California Coast 2015 - San Francisco, May 15th to May 17th.

San Francisco is our next destination. We leave Monterey and continue up Highway 1. At a rest stop we watch a flock of Brown Pelicans heading north. All the flocks of pelicans and gulls we've seen are winging that direction. They have a rendezvous with the salmon runs and nesting sites.

A squadron of Brown Pelicans in a fast flight north.

No time to loose. They wing their way by us and disappear in the mist. 

California Gulls take a break on the beach. Only Alfred Hitchcock would speculate on what they're thinking.

We reach the famous city and drive right into the heart of it. The freeway takes us directly to the Embarcadero and it's bumper to bumper traffic.  After negotiating the city streets we cross the Golden Gate Bridge. What a highlight for us New Mexicans. 

We camped for 3 nights at Marin RV Park in the town of Greenbrea on the north side of the bridge along Highway 101. It's the only private park we've stayed at during this trip. The sites are small, narrow graveled back-ins that are perpendicular to the paved interior roads. All sites are full hookups so even though we don't need hookups we have no choice. There's a pool, laundry and showers. A section of the park are mobile homes. We paid $71 per night, the highest we've ever paid for camping. In our research this is the best place we could find and not a bad location if you plan on visiting the city. The staff can really make a difference in a campground and the ladies that worked in the office were very nice, helpful and enjoyed visiting with us. This campground is a convenience for visiting San Francisco and we'd recommend it. I forgot to get a picture of our site but you get the idea.

Us New Mexicans are in awe of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

To get across the bay to San Francisco we walk 15 minutes from the campground to the Larkspur ferry docks. It cost us $20 per day round trip to take the 45 minute ride to the Ferry Building on the San Francisco water front. Along the way we pass San Quentin Prison and Alcatraz.

We pass San Quentin on the ferry ride to San Francisco. No shopping for these guys.

Alcatraz with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

The weather was overcast and chilly. As our ferry approaches the wharf we see the neighborhoods stacked up on the hills. None of the cities we've live in have been so high-density and it's quite a view.

A view from the bay as our ferry approches the docks.

San Francisco's financial district looks really nice with a sail boat.

We dock at the Ferry Building and spend the day walking the Embarcardero on the water front.

The ferry has comfortable seating, bike racks and a snack bar.

The Ferry Building is filled with restaurants, fresh produce markets and shops. Its clock tower is our landmark. Once a busy place of trade and commerce the Embarcardero in now a bustling place for the tourism economy. The walkway along the boulevard is crowded with people from all over the world and we move through a steady flow of different faces and languages. The crowd is as diverse as the city.

The Ferry Building on the Embarcardero.

On the Hyder Street Pier at the west end of the Embarcardero are restored historic ships that are open for tours.

The Balclutha is a sleek newly restored square rigger that is open for tours on the Hyder Street Pier.

The Alma.

The Hercules.

We noticed a lot of bicyclist even on this crowed street in the worst bicycling conditions and with good reason. Another tourist activity. There were many bike rental shops in the area that gave tours across the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour guides people safely through the streets and across the bridge. They returned to San Francisco on the same ferry line we use to complete a round trip.

Bicyclist on a tour to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

We go to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. So much seafood. How to decide? We have a simple lunch of shrimp/crab cocktail. Fresh is always satisfying.

Fisherman's Wharf with street musicians . . .

. . . and lots of seafood.

Aren't I a handsome fellow? Would you share you're lunch with me?

The entrance to Pier 39.

There's always entertainment on the Embarcardero. This colorful, personable street musician puts heart and soul into lively jazz numbers on her keyboard while a crab sculpture with a flower garden on its back dances at the entrance to Pier 39.

Some key board jazz at Pier 39. This lady's good!

At center stage in Pier 39 a master juggler engages the crowd with humor and on-the-edge-of-disaster tricks.

A performer teases the crowd with juggling, near misses and wacky humor.

Surely he must have done this before.

The famous Pier 39 Harbor Seals relax on their platforms. During their month-long molt they spend most of the time just laying around conserving energy. They don't have to perform. They can draw a crowd without doing anything. If you see a raised flipper they're not signaling for another round, they're just cooling off.

The Pier 39 Harbor Seals always have an audience.

A blubber pile. Laying on top of another seal must be the ultimate in comfort.

Life is good. OOOOMMMMM.

Our day on the Embarcardero was fun and well spent. It's time to catch the ferry back across the bay.

A pose with Alcatraz in the background.

The Bay Bridge at the east end of the Enbarcardero near the Ferry Building spans the bay between San Francisco and Oakland.

The Bay Bridge also looks really pretty with sail boats.

On our second day we take the ferry back to the city and purchase a transportation day pass for $15 each which lets us ride the cable cars, trolleys and buses. We spent the day riding every cable car line. The operator announces the locations and riders let him know when they want to disembark. It was really easy to get around once we got oriented.

The trolley station near the Ferry Building.

The trolley was the best way to experience the city's streets and neighborhoods. Most of the riders were locals.

The hills really are this steep.

A nice commuter we visited with on the trolley takes our picture.

A view from the top of Nob Hill.

Truly San Francisco. Wish I could see inside.

We got off at China Town and walked the streets, just tourists not blending in very well with the locals. This street, festively decorated with lanterns, beckons tourists to the import and souvenir shops. I think we were on Stockton St. There was so much to look at that I didn't notice the street signs. This is the first time I really felt like a tourist.

Picture takers and shoppers. All of us mixing it up with people going about their lives.

The lanterns look like sparkling champagne bubbles in the effervescent air of the market place.

A contrast of style. One tells of culture and ideas. The other is just a brick building.

No middle man.

After China Town we take the Cable Car back down the hill to the Embarcardero and our last ferry ride across the bay.

Going back down the hill.

There were so many things we could have seen in San Francisco as people will tell us. We small town New Mexicans can only handle a limited bit of sensory overload before the country calls to us and we must be on our way. What ever else we could have done will have to wait. We did manage to get a feel for the city and moved through it with its people. It was good. Maybe there will be another time.

Until then, we'll see you down the road.

Jackie