street hill to the top where Hyde intersects Lombard Street.  This was where I was getting off... 

at the "Crookedest Street". 

Looking down Lombard Street

I started down the incline of Lombard Street, then realized 1/3 of the way down that I had wanted to take a picture from the top, looking down at the Bay.  Drats!  

This is how far I got down before realizing I wanted that picture at the top!

I started to climb the stairs, feeling each and every step right in my middle-aged hips.  Sheesh!  Apparently it's true the mind is the first to go... then the body!  All that pain resulted in this...

Looking down Hyde Street 

After this shot, once again I started the decline down Lombard Street, snapping photos as I went.  

Finally I made it to the bottom...

What goes down, must look up!

and began my journey over towards the Powell-Mason cable car line.  Now I'm on the other side of Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower...

Coit Tower on top of Telegraph Hill

Before heading to the cable car I decided to stop by Washington Square to take a picture of this church.  Movie buffs may recognize it!

St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Washington Square

I was too exhausted and sore to walk through the park to get a front view 

but liked this shot with Coit Tower in the background

This church was in a couple scenes of one of my favorite movies set in San Francisco... "Just Like Heaven" with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo.  Remember when Mark's character is sitting on the park bench "alone" talking to Reese's comatose spirit?  The bench is on the opposite side of the park from the church front.  Last time we were here I took a picture from that point.  (Not sure now if that was one of the pictures lost on our busted external hard drive :-S)

From this point I meandered over to Mason Street as the church clocks chimed 1pm and hiked up the steep hill to the intersection of Mason and Green Streets where this building stands.  Recognize it?

Apartment Building at Green and Mason Streets

Yep!  Same movie.  This is the apartment building where Reese Witherspoon's character lived and Mark Ruffalo's character fused his butt to the red sofa drinking beers.  Across the street is the home that Mark's character was in front of with the real estate agent when the fated flyer plastered itself to his body.  Recognize this?

House across the street from apartment in Just Like Heaven

Before we leave this portion of our Movie Trivia Tour, let's take a look down the hill from the intersection of Mason and Green Streets:

View from top of Mason and Green Intersection

At this point my body desperately needed a lift so I waited here for the next cable car to take me back towards downtown.  While waiting I thought I'd take this picture, looking up towards Nob Hill, one of the most prestigious sections of San Francisco.

Looking up towards Nob Hill

Had I had the energy, I would have ventured up to Nob Hill on foot, but that was an impossibility at that point so I hopped on the cable car and got off again at California Street where I jumped on the California line and rode that cable car one stop to Nob Hill where I took a few pictures.

In this ritzy section of the City, you'll find the Mark Hopkins Hotel, home of the famous "Top of the Mark" restaurant (referred to in one of my favorite book series ~ The Ashley Stockingdale Series by Kristin Billerbeck)

Mark Hopkins Hotel from Nob Hill Park

You'll also find another famous movie site... Grace Cathedral, found in The Bachelor with Chris O'Donnell and Rene Zellwegger as well as The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey to name a few.

Grace Cathedral

One time while here, Hubby and I took an all day tour and we went into Grace Cathedral.  It was beautiful.  Not sure if we lost those photos too.  Hmm!  We also were taught this history of this building, the Flood Mansion, one of only two Nob Hill structures to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire. It is now home to the Pacific Union Club.

 Flood Mansion aka Pacific Union Club 

In the background of the above photo you can see the white building with flags atop the entry.  That's the Fairmont Hotel.  When we took our first San Francisco tour before Christmas a few years ago, we were able to go into the lobby of this classy hotel, and saw the most beautiful Gingerbread Houses you can imagine.  Here's an up close photo of this hotel's front doors...

Front of the Fairmont Hotel

While standing at this intersection of Mason and California, if you look south, you'll see the steepness of the streets.  They say this is one of the steepest inclines in the city streets from Nob Hill.  Can you imagine skateboarding down there ... or driving a stick-shift vehicle up?

Would hate to have to walk up this one!

I couldn't find a cable car stop at this corner, and I was WAY too tired to back track so I decided to walk down the hill (not this one) back to the Mason-Powell cable car line where I got another spectacular view of the City.  

Corner of Mason and Powell Streets

I hopped back on the cable car and then jumped off again in Union Square to take a peek in Tiffany's windows (not as spectacular as at Christmas!) and see what's new in Williams-Sonoma.  The next cable car seemed a while off so I hobbled my way down the Powell St hill back to the BART subway station by 2pm.

Imagine my surprise when we resurfaced from underground around Daly City on the train to find horrendous amounts of fog.  I left the crystal blue sky in downtown to find huge clouds and fog back at the airport.  Hello Summer in San Francisco!  They aren't kidding about that fog!  By the time the shuttle brought me back from the airport to the hotel, the sky was clear again like downtown.  Freaky I say!!

Hubby and I enjoyed a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant down here along the bayfront and then had a quiet evening in the room, me watching t.v. while Hubby worked. 

Today I'm sticking close to the hotel.  I've already done a load of laundry.  I'll do a little ironing before I pack the tops back in the suitcase, and may go for a walk along the bayfront... as far as my stiff legs and hips will allow.

Have I mentioned how much I love San Francisco?!   Round trip journey = 4.6 miles.  Total cost of adventure = $29.40.  Memories created = Priceless.  


That concludes your tour of San Francisco!  Tips can be left at the door :-D