4/8/15 - San Francisco, CA

Today we went to San Francisco to visit the city. We began our escapade by taking a ferry from Larkspur to San Fran. It only took 30 minutes with beautiful views of the Bay Bridge (which we actually drove over on our way into this area.). 

The first place we saw from this ferry was San Quentin. 

Some of the prisoners were out in the fenced in yard. 

Once we arrived at the ferry terminal this is what we saw. 

It says Port of San Francisco! 

Then we began walking down the waterfront. 

Carp resting with a pier off to the right behind him. 

Me with the hill behind me. This is a very busy city. Lots if folks walking up & down this area. 

We continued down this road when we found out that Pier 39 was down quite a distance & a gentleman told us that the trolley across the street would stop at Pier 39. Phew! 

Boardwalk at Pier 39 with many little shops & resturants and lots of people. 

We went to the end if the pier & heard this barking noise & went to see what many people were looking at. Low & behold there were hundreds of sea lions on the docks. We saw two sea lions fighting with one another for a space on the dock & many others just basking in the sun. Here is a little info about the sea lions. 

Shortly after the Loma Prieta earthquake hit San Francisco in October 1989, a few California sea lions began "hauling out" on Pier 39's K-Deck.  By January 1990, the boisterous barking Pinnipedia started to arrive in droves & completely took over K-Dock, much to the exasperation of Pier  39's Marina tenants. The Marina staff turned to the Marine Mammal Center, an organization devoted to the rescue & rehabilitation of marine mammals, & to the study of marine mammal health, for advice about their new slippery tenants.  After much debate & research, the experts from the Marine Mammal Center recommended that the sea lions stay in their newfound home. 

Absolutely amazing!

We stopped for lunch at Luigi's Pizza at Pier 39 and this is a picture above from the window at our table. 

We moved on in our adventure & took a pedicab ride down the pier road to the end where there was a beach & off in the distance is the Golden Gate Bridge.  

The young fellow who peddled us down the road was very pleasant & told us about sites as we went.   We passed some folks doing a tour on Segways. 

Beach  with Golden Gate Bridge in the backdrop. 

Across the street & up was a park where two mounted police who were kind enough to let us have our pictures taken with them. 

Carp befriending the horse. 

This horse was checking me out. I am not as brave as Carp to touch the horse. 

Up the hill a little way from the horses we came across the Cable Cars.  We waited for an hour in line to take a cable car ride & it was worth the wait!

The cars only go one way & then they are    Manually turn at the other end for the ride, for a return trip back to the beginning point. In the next pictures you will see a turn style in the ground that they drive the cable car onto & then two men turn the cable car manually.  Amazing!  

Now for the pics from the cable car ride...

Carp & I & we were so excited to take ride! 

We begin the decent in the cable car. 

Getting high up the road. 

Off in the distance is Alcatraz out on the island!  Please excuse the letters on this picture. There was writing on the cable car window. 

We came down this hill. 

We had to wait for a fire engine to pass by us. 

As we traveled this was a side street view of some buildings. 

Another cable car going in the reverse direction. 

Looking up from as we went a hill. 

At the end if the ride on the cable car,  we got dropped off & we had no idea where we were so we got directions to take a bus back to the ferry terminal. We just arrived at the terminal where the ferry was leaving in 5 minutes. 

What a wonderful day we had in the city!  We will head back into the city on Friday for more fun!  

Enjoy!