Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
160
As the story goes, in 1869 British-born engineer Andrew Hallidie observed a team of
overworked horses pulling a heavily laden carriage up a steep , rain-swept San Francisco
hill. One horse slipped and the car rolled back, dragging the other horses and everything
else down with it. Right then H allidie resolved to create a mechanical device to r eplace
these beasts of burden, and by 1873 the first cable car traversed Clay Street. The cars have
no engines. Instead, a steel cable is housed just under the str eet in a rail, kind of like an
inside-out train rail. Powered by electricity, this cable constantly moves, or runs, through
the rail—making a distinctiv e clickity-clacking sound. Each cable car has a lev er that
when pulled back, closes a pincer-like grip on the cable. The person who pulls the lev er
is thus called a “gripper,” not a driver. The cable car is then attached to the cable that runs
through the rail under the pav ement, and the car begins to mo
ve at a constant 9
1
/
2
mph—the speed at which the cable is set to trav el.
As electric str eetcars and buses became mor e economical, S an F rancisco's may or
planned in 1947 to do away with the fe w cable cars still ar ound. Alarmed, a gr oup of
private citiz ens lobbied successfully to sav e the city 's thr ee r emaining cable car lines.
Between 1982 and 1984, the city completely r efurbished these lines and seismically r et-
rofitted the Cable Car Barn on Mason and Washington streets.
The Powell-Hyde line is the most scenic, passing crooked Lombard Street before head-
ing down Russian Hill towards Ghirardelli Square and offering a br eathtaking vista of
Alcatraz and the S an F rancisco B ay. U nfortunately, the wait for this r oute, and the
Powell-Mason line, is seemingly interminable. S olutions are to catch the car early in the
morning or after dinner. Another option is to take the California Street line, which runs
through Chinatown and over Nob Hill, as lines to board the cars are a bit shorter.
Powell at Market or California at Market sts. Tickets $5 one-way; $11 for an all-day pass. $1 one-way with
a Muni weekly; free with a Muni monthly pass; free with a Muni Passport and for children under 5. Hours
of operation are 6am-1:30am.
Crissy Field
All ages.
A 4-year effort converted this abandoned U.S. air field
into a lovely national park, and it is a wonderful retreat for the whole family. My husband
and I take our kids her e regularly, as well as any visitors who come into to wn. The kids
can climb all over the grassy knolls or play at the beach while the adults sav or the spec-
tacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge to the west and the San Francisco skyline to the
east. There's nothing specific to “ do” here, so ther e's a chance teens will find it boring.
For everyone else, the spot is so r elaxing and beautiful, it 's well worth a visit. The 100-
acre site has a tidal marsh, sheltered picnic area, bike path, walking path, cafe, bookstore,
and education center. You can pass thr ough here on a hike to F ort Point, or just come
for lunch at the Warming Hut. Located at the park's western end, the Warming Hut has
a great gift shop and a tasty, organic cafe menu developed with input from renowned chef
Alice Waters of Berkeley's Chez Panisse.
Crissy Field Center, Building 603 on the corner of Mason and Halleck sts.
&
415/561-7690.
www.crissy
field.org. Center program offices Tues-Sat 9am-5pm. Crissy F ield Center Cafe and Warming Hut daily
9am-5pm. Muni: no. 28-19th Ave., no. 29-Sunset, or no. 43-Masonic bus.
Exploratorium
All ages.
S ome time ago
Scientific A merican
magazine
described the E xploratorium as “ the best science museum in the world. ” Most y oung
visitors would still agree. The cavernous space, a former airplane hanger, is crammed with
displays that encourage vie wer par ticipation. The exhibits ar e thematic, with matter
examined near the entrance, examples of momentum and iner tia by the cafe, light and
optics at the r ear, and biology and electricity on the mezzanine. Clearly written text
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