San Francisco

In this Travelogue we’ll take a trip to San Francisco and see some of the Northern California coastline.

Let’s start by heading north on Highway I – one of the most beautiful drives in the US. The view of the waves crashing and the smell of the ocean are wonderful.

This is the San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Mission. It was built in 1772 by Father Junipero Serra. The Mission is at the heart of the city of San Luis Obispo and is still a Catholic Church. San Luis Creek runs through the Mission.

A little farther north on Highway I is Morro Bay, a small town of 10,000 people. There are many fisherman in Morro Bay. Morro Rock is very famous.

The last stop on the way to San Francisco is the town of Monterrey. Monterrey is famous for its Aquarium, Marina, and Cannery Row. Monterrey has its own Fisherman’s Wharf.

As the sun sets, let’s finish the drive to San Francisco.

Northern California is the home of San Francisco – a rather small city of fewer than one million people.

San Francisco is surrounded by water. The Pacific Ocean forms the western edge and San Francisco Bay borders the city to the east.

It is a foggy, romantic city. Do you know what famous singer left his heart in San Francisco?

San Francisco is famous for its skyline, cable cars, earthquakes and the Golden Gate Bridge – one of the most spectacular sites in America. The bridge was built in the 1930s. It took four years and $35 million dollars.

The beautiful towers of the Golden Gate Bridge are 750 feet tall and it is nearly two miles long. Our friends walked across the bridge, but we drove.

From the bridge you can see the tall buildings of the Financial District and the steep hills with the cable cars. Do you know why the cable cars system was built in San Francisco?

Before automobiles, people went everywhere by horse carriage. It was very difficult for the horses to go up and down the hills safely. So, the same cable technology that was used in the famous gold mines was used to build a new transportation system that was better for horses and people!

When the cable cars were built, there were more than 500 cars and 100 miles of track. Today, fewer than 30 cable cars run on about 9 miles of track. Everyone loves the sound of the bells. Many tourists go places in San Francisco by cable car.

A favorite ride is from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf. As one goes down Hyde Street, there is a wonderful view of the Bay. There’s the Golden Gate Bridge again and there’s Alcatraz.

Alcatraz, or “The Rock,” is a small island that was America’s most secure prison. We went to Alcatraz by boat. It took only 15 minutes. The guided tour of the prison was very interesting.

Here is Fisherman’s Wharf. There are always lots of tourists here and there are many different things to do. People shop, eat and watch other people.

Now let’s visit Chinatown. Here is a picture of the Dragon’s Gate. The smell of Chinese food is everywhere. The shops sell unusual things. There are always people walking in Chinatown.

Haight-Ashbury is the center of hippie life. The “summer of love” is over but there are many memories of life in the 1960s.

This is Lombard Street. Can you guess its nickname? It is called “the Crookedest Street in the World”.

The oldest building in California, Mission Dolores which was built in 1776, is in San Francisco. The Mission District is the center of Hispanic life in San Francisco.

Some of San Francisco is old, but much of San Francisco is new. There are many tall modern buildings.

Let’s end the visit to San Francisco in Golden Gate Park. There are 11 lakes in the park and several famous museums.

This is a good place to relax at the end of the day.

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