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 Alcatraz
is one of our most popular destinations, offering a close-up
look at a historic and infamous federal prison, home to the
likes of Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and the “Birdman.”
Visitors to the island can explore the remnants of the
prison, as well as learn about the Indian occupation of
1969-1971 and early military fortifications. Ferries to
Alcatraz leave from Pier 33, Fisherman’s Wharf. Reservations
recommended. Call 415-981-7625 or visit
alcatrazcruises.com for information and ticket. Now you
can buy tickets online and print boarding passes to avoid
lines. |
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ANGEL ISLAND |
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 Angel
Island is the largest island in the Bay. Visitors can tour
the historic structures that remain from this West Coast
internment camp which was the “Ellis Island of the West.”
Angel Island offers picnic areas, hiking trails, tram tours,
bike rentals and kayaking. Take the ferry from the Ferry
Building. Call 415-435-3522 or
www.angelisland.org. |
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BARBARY COAST TRAIL |
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 Retrace
San Francisco gold rush history by following the
Barbary Cost Trail, a self-guided 3.8 mile walking
tour marked by a series bronze medallions in the
sidewalk, beginning at the Old Mint, 5th & Mission,
to Aquatic Park in Fisherman’s Wharf. The Barbary
Coast Trail connects 20 historic sites including the
birthplace of the Gold Rush, the oldest Asian temple
in North America, a Silver King mansion, the western
terminus of the Pony Express, six museums, and the
country’s largest collection of historic ships. Each
end of the walking trail connects to the Powell-Hyde
cable car line. Maps are available at San
Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, 900 Market
Street, or at
sfhistory.org. |
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BAY BRIDGE |
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 The
Oakland Bay Bridge connects San Francisco with Alameda
County (Interstate 80) to access cities including Oakland,
Berkeley and acramento.The Bridge consists of two sections,
a western suspension span and an eastern cantilever span.
The two spans meet at Yerba Buena Island via atunnel that
gives access to Treasure Island. Treasure Island is an
artificial island created in 1939 for the Golden Gate
International Exposition of fill dredged from the bay. After
the Exposition, plans were to convert it to an airport, but
the location proved to windy to be practical.TI served as a
Navy base during WWII. A number of the old aircraft hangers
served as sound stages for film and TV productions. The
island has a raised walkway circling the perimeter of most
of the island, which is popular for recreation. TI is served
by a single Muni bus route, the 108 Treasure Island. Bridge
toll of $4 is charged westbound only. www.baybridgeinfo.org. |
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Everyone wants to ride San Francisco's moving landmarks.
And they are an exciting trip...up and down some of the
city's steepest hills at a steady 9.5 mph. The inventor
of the cable car, Andrew Hallidie, came to the US from
England in 1852. His father was an inventor who had the
first patent in Great Britain for wire rope. Hallidie,
working as a surveyor in the gold fields of California,
constructed a machine to make wire rope used to pull
ore-filled cars up a track from the mines. Soon after
moving his wire rope-making plant to San Francisco in
1869, he was horrified to watch a heavily loaded horse
drawn streetcar slip and slide down a steep grade,
dragging the horse to its death. He immediately turned
his attention to inventing a cable grip to pull
streetcars safely up and down the steep San Francisco
hills. When the world’s first Cable Car traveled down
Clay Street on Nob Hill in the summer of 1873, the
invention was an immediate hit. Not only was this new
system safer, but it opened up many new areas for home
building previously thought unsuitable due to their
steep hillside locations.
Prior to 1906, the system had 600 cars rolling over
its 110 miles of track. The Great Quake, however, caused
extensive damage and many cable car lines were never
rebuilt. Currently, there are 39 cars operating over a
10-mile network:
The POWELL-HYDE LINE runs from Powell and Market over
Nob and Russian Hills to Hyde Street Pier in Fisherman’s
Wharf. The POWELL-MASON LINE begins at Powell & Market,
runs over Nob Hill to Bay Street in Fisherman’s Wharf.
The CALIFORNIA LINE runs from the foot of California at
the Hyatt Regency, in the Financial District, through
Chinatown, over Nob Hill to Van Ness Avenue. Purchase
tickets at booths at turntables or pay the conductor on
board. Fare is $5 per rider, with no transfers.
The Cable Car Powerhouse & Museum, 1201 Mason Street
at Washington, is the working center of the cable-car
system. The onsite museum features displays telling the
history of the system. The gift shop offers a variety of
souvenirs. The Powerhouse is open free to the public
daily 10am-6pm. Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines stop
at the museum. On the California line get off at Mason
Street and walk blocks north. For information, visit
http://www.cablecarmuseum.org.
For more transit information, go to
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mrider/visitors.htm. |
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| How the Cable Car
Works? |
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| The cable car works by
cable traction involving the use of “endless”
wire rope that is kept in motion throughout the
route from a central power plant. This wire
rope, or cable, runs in a groove below the
surface of the street at a constant speed of 9
miles per hour. The cable is kept in motion by
winding wheels ten feet in diameter, driven by
an electric power plant located in the Cable Car
Barn at Washington and Mason Streets. Each car
is equipped with a vice-live grip. The car moves
forward when the operator, or gripman, pulls on
the lever that grips the moving cable. When the
gripman wants to stop the car, he or she simply
disengages the grip from the cable. |
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