I walked a mile to the cable car station, then rode the cable car to the Cable Car Museum. The museum building also contains the powerhouse...the heart and soul of San Francisco's cable car system. The cable cars are literally pulled around not by electricity but underground steel cables, constantly spinning around. Nowhere else in the world has such cable cars, which is the reason people from other countries come to San Francisco to ride them.
Afterward, I hopped on the cable car again, and rode it to Lombard Street. I wanted to take some photos of the famous crooked road. I had driven the road on a previous road trip, but didn't get any photos. I watched cars negotiate the curves, and snapped some pics.
Back on the cable car, I took it down to it's final stop at Fisherman's Wharf. Lunch time! I went to a tried and true lunch spot... Alioto's Waterside Cafe. I had the scallop basket with clam chowder...delicious! I didn't eat all my fries because I preferred to finish off the awesome sourdough bread which came with the meal. You just can't visit San Francisco without eating sourdough!
With some extra time on my schedule, I decided to check out the World War II era submarine, USS Pampanito, docked at Fisherman's Wharf. It was cool walking through a piece of history...I love World War II stuff!
Next on the agenda...a little walk up to Coit Tower. I took the light rail trolley...on rails like a cable car, but electric...to the stop nearest to the Filbert Steps. This very steep staircase goes all the way up from the waterfront to Coit Tower. When I reached the top, I elected not to pay to go to the top of the tower. Instead, I took some distant scenery photos from around the base, then looked for my descending route via the Greenwich Steps. But, I couldn't find the staircase. I ended up asking a friendly postman who pointed me in the right direction.
After traveling a short distance down the stairs, I suddenly heard a loud cacophony coming from the trees above. I couldn't believe my good fortune...the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill! I had been wanting to see the famous parrots, but I heard they could be elusive. There were about a dozen chattering in the branches overhead...green with a bit of red on their heads. And, they were pretty big, too. As I walked down the staircase, the birds flew away to row of trees. There, I was finally able to snap a few pics.
I took the trolley up Market Street and after grabbing an early dinner from the Westfield Centre food court, I walked to my final destination...the Defenestration Building. I know what you're thinking...what? Well, you have to see it to believe it, but here's a pic. Let's just say it's a large art piece.
Tomorrow, I do a little driving around the city...to hard to take mass transit or walk to reach the sights I have planned. Like today, a mish mash of sightseeing...it keeps things interesting!
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