South San Francisco, Ca to San Bruno, Ca

Woke up this morning determined to do some San Francisco sight-seeing. After finding a (semi)legitimate carpark (at the corner of Mission and Fifth), the first car we see looks like Huggy Bear's '76 Lincoln Continental. I think for many years I confused 'decals' with 'detailing' - it's a bit hard to see because of the shadows from the tree, but there is a lot of paintwork on that car!

We work our way north towards Union Square, where giant department stores such as Macy's, Nieman Marcus, and Forever21 are located. I took this photo of the 97ft high monument in the middle - the 1903 figurine is named 'Victory', and commemorates both the victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish American War, as well as the recently deceased U.S. President William McKinley. In the background is the Sir Francis Drake Hotel - the modernist penthouse level is Harry Denton's Starlight Room.

So many places in San Francisco with character - here, an ancient goldminer enters to stake his claim...

Be prepared for a few photos of the San Francisco cable cars (not to be confused with the train-wheeled streetcars or trams) - there are actually three separate routes. They all work by gripping onto a cable (installed in a track below the street) - you can hear it whipping around inside as you cross the road. At the bottom of Powell St, there is a manually operated turntable where they rotate the car to go back up the hill. There was a very long queue, so we decided to ride the cable car another time.

As with most cities, there is a underutilised are of real estate where the artists, musicians and other 'interesting' people hang out. In San Francisco, it's called the Tenderloin. The 1941 John Huston/Humphrey Bogart film The Maltese Falcon was made entirely in the Tenderloin. San Francisco has the USA's worst problem with the homeless (about 5,000) and they tend to collect in this area as well.

Trending right now in lower San Francisco... I don't think this guy was homeless - but he's not as well dressed as they were. Letting it all hang loose - how low can he go?

In Amerika they take holidays very seriously. This is a giant inflatable pumpkin (as you can see), using a car-parking space, but very doing a great job attracting people!

Not quite as much street art as in Los Angeles, but some was still of a very high quality. This is across from the Chinatown Gate, and is by a Miami artist called David 'Lebo' Le Batard.

The hustle and bustle of Chinatown. Looking west along Washington Street from Kearny Street (right beside Portsmouth Square Plaza where the Chinese were celebrating Double Ten Day - a national celebration of 100 years since the Republic of China began).

Cafe Zoetrope, owned by Francis Ford Coppola (director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now), serving only wine from his private estate, and named after his famous production company created with George Lucas American Zoetrope, which helped to kickstart America Independent cinema. In the window you can see a (home-made) ad for Coppola's newest release, Twixt. I will eat here before we leave!

Vesuvio Café - the beat generation's bar in the literary district, on the corner of Jack Kerouac Alley and Columbus Avenue. The poem (painted by Shawn O'Shaughnessy) reads:
When the shadow of the grasshopper
Falls across the trail of the field mouse
On green and slimey grass as a red sun rises
Above the Western horizon silhouetting
A gaunt and tautly muscled Indian warrior
Perched with bow and arrow cocked and aimed
Straight at you it's time for another martini

Saints Peter and Paul Church at 666 (oooh, spooky) Filbert St.

Looking north along Powell St, from Columbus towards Fishermans Wharf - where the tour bus was eventually going (we hoped!).

Eventually, we found our way down to Pier 39 and the Aquarium by the Bay - as you can see, it's packed! We didn't know, but we had arrived slam bang in the middle of Fleet Week, where it seems the entire Navy comes out to show off.

The Navy's Blue Angels, as well as the Canadian's Snowbirds aerial display teams were putting on a great free show for 4 hours each day.

Thousands of people came out for Fleet Week.

There were so many people that our bus was having difficulty moving down the street at all. The view was good to see the wonders of Fisherman's Wharf - we saw chefs preparing crabs, a band with a 4 year old drummer, and a number of buskers.

Another view up the streets of San Francisco - this is Jones Street, looking south from North Point Street.

Another street of San Francisco - this time, looking south along Mason Street all the way up the hill from North Point Street. Which photo is your favourite?

Why is there a Melbourne tram in the middle of San Francisco? There are two, apparently, and were given as a gift from Victoria's State Premier John Brumby.

These are the Filbert Street steps - about 600 of them, and as well as sculptures nestled in the well-manicured gardens all the way up to the Coit Tower, they also give spectacular views of San Francisco. Occasionally you may also see some wild parrots here - The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. We didn't, however - as we stayed on the tour bus because the traffic was finally letting up!

Getting towards the financial district, the gigantic unique shape of the Transamerica pyramid loomed before us. It's the tallest building in San Francisco, but since 9/11 closed the observation deck and created a virtual one underground. I'm not quite sure of the purpose of a virtual observation deck...

Another photo of the Powell Street cable car. You are not allowed to mount the cable car when it's moving (like they used to do in the movies), but can hang on to the sides like these people are doing.

Going back to the car after a long day, I took a quick snap of the San Francisco Chronicle - owned by the Hearst Corporation (remember Hearst Castle?). Then it was off to our new hotel - a lovely little independent number called the Gateway Inn and Suites in San Bruno. Good night!