San Francisco | Eagle Dancer

The Golden Gate City -Shaky Town – The City – and if you really want to annoy a native call it “Frisco”

(Spanish for “Saint Francis”) was founded on June 29, 1776, when colonists from Spain established a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for St. Francis of Assisi a few miles away. The California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time. Also, it has a direct route to San Antonio, Texas as you can see.

There was a clean up campaign going on when we came into town. We contributed by tossing our trash at the bucket – I think it went in – hard to tell at 70 mph.

Candlestick Park? Nope – AT&T Park. Candlestick was to blase so the Giants (you remember the Giants right? Used to play in New York.) moved to Pacific Bell Park and fell victim to the Ma Bell break-up first becoming SBC Park and then AT&T Park when they were gobbled up by AT&T. Maybe Candlestick wasn’t so bad after all.

Three quarters of the city was destroyed by earthquake on April 18th, 1906…..what day is today???? April what????

We made it through….

Maybe should have taken the Hop On Hop Off bus.

We had mixed emotions when seeing the “Frisco” skyline, the coast highway had been so spectacular and few cars and then…..well it was still OK and to get to Fisherman’s Wharf you had to go into the City.

…a glimpse of the Bay passing under the Oakland bridge.

One of many wharves along the way.

well….maybe he’s saving toward a real drum..

Clang…Clang….Clang….. Went the Trolley… Ya I know its from Meet Me in St. Louis, but it fits so well and it is Judy Garland and she did movies and that’s Hollywood and Hollywood’s in California and so’s San Francisco. So there.

It would be great fun to come back for the Cup racing – we’ll see… While on the subject of the America’s Cup I think something was lost when the Cup went so commercial and team members could be from anywhere rather from the country they race for. I think Sir Thomas Lipton would be disappointed.

Oh! Look!! Dennis Conner!!

We parked and took a walk. Don’t know if that’s a Wyland whale or not. Did you know Wyland is from Michigan? Madison Heights.. attended Lamphere High School, where his 25th “whaling wall” is in the pool area of the high school. Who’s Wyland you say? Well, look him up.

..and we’re walking…

Bigger picture of Alcatraz. if you look real close you might see Sean Connery.

…more walking

This is a Wyland. The one on the wall not the one in the hat.

We find Fisherman’s Wharf:

Things took a turn for the weird.. but not being a native maybe this is normal:

C.A.R.B.’s latest idea to reduce pollution in California.

Here’s one of those things you just stumble upon out walking….

Hyde Street Pier is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park:

Then Mary saw this across the water….In 1849, Ghirardelli received news of the gold strike at Sutter’s Mill and sailed to California. After doing some prospecting, Ghirardelli opened a general store in Stockton, California, offering supplies and confections to fellow miners in town. Ghirardelli’s tent-based store was one of the first shops set up in the area. Several months later, Ghirardelli opened a second store on the corner of Broadway and Battery in San Francisco, which became, in 1852, his first establishment in that city. The rest as they say is chocolate.

As the sun was beginning to drop behind the chocolate it was time to get outta Dodge… er “Frisco”. Unfortunately the 101 was closed and as there was no ferry at Hyde Street Pier anymore we bravely headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge following detour signs through the city.