The City of Fog

One must never forget that above all else, San Francisco is still a maritime city, subject to the power and the whim of the ocean. San Francisco sits at the crossroads of major air masses and often finds itself encased in their result, fog. While not the foggiest city in the world, that honour goes to St. John's, NL, the fog has become something of an iconic image of that city by the sea. It was to the site of fog that I awoke this morning.

Despite the reputation of fog, the bizarre aspect of it is that it stays primarily close to the water and does not venture inland very far. I was no more than 2 kilometers from the water's edge at my hotel but not a trace of fog could be seen there. Once I travelled towards the docks, I saw much more. The fog enveloped buildings, filtering the light.

This day was spent walking and getting around San Francisco so I could get a feel of my surroundings. I first stopped by the turnaround to see the famous cable car. Although it is one of the iconic symbols of San Francisco, it may surprise you to know that there are only 3 lines of cable car. The system, which uses a cable underneath the road to pull the vehicle along, was developed in San Francisco to deal with the steep streets. The city is built on a series of steep hills which descend very rapidly towards the bay. The cable car system was almost discontinued after World War 2 but survived. I bought a 3-day transit pass which allowed me unlimited travel on municipal transit lines.

I rode the cable car up some steep hills and disembarked. Riding outside the cable car is an experience everyone who goes to San Francisco should have. After I got off, I took the time to walk down to the waterfront to witness the fog. Along the way, I snapped some pictures of the tallest building in the city, the Transamerica Pyramid.

The Pyramid was built in the early 1970s by the Transamerica corporation, too quite considerable opposition. Many worried that it would ruin the skyline and drive property values down but like the cable car, it has since become a symbol of San Francisco. I found the tower veiled in fog and it made for an excellent photograph.

I then proceeded to the water's edge and found myself staring at a very opaque fog bank. It seemed to be a solid mass upon the water though behind me the city basked in the warm sun's glow. Throughout my stay in San Francisco I endured only sunny skied and temperature of 20C, with not a trace of the sometimes frosty weather which can blow in from the cold Pacific Current. Along the wharves were fishing vessels, old museum ships and various other things that one expects to find in a working port. This was the famous Fisherman's Wharf which has many restaurants and other establishments dedicated to seafood.

Along the water's edge, I heard a fog horn in the distance. Although I could not see where it was originating from, I guessed that it was the Golden Gate Bridge, another venture on my list that day. I entered the northern portions of the Golden Gate Recreational Area and managed to snap photos of the iconic bridge as it poked through the fog.

Making my way through the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, a sort of large park and conservation area all in one, I managed to walk to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of San Francisco, this bridge spans the Golden Gate, a trip of water between San Francisco and neighbouring Marin County. It was built in the 1930s as a make-work project during the Great Depression though the idea for a bridge at that point was several decades old. The bridge is actually painted international orange despite its name. There is also enough cable in the bridge to stretch around the world more than 3 times.

I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge both ways, which offered several spectacular views of San Francisco. There are even suicide hot line telephones on the bridge to discourage people from jumping off it. Having walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, I made my way by bus back to the city.

From the Golden Gate Bridge it's very easy to see Alcatraz Prison, once the home of the most notorious criminals in the US. Named for the Spanish world for pelican, the island was a prison from the time of the American Civil War until 1963 when it was closed because of exorbitant costs. It is now a famous tourist attraction though I did not get a chance to visit it this trip. Once is amazed how close the prison appears to be to other landmasses, especially when one considers that no one has ever escaped the island, except Sean Connery. The distance do not seem to be too great for a decent swimmer to traverse. However, the water is quite cold and the currents very powerful making any swimming or rowing attempt very dangerous. No trace of the 3 men who staged a highly planned escape of the island was ever found.

One of my final daylight stops was Lombard Street, known for 1 section of it that winds at 90-degree angles down a steep hill. Cars are only allowed to go down the street but people do live there and park their cars in garages that face the street.

This night I had dinner at a small Chinese restaurant, a must for any visitor or denizen of San Francisco.