Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
56
it's quite manageable—all attractions ar e located within 2 squar e miles. I' ve av oided
overly ambitious suggestions in order to factor in slower walkers, emergency potty breaks,
and the tough time you may have tearing the kids away from PIER 39. This itinerary will
keep your family moving from one colorful place to the next, giving y our children little
time to complain of boredom. Indeed, with the “crookedest street in the world,” antique
ships, and noisy sea lions, chances are your kids will want to keep going even when you're
tuckered out. Just in case, I've noted plenty of playgrounds and grassy areas where every-
one can take a break.
Powell-Hyde cable car turnaround at Powell and Mar-
ket streets.
1 Union Square/Market Street/
Powell-Hyde Cable Car Line
If you're staying in a hotel, ther e's a good
chance y ou'll be near the P owell-Hyde
cable car line. ( That said, if y ou're staying
in Fisherman's Wharf, y ou may pr efer to
start this tour at stop no. 3 below and then
fit in time for U nion Square after visiting
Chinatown.) Your first stop , the cable car
“turnaround” at the corner of M arket and
Powell streets, is the hear t of San Francis-
co's shopping scene. G iven the ev er-pres-
ent queue for the cable car , you'll want to
get there early, which may mean y ou'll be
out before the stores open. Even so, you'll
enjoy people-watching, fr om local wor ker
bees starting their day to other early-rising
tourists to str eet performers getting r eady
to perform to the occasional odd bird car-
rying a sign lamenting the coming dooms-
day. It's certainly a lively spot to start your
excursion. See p. 159.
2 San Francisco Cable Cars
(& Cable Car Museum)
A cable car ride is an attraction in itself .
Created in 1973 as an alternative to horse-
drawn carriages, which pr oved difficult
and at times ev en dangerous on the city 's
steep hills, cable cars actually hav e no
engines. I nstead, cables r unning under-
ground on the cable car lines mo ve at a
constant speed of 9 1 / 2 mph. The car's con-
ductor, called a “ gripper,” controls a lev er
that opens and closes a vise-like grip on
the cable to either mo ve or stop . The
Powell-Hyde line r uns up some of S
Francisco's steepest str eets, giving y ou a
good sense of the city 's photogenic, hilly
topography. You'll pass right b y the Cable
Car Museum (p . 178). I f it 's past 10am,
take a moment to check it out. It's free and
quite interesting. If it's closed, perhaps you
can take a detour there later when you are
in Chinatown.
3 Lombard Street
After passing the Cable Car M useum, the
cable car continues climbing Nob Hill and
then turns nor th onto R ussian Hill's tree-
lined H yde S treet. A t the top of H
yde
Street, get off at the intersection with
Lombard Street, the so-called “ crookedest
street in the world.” Snap some photos of
Alcatraz I sland, the S an F rancisco B ay,
Coit Tower, and Telegraph Hill—just tr y
not to do so from the middle of the street,
as some o ver-enthusiastic sightseers ar e
wont to do . Then str oll do wn, and back
up, the Lombar d S treet steps; in spring
and early summer, the str eet is lined with
colorful blossoms. See p. 162.
4 Victoria Park, Ghirardelli Square
& Aquatic Park
Now y ou can either walk the thr ee
extremely steep blocks do wn Hyde Street
toward Fisherman's Wharf, or hop back on
the cable car. Either way, you'll end up at
Victoria Park, a lo vely expanse of grass at
the edge of the S an Francisco B ay. Walk
left 1 block to G hirardelli Square, an old-
time chocolate factor y now housing shops
and restaurants. Since it'll be too early for
ice cream, you'll have an excuse not to wait
in line at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and
3
an
 
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