10 July 2016: Oh, how I wish you were here! I took this photo from the top of Lombard Street, famous for the way it zigzags down a steep 27% incline (there are eight hairpin turns in the one block). There are tourists everywhere! San Francisco is super hilly, and from the top of the street, you can see all the way out to the water.
Beautiful pink hydrangeas line the street, and there is an orderly queue of cars lined up, waiting for their turn to drive down. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live in one of the houses here – you’d have people in your front yard 24/7!
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4 July 2016: Miss Art Deco! We’ve found a spot to sit right at the start of the Piedmont Parade. There are vintage cars (proceeding from oldest to youngest), a horse drawn stagecoach, and marching bands of all kinds. The hilarious Balloon Platoon have just gone past – they’ve been taking part in this parade for more than 20 years!
It’s remarkably well-organised for a neighbourhood parade. Costumed characters (including Uncle Sam) are strolling down the street, handing candy out to the kids. We bought the most American tshirts we could find at Walmart, just to wear for the occasion!
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11 July 2016: I squealed and asked Dan to stop the car when we arrived here! The Palace of Fine Arts is a remnant of a bygone era. It was originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo, and completely rebuilt in 1965.
It’s an amazing space – the water is teeming with life (swans, turtles, ducks, dragonflies and oodles more) and the grassy areas are full of joggers and families having picnics. It’s such a perfect day – the best one we’ve had since we arrived. The fog (so prevalent in San Francisco city) has lifted and allowed the sun to shine through. The temperature is a very comfortable 24ºC (75°F). Great day!
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14 July 2016: The only thing that could have made Mel’s Diner better would have been waitresses on roller skates! We’re having a proper Happy Days moment – the food was fine and exactly as we expected, except for my huevos rancheros which tasted ok but looked like slop. The staff are very friendly, and the manager just offered me a 10% discount if we eat here again during our stay. Love that about eateries here – nothing is ever too much trouble, and they’re always so keen to get return business!
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12 July 2016: This guy was hilarious – his pitch was “very bad advice for $1, money back if you don’t laugh!’ I asked him if I could take his photo for a dollar, and he was more than happy to oblige!
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12 July 2016: We’ve spent the morning at the San Francisco Exploratorium, at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero. It’s a wonderful place – two floors filled with interactive science exhibits.
Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests are on display at the moment, much to the excitement of Small Man who has watched several documentaries on them. These intriguing wind powered walking machines are made from piping, wood and fabric. They “live” on beaches and move across the sand in a very organic way. Both Benny and Small Man had a chance to “walk” them!
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13 July 2016: Oh Muir Woods, how we love you! It’s hard to believe such spectacular natural beauty exists less than an hour from the heart of the city. This 550 acre (224 hectare) reserve – half of which is old growth redwood forests – has some of the tallest trees in the world. Not just trees – we’ve seen deer, a red-tailed hawk, and a chipmunk today. Did you know that chipmunks are tiny? Or that a deer has the same face as a kangaroo? I didn’t!
Big Boy and Pete have just announced that this is their favourite place in San Francisco so far. We’re finding it hard to leave! It’s very well managed too – easy walking trails and lots of information signs.
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5 July 2016: We couldn’t come to America and not go to a baseball game! Giants vs Rockies – let’s go, Giants, let’s go!
We’re sitting up in nosebleed seats and freezing – the fog has just rolled in and it’s icy cold. Not at all what we expected from a SF summer…but sooo worth it, because it’s exactly like in the movies. There are guys walking through the stands selling cotton candy, they play the dum dum dum dum music after each hit, everyone sings “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” in between the 6th and 7th innings, and the electronic scoreboard has just flashed up “Judy, I’ll love you forever…Sam”. Next time though, I’m bringing blankets.
PS. Just noticed some locals wearing Giants (orange and black) polarfleece dressing gowns. It’s really cold!
PPS. The Giants lost 3-7. Poor Mitch was devastated!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Sounds like you had a great time Celia, BTW great photos.
We have chipmunks in our backyard—Maine has them, too. So I know exactly how big they are ;) Wonderful impressions of the city and where you went.
STOP, you are driving me crazy!!! What a wonderful post…..I have tears in my eyes, REALLY!!!
I love San Fransisco, always bring a jacket and enjoy. Celia, you captured the heart of this city with your photos.
San Francisco (or ‘Frisco’ as my cool Uncle used to call it) is a beautiful city. You have captured it well with a stunning array of photos from varying slices of the culture. Glad you enjoyed it.
Lovely postcards thanks Celia. I adored Muir Woods when I took my girls there a few years back. We hope to be in San Fran in late January – can’t wait!
Celia – I have been lucky to have been to SF quite a few times myself and have read up heaps more: honestly, you have posted the most innovative, fun series of photos I have ever seen – oh, I have photographed Lombard Street on quite a few occasions also but always from the bottom up: fun, fun, fun and thanks! And, not ever having been to a ‘ballgame’ but having two firm invitations to one if I only make it across the Pond . . . I better get my sails ready :) !!
Wonderful postcards. I so enjoyed revisiting San Fran through your eyes.
I was hoping you took the guy’s bad advice- I wanted to know what he might offer. That baseball game seating looks rather vertiginous.
Glad you enjoyed your time in SFO. I almost think our roles are reversed. I consider SFO home, but I left my heart in Sydney :-)
Cheers!
Great photos of a gorgeous city. I loved San Francisco too.
It’s great fun seeing San Francisco through your eyes, Celia. With our son living nearby we are in the city often. There are all the fun touristy places, but my heart is more inclined towards Muir Woods! So glad you enjoyed your time here.
Fantastic post and loved the videos. Still chortling though at the guy who offers the very bad advice….absolutely brilliant!
Great photos!
This looks very similar to my SFO post…..how good is the Exploratorium?
Oh my friend! I am so happy that you had such a good time in the Bay area. I’ve eaten at that diner. I’m obsessed with the Palace of Fine Arts. Did you know that the day it opened they let all the local residents attend first? Imagine everyone in the city walking through the gates waving their tickets. It’s also where ukuleles became popular in the US. And the Exploratorium is the funnest! <3 Hugs, Maz.
Beautiful photos. What a great city!
I loved San Francisco. It was our first (only so far) time to the US a few years ago and I was a bit (zombie for 2 days) jet lagged when we arrived but it was just amazing. We stayed at an airbnb in Haight Ashbury and I couldn’t stop taking photos of the front of peoples houses and their gardens! Everyone was so polite and friendly. We had some spare cable car tickets and gave them to a homeless guy and he said it made his day – he was so excited. We didn’t know about Muir Woods but we did hire a car and drive a few hours south – just beautiful. I could spend weeks just in California. It did take a while to get used to the food and I don’t think I could ever eat biscuits and gravy!! Did you have it? Thank you for sharing
Miss Art Deco! – how lucky you were. Sound like my kind of parade. I’ve never been to the USA on 4th of July though have been there during Halloween. They love a party! Lots of wonderful memories made on that trip Celia.
Oh how I envy you Celia San Fransisco the people the sites and how can you forget the
Sour dough Bread and English Clam Chowda I just loved that city
I am so glad you liked our lovely city and had a wonderful time. Amazing to think you were right next door and I could have run into you at the farmer’s market or on the street!
So glad that you and your family enjoyed such a wonderful vacation, Celia. It’s hard not to do so when in SanFrancisco. Gla, too, that you made it to Muir Woods. It’s truly a marvel! So, when are you coming to Chicago? :)
I visited San Francisco many years ago and loved it. Your pictures are beautiful, and I enjoyed the tour. I agree that it can be unexpectedly cold there though!
I got a kick out of “Very good advice for under $1.00”
BAD….advice….or should I say a bad joke?
You certainly did pack a lot in during your visit! Glad very one had a great time. As for the baseball game, it’s all about location. Here you would have been sweating profusely and stuck to you seat from all the heat and humidity.
I adore San Francisco, loved Muir Woods too. Did you know that the only insect that lives there is a migratory lady bug. The migrate through and stay a week(?) but do not eat anything. A forest with no bugs is perfect for me!
When I was there for business, in a past life, I had to buy these little sand paper stickers for the soles of my sandals, to make it safe to walk on the hilly streets around my hotel. Did you do a streetcar tour? Ghirardelli chocolate? Alcatraz? The pier (so many great seafood places)? We went to Sausalito, just over the Golden Gate Bridge. It has a boathouse community that is really cool and great views of SF!
Alcatraz yes! I’ll be writing about it when I get time!