We did not want to drive our dually truck in San Francisco, not to mention, try to find a parking place. Not a good idea to take the truck into the city!!!!! So we searched the different ways to get to San Francisco. One, we could take the Amtrak from Sacramento and transfer to a bus along the way and the bus would drop us right downtown. The tickets cost about $40 a piece. Two, we could drive about 70 miles and catch the BART station at the last city on the line. From there, it would be about an hours drive on the train and it too would drop us off right downtown. The cost of that would be $10 a piece not counting the diesel for the 70 miles. We decided to drive the truck and ride the train. We have ridden the train from Fort Worth to Dallas and back so getting on and off should be no problem. Well, yes, there is a problem. We are familiar with every stop along the way to Dallas and Ft. Worth but not with the names along the route into SF. So we had to really pay attention and hoped we got off the right exit from the train. We had no problem after all.
We had signed up for a 5 hour bus/ferry tour. First place we went was on the ferry to Sausalito which gives you a great view of San Francisco, the bay, Alcatraz, and the bridges, but it was hazy and grey looking.
In Saucalito, these stairs take you from one street up to the next street so the locals can walk around town and not get into the congested traffic from visitors.
Rick and Tinka in Sausalito
Then back to SF across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Tinkas arms are wrapped around the size cable that holds up the bridge.
SF is famous for old Victorian houses. The dark green one came up for sale about 2 years ago for $7 million. You have seen the inside of this house if you saw Mrs. Doubtfire with Sally Fields and Robin Williams.
Then on to my favorite street in SF which is Lombard Street. This is known as the crookedest street in SF. The reason for all the hairpin turns are so people can make it down the hill without killing themselves.
Rick actually walked down some of the steep streets!!!!! (Note the foot hold treads on the sidewalk.)
http://www.sftravel.com/lomabardcrookedstreet.html
More to follow tomorrow.