Uncommon Means of Transportation

We used a little boat in SF Bay to make the crossing from San Francisco to the charming town of Sausalito.  The approximate distance to go and come back with minor deviations from the strait line to visit the Golden Gate Bridge and the island of Alcatraz, where Al Capone spend time after he was convicted for tax evasion was 30 miles or 48 kilometers.  

We used public transportation in the greater Bay Area called BART and in Chicago where it is called “L” for elevated.  I have no idea how many miles we did but a rough estimate is 30 miles or 48 kilometers.  

We walked a lot.   The distance by a pedometer in my pocket recorded 37 miles or 60 kilometers in three weeks.  Most of the walking was not between cities, like that of the men in the photograph taken during the Great Depression, but within cities like San Francisco and also the beautiful sites such as Monument Valley and Grand Canyon.  At the time of our arrival Chicago was too cold for strolls.

Bicycles are available to rent in many cities.   Good example is cities such as San Francisco, Chicago and Portland.  As we are in the midst of the winter Olympics, Amsterdam is not just a contender but it gets the gold medal for bicycle riding easily.  People like talking about green cities while drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette but they insist riding their cars to the coffee house and everywhere else.  This picture is dedicated to friends, relatives and people I do not know who love riding bicycles.  

Horses and mules can be used to explore mountain trails in the west and mules are used to descend to the bottom of Grand Canyon where the Colorado River flows.  The gentleman riding his horse is not I, but President Putin of Russia on his way to Sochi!

San Francisco ..... part I

San Francisco the twelfth largest city is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States.  The iconic Golden Gate Bridge is world renowned for its beauty. Picture from bluebloodsuniverse. 

The history of the city of San Francisco has been greatly influenced by its location at the entrance of one of the world's best natural harbors.

The first Native Americans to settle this region found the bay to be a vast natural resource for hunting and gathering their provisions and for the establishment of many small villages. Collectively, these early Native Americans were known as the Ohlone.

The first Europeans that sailed the north coast of California were Juan Cabrillo and Sir Francis Drake.  Both failed to notice the entrance to the bay most likely due to fog that is prevalent in the region.  

The earliest European colonial enterprises came in 1769, by Spaniards Don Gaspar de Portola and Fra Junipero Serra who established military and religious settlements.  San Francisco became part of the United States in 1848.

San Francisco’s streetcars are the world's last manually operated cable car system.  Only two lines are in operation and are used overwhelmingly by tourists.  In this picture from Wikipedia streetcar #10 climbs the hill with a view of the island of Alcatraz in the back.

In front of the Powell-Mason #2 streetcar with my children in 2002.  John my companion on the trip is on the left with the red jacket.  George is in the middle with Chloe to his right.  Mark is in front of me.