The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers

and their adventures in San Francisco
- a bus tour of the city and a cable car ride

- May 4, 2009

clipart - history bookCable cars are a traditional mode of daily transportation for San Franciscans, and an eagerly sought adventure for every visitor. Since 1964, the cable car has been designated by the National Park Service as a "national landmark".

The inventor of the cable car was Andrew Hallidie, a Scottish engineer and wire rope manufacturer. The inspiration for it is said to have come from an incident observed by Hallidie in 1869. He reportedly came upon a team of four horses struggling to haul a public conveyance up a steep San Francisco street. One horse slipped on the fog-slick cobblestones, causing the car to roll backward dragging all four horses with it. He promised himself he would put an end to this unintentional cruelty to animals.

As an engineer, it did not take Hallidie long to design the cable railway, by which an engaged cable in a slot would carry a car uphill or down at the same speed. Financing the project was more difficult, but faith and confidence prevailed, and construction began in May, 1872. Many labeled it "Hallidie's Folly". Laboring against a franchise deadline granted by skeptical city fathers, Hallidie and his crew worked through the night on the final day of grace. On August 2, 1873 at five a.m., Hallidie took the grip man's position in the original cable car and triumphantly made the first run from the top of Nob Hill, safely down steep Clay Street to the wonderment of the doubting spectators.

Today the cable cars still run from Hallidie Plaza at Market Street, up Powell Street, past the hotels on Nob Hill, and down to Fisherman's Wharf, providing the scenic ride which is the preferred mode of transportation for most of the millions of people who visit Fisherman's Wharf annually.

When the cable car gets to the end of the street, it drives onto this round circle, which is then rotated manually, and that is how the cable car turns around to go the other way.

sign - world famous cable cars
cable car turn-around
San Francisco cable car
San Francisco cable car
Below: A cable car coming into the station. The brake on the cable car is a wooden brake system that gets replaced every two weeks.
San Francisco cable car
San Francisco cable car brake system
San Francisco cable car
the streets of San Francisco
the streets of San Francisco
the streets of San Francisco
The great seal of California
art in the city
Below: The colt tower and Transamerica Pyramid
The colt tower and Transamerica Pyramid
The colt tower and Transamerica Pyramid
Below: "The heart of San Francisco"
BELOW: A steep road and the bay
The heart of San Francisco
San Francisco
Below: Several views of Danielle Steele's house - a famous author of books
Danielle Steele's house
Danielle Steele's house
Danielle Steele's house
Danielle Steele's house
Below: The house used in the movie "Mrs. Doubtfire"
Mrs. Doubtfire's house
Mrs. Doubtfire's house

Below: One of 3 crazy streets in San Francisco. See how it zig-zags at the top.

crazy streets in San Francisco
crazy streets in San Francisco
Below: WIRES FOR THE TROLLEYS
WIRES FOR THE TROLLEYS
WIRES FOR THE TROLLEYS
Below: A trolley car and a very small unusual car.
A trolley car
very small weird car
Below: Different styles of housing in San Francisco. Although these houses appear to be touching, there is actually one-INCH between them as per the fire code. Photos were taken out the window of a moving bus.
housing in San Francisco
housing in San Francisco
housing in San Francisco
housing in San Francisco
housing in San Francisco
housing in San Francisco
Below: Victorian houses - this row of houses are all the same-except for the fancy design on the outside.
Victorian houses
Victorian houses
Victorian houses
Victorian houses
Victorian houses
housing in San Francisco
a big house
housing
Below: A house with a big robot over the garage
house with a big robot
house with a big robot
a big robot
streets of San Francisco
streets of San Francisco
Below: BUSINESSES AND STORES
BUSINESSES AND STORES in San Francisco
drunken sushi  store
A famous restaurant - Bill's Place
 
A famous restaurant - Bill's Place
artwork on a building
legs boutique
legs in a window
Below: CITY HALL
CITY HALL
CITY HALL
streets of San Francisco
streets of San Francisco
Below: The Cliff House
The Cliff House
Below: A WINDMILL
A WINDMILL
A WINDMILL
A WINDMILL
Menu for the two RV Gypsies in California - April 2009

California photos are in 28 separate sections found below. Some sections may have more than one page so that the photos will upload faster. You may visit these sections in any order you choose. Each section will have this menu so that visitors do not have to keep returning here in order to continue the California adventures. There is also a link to Oregon at the very bottom of the California menu.

travel scenery
Mountain Lakes RV Park
Venice Beach
Big Bear Mountain (4 pages)
Palm Springs Tram (3 pages)
Karen's family photos

Kaweah Park Resort and a bobcat

Three Rivers and Lake Kaweah

driving scenery

Sequoia National Park

Kings Canyon
- big sequoia trees

Yosemite National Park

El Capitan

Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls

Indian Flat RV Park

The Golden Gate Bridge

Fisherman's Wharf /
Seals / Alcatraz

Armstrong Woods
State Preserve -
Giant Redwood Trees

Sonoma County driving tour / beaches

San Francisco
and cable car ride (this page)

The Living Roof
and Gardens

Chinatown

N. Petaluma KOA
and driving scenery

Bear Mountain RV Resort

Shasta Lake

Mt. Shasta

Shasta Dam

 

Sundial Bridge

 
look below for more menu options

go to the next adventure of the two RV Gypsies AFTER you have enjoyed all of the above, please continue on to Oregon.

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