Up and Down in San Francisco

Sunday morning and from the hotel room I could hear the fog horns on the Golden Gatde Bridge sounding but it seemed a sunny day in the city. Still, the first order of business was to drive down ‘the crookedest street in America, Lombard Street. It just before 9 A.M. but there were a few other cars making there way down. It was quite a drive but only short and very controlled. There must be an unofficial race to get down the street? It does have some pricey houses all down this part of the street so the police probably keep a close eye on it. Apparently, some years ago a limousine tried to drive down, got stuck and had to be air lifted out! Fortunately no problems this morning so I headed on to my next destination, Christmas Tree Point Road. This is at Twin Peaks which is about the highest point in San Francisco and give great views of the bay and city. The fog was covering part of the bridge but most of the view was spectacular. 

View from Twin Peaks

This view point is very popular and a steady stream of cars and coaches arrived. Once I had my photos I headed back down to Golden Gate Park and took a wander around. This is a big park and so I only saw a small part of it. It was now getting pretty hot so I headed for the fog and Fort Point (where Kim Novak jumped into the sea in Vertigo). The fog was still lingering and keeping the temperature down. Fort Point is open to the public although most of the cannon have been removed. It purpose was to defend San Francisco against attack during the 19th century. It is situated right beneath the superstructure for the bridge so gives a good opportunity for close up photos. I just hope they never hit the bridge with the cannons ;-)

Beneath the Bridge

It was quite a different day to yesterday as the sea, where the dolphins were swimming yesterday, was quite rough.

Then at about midday the fog cleared so I drove on and went down the coast to see the Pacific waves rolling in. To top and tail the holiday I went back to a Denny’s to eat, as I had done in Seattle. The Cranberry Apple Chicken salad looked good so I went for that. It was good too!

After lunch I drove back to the city and the traffic was pretty busy so dropped off the car at the hotel and walked up to the blues festival on Polk Street. This was going well with two bands playing and plenty of stalls selling food and crafts.

Polk Street Blues Festival

After about an hour back to the hotel the a walk the other way down to the bay to try and capture the sunset.

Sunset

Two wheels good.

The day to mount up and cycle the bridge. Headed down to Blazing Saddles and hired a bike for the day. The staff were very helpful sorting out a bike and giving a briefing on the routes available, once you get over the bridge. It was going to be another hot day so should be good for cycling and I was on my way just after 9 A.M. The initial route follows the bay round to Fort Point which is just below the bridge and good for photos. It is also where Kim Novak jumped into the sea in the film, Vertigo. 

Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point

As I was looking at the view a passer by pointed out that there were dolphins in the bay. There must have been about a dozen of them 'playing' in the water and they put on a good show.

Dolphins

Then it was over the bridge and into Marin County. The bridge is everything you expect it to be; big, orange, busy and spectacular. Once over the bridge I headed west to Hawk Hill.  This is aptly named at this time of year as many raptors are migrating south. I chatted to a couple of helpers who were pointing out the birds to those admiring the view. There were plenty of turkey vultures and a few types of hawk. The only problem with the steep climb on the bike up to Hawk Hill was that it did not lead onto anywhere else so I whizzed back down and headed out to a light house on the next headland along the coast. 

Point Bonita Lighthouse

This involved a few decent climbs and a long tunnel. The tunnel is alternating one way only for cars but bikes have no restriction, there is even a button to press at the start of the tunnel which turns on flashing amber lights to warn drivers there are cyclists in the tunnel. 

Then it was onto Saulsilito which is the main destination for most bikers on the route. This was a pretty town but packed with cyclists so I headed on to the further destination of Tiburon. The day was really hot by now so I took breaks in any shade I could find! I have noticed in my travels that there are always plenty of drinking fountains available so it was very handy to fill up my water bottle and keep hydrated. I arrived at Tiburon just after 3 P.M. and aimed to get the 4:10 ferry. It was a pleasant view looking out over the bay watching the sailing boats waiting for the ferry. Once it arrived it swallowed up an amazing number of cyclists and pedestrians, there must have been over 200 loaded on and most of them had bikes. It was quite a packing job to get the bikes in but they must be used to it. The crossing took about 40 minutes then back to the hire shop.

Bike Route

On the way back to the hotel I popped in to the Ghiradelli Chocolate shop for a free sample of Pumpkin Spice Caramel then back to the hotel. Once back there I stopped to chat to the couple in the next door room and one topic was that there was a 'blues festival' going on two blocks away on Polk Street. Once I had washed and changed I headed up there to investigate. Unfortunately, it was all packed up! What kind of blues festival closes down by 6 P.M?  I'll try again tomorrow.

Downtown San Francisco.

Decided to explore the city today so set off from the hotel and walked towards Fisherman’s Wharf, the acknowledged tourist trap in San Francisco. On the way went past the part of Lombard Street which is billed as the “crookedest street”. 

Top of Lombard Street

Then saw one of the famous cable cars climbing up the hill. I had not realised until recently that the cars attach to a moving cable beneath the street so there is a constant whirring noise from the roads that have cable car routes.

Once at the waterside I looked around the maritime museum exhibits, from a large square rigger, through various tugs and the rowing boat that crossed the Pacific (rowed by two Brits).

Then discovered a City Sightseeing trip about to depart around the downtown area. This was a 90 minute trip which took in all the main areas in downtown San Francisco: the financial district, China town, Union Square, Tenderloin, the Embacardo and Fisherman’s wharf. I took the whole tour rather than hop on or off then walked along the various piers. Pier 39 has been rebuilt to look like a 19th century street but filled with all sorts of eateries and fun shops . This is also the location of the Sea lion colony, which appeared after the 1989 earthquake. The animals were initially unpopular but have now become such an attraction that anniversary parties are held for them.

Sea Lions at Pier 39

I then went on to enquire about tickets for the Alcatraz trip. There was quite a queue but I soon had a ticket booked for Monday morning. An early boat out so it shouldn’t be too crowed on the island (to start with at least).

Next it was onto one of the old Street Cars (not a cable car) back down to the financial district to explore. I had a useful chat with a local lady on the street car and she gave me some useful tips about the area. Once back downtown I spent the rest of the day exploring on foot and taking photographs.

I had thought about taking a cable car back towards the hotel but as I was nearing a convenient stop it appeared there had been a major problem as all the cables had stopped running, As I walked along there were stricken cable cars all along their routes. All the passengers had to seek alternative transport so not sure what happened to their $5 fares?

Cable Car, stopped!

Head west, stop at the coast.

An early start to get to then Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite village for the 08:30 walk. The road was very quiet and I arrived in plenty of time having left Westgate Yosemite just before 7:00.

Once at the gallery met up with the other walkers and our guide, Christine. The walk went through to Cook’s Meadow to take advantage of the good light. We spent about 90 minutes hearing about the history of the park, Ansel Adams and getting some general advice on taking pictures and using cameras. It was kept quite simple but interesting and it was useful to have some expert knowledge about how to capture pictures of the park. 

Tree Trunk, Cook Meadow

Yosemite Reflections

It was a beautiful day so I spent some more time taking photos and enjoying the scenery before grabbing a cheeseburger for lunch then heading west to San Francisco.

It was an hour’s drive to get back to Buck Meadows (Pop. 50) where I had been staying but then I could carry on down the mountain road and across California. It was a hot day the scenery was quite arid. It was at this point I noticed I was getting very low on fuel, but fortunately I arrived at a town with the fuel gauge just entering the red. Once on the road again more and more cars joined the roads. I stopped off for a break at Hayward then again at the Redwood Regional Park just outside San Francisco. This second break was to see some more Redwoods and also to let the traffic die down on the Bay bridge. The park has some second and third generation Redwoods i.e. trees that have grown up from the trees cut down in the mid nineteenth century as San Francisco was being built. The shade from the trees was quite welcome from the hot sun of the day.  It also meant I would be able to get the off peak toll and save $2!

The drive into San Francisco was spectacular as the sun was just setting and the downtown skyscrapers and the Golden Gate bridge were silhouetted against the western sky. Once in the city it seemed to have become quite dark very quickly but using the GPS I made my way to the Pacific Heights Inn.

Big Trees and Big Views

I drove back into Yosemite and went in search of the Giant Sequoias at Tuolumne Grove. Unlike the hike yesterday this one takes you down 400 feet to get to the grove. Here you can see lots of of these giant trees towering over the standard size pines. There are plenty of information boards dotted along the trail to explain about the trees and how new knowledge is helping to protect them. No one is allowed to hug them anymore as frequent foot steps around the base lead to damage of the roots. Also, in past years fires were put out to ‘protect’ the trees but now it is known that fires are a vital part of the lifecycle of the trees (clearing forest litter to allow the seeds to grow).  Having descended 400’ to get to the grove it was then necessary to ascend those same 400’ but it was well worth the effort.

Giant Sequoia

After my homemade sandwich I headed further in to the park to go to Glacier point. This is not far from Yosemite village but is much higher – 1000s of feet higher and so it takes a while to drive there. The final few bends of the road provide another wow moment as the view opens right up just as you negotiate a hairpin and arrive in the car park. Once out of the car it is a fairly short (level) walk to the view point, and what a view point! This does deserve the word awesome. In the words of the National Park Service “some would say[Glacier Point], is the most spectacular viewpoint anywhere. Most people agree that its views of the high country and breathtaking views of Yosemite Valley, including Half Dome and three waterfalls, are the most spectacular in the park”

View from Glacier Point

Considering the height (over 7000' feet) it was a really pleasant afternoon so I spent an hour trying to capture the scene and take it all in. It was quite a shock to see, way down below, the top of the Vernal Falls I had climbed up to the previous day. I indulged in a hot chocolate at the cafe then headed back to the lodge. I ate in the restaurant next door and had Chicken Noodle soup and spiced chicken breast washed down with a pint of draught Coors beer served in an unfeasibly large glass.

Tomorrow, I have a camera walk with a guide from the Ansel Adams gallery at 8:30 and as it is an hours drive to get there I have an early start. Then, it is goodbye Yosemite and onwards to the city by the Bay, San Francisco.

A long day ‘at the office’

Today I made it to Yosemite. After a ‘small’ breakfast of two scrambled eggs, two rashers of bacon and two buttermilk (large)  pancakes with maple syrup and waddled back to the car feeling very full (good job I didn’t go for a big breakfast) and made the hour drive into Yosemite. The scenery remains fairly typical until you are within a few miles of the main park centre then wham! Huge cliffs and valleys appear on the right hand side of the road.

You can tell it is dramatic by the cars pulled over at the convenient vista points. Then the most famous of them all, El Capitan (The Captain) just appears in front of you.

3000' of Granite

Over 3000 feet of granite straight up into the air. I pulled over to take the obligatory pictures and take a walk to the nearby bridal falls water fall. Most of the water falls in Yosemite are fed by snow melt so by this time of year they are much less spectacular than in the spring. A lot of them dry up completely.
Once done with the Captain I drove into the main Yosemite Village. This is a large area with accommodations from camp sites to hotels, shops and tourist information points. The Ansel Adams shop is also here. A hybrid powered shuttle bus fleet constantly ferries people around the village. I jumped on this for a free tour and to get my bearings. It was nearing midday and the light was pretty difficult for photography as the contrast between light and shadows was very marked.

Once I had completed the circuit I took a look in the shops then took the shuttle out to the start of a hike to the top of Vernal Falls. This is described as ‘strenuous’ as although it is only 3 mile round trip you climb (and then descend) 1000 feet to get to the top of the falls.

Vernal Falls

The last quarter consists mostly of steps made of granite blocks which greatly help the climb but they did remind me of the part of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ where Gollum leads Frodo and Sam into Mordor. Fortunately there was no giant spider at the top but a rather welcome shaded area with the gently flowing stream; that has no idea it is about to plunge over the edge of a vertical drop 100’s of feet high. There were also a lot of squirrels and Stellar’s Jays eager to share sandwiches.

Stellar's Jay

Once back in the village I had another look round the shops then thought about heading home, it was about 6:00 by then. Just by the car I noticed a small stream so went for a look and saw it gave a great view of Half Dome peak, lit up by the late sunshine. Took a few photos then as I was packing up a fellow photographer mentioned he thought the moon would be rising behind the dome soon. After a while there were 8 photographers set up waiting for the moon. Unfortunately, it had not appeared by 7 P.M. so I decided to head off as the light was failing and various compasses and PDAs indicated the moon would not be in the place we thought anyway. I thought that I might get a view on the way back out of the village. Which I did, just a  mile or so down the road. Stopped again, got the camera and tripod out and snapped away.

Moon and Half Dome

Finished up by 7:30 and drove back in the darkness of the countryside.

Finally made it.

Finally made it to Yosemite, well that’s not strictly true as I am staying in the Yosemite Westgate lodge which is about as near as you can stay without going to the accommodation offerings in the park itself. 

Left Reno in bright sunshine and very warm weather. I planned to cash a couple of traveller’s cheques in Reno before ending up in the more remote area tonight. The Wells Fargo cashier and supervisor couldn’t help (which was totally different to the very helpful one in Seattle last week) as they claimed they couldn’t cash them! I then tried a branch of US Bank and they could do so but with  a $5 charge and a lot of data entry on their part! Maybe it is a regulation in Nevada? The Wells Fargo supervisor suggested I tried cashing them in a casino, but I declined that idea.

Once on the road it was back up into the mountains and onto to Lake Tahoe. This is a huge lake high in the Sierra Nevada mountains and straddles the border between Nevada and California.

Lake Tahoe

Stopped off to take some shots of the blue water and sky then drove along the east shore and stopped as South Tahoe to stock up at Safeway for some food to keep in the fridge at the lodge. I also bought a made to order sandwich (so many questions for one sandwich!) to eat by the road later on.
The roads went ever higher and past a lot of the facilities used by skiers and snowboarders in the winter. The markers along the road side, to show the route in heavy snow, were a good twelve feet high in places.

I forgot to mention in yesterday's entry that on the long straight roads into Reno there was a strong wind blowing across the road and bringing with it real life tumble weed! At first I thought it was an animal running across but no, it was bona fide tumble weed.

I stopped at a quiet spot above a fast flowing river to eat my sandwich and take in the view then pushed on to my final destination.

Lunchtime view

It was a bit of a concern that on one of the hairpin bends a little earlier there was a warning of an accident and a tow truck with a taut cable stretching over the edge, presumably to retrieve a stricken car. The road was quite narrow in places and there were very few barriers - concentration was required.

I filled up the car in a small gas station well before Yosemite as there was not likely to be much in the vicinity of the park. I chatted with the cashier and asked whether they would have accepted traveller’s cheques and she replied “sure, no problem” so maybe it was a Nevada state thing that caused the issue this morning.
The last stretch had another tortuous ascent before levelling out and running into Buck Meadows which is where I am based for the next three nights. It is quite a relief to be able to settle in for a few days after the one night stops I have been doing since last Wednesday.

The Westgate lodge  consists of six two storey buildings each with about 10 rooms apart from the reception building. They all look into a central area that houses a pool and hot tub plus a children’s play area. All very peaceful apart from the insects singing in the trees! There should be a good clear sky too as there is very little else around here.

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