San Francisco for the 4th of July
(NOTE: There are no enlargments on the article
photos, please see gallery links at the end)
Welcome to part three of my 2007 Californian photography trip. Part
one covers my Santa Barbara experience at the Brooks Institute of
Photography. Part two follows my journey into the Yosemite National
Part and in part three I journey to San Francisco and join over
1 million Americans for 4th of July fireworks.
Los Angeles to San Francisco is serviced by large double decker
trains on regular schedules. The route takes the San Joaquin Amtrak
train into the Valley and well away from the coast. Cities such
as Bakersfield and Fresno are on the line. I boarded the train at
Merced after journeying on a YARTS bus from Yosemite the same morning.
A pleasant journey and well nourished from the café car.
These trains are not high speed so the journey took about 3 hours
to Emeryville. I boarded a thru bus for the quick trip over the
Bay Bridge to central San Francisco. Wow! What a beautiful city
with an amazing vista of the skyline from the bridge. I would have
loved to have stopped for a photo. Yea right! Not on this bridge,
in this lifetime.
Bay Bridge Panorama
San Francisco City Scape
The city by the bay is famous not only in the movies but in the
hearts of travellers from all over the world. It is a romantic and
colourful place. The heat of the hot American summer does affect
San Francisco so much and it is like arriving into air conditioning.
The city has a micro climate caused by the Pacific Ocean. Cool ocean
air is sucked into the Bay under the Golden Gate Bridge and runs
into the warm air from the hot San Joaquin Valley. The result is
often cool fog. There is a massive temperature difference between
the city and the suburbs on the other side of the Bay. Take warm
clothes if you are going to San Francisco, even in the summertime.
I exited the bus on the corner of Powell and Market Street not far
from Union Square and right beside the cable car turnaround. More
on the cable cars later. The cool air took me by surprise and so
did the vibrant city scene. One huge melting pot of identities and
cultures right here on this one city block. Religious black men
were calling the praises of the Lawd and for the masses to stop
their whoring now! Young rappers were dancing and busking. People
in suites were casually walking by drinking Starbucks coffee, homeless
were busy helping the tourists with directions, eager for well earned
tips. San Francisco is a very liberal city and the homeless are
not persecuted. There seem to be a lot of them in this part of town,
quite harmless, I am told, busy raising funds and begging to feed
addictions. I hear hard drugs are cheaper and easy to get here and
most of the dollars you give a beggar will go in this direction.
I had no intentions of sampling the San Francisco drug scene with
flowers in my hair. I would like a brandy though!
Powell Street and Lombard Street
On Powell Street hundred of tourists were queuing for cable car
on this famous and oldest form of city mass transport. It was the
4th of July summer break and in a few days I would be joining millions
to celebrate but firstly I had to find a nice hotel to lay my head.
I shouldered my Mac Pac and headed up Powell Street.
I happened on a high rise city apartment block called the Chancellor
and after a few disappointments for my budget down the road I took
my chances. 'Yes sir we do have one last room' said the receptionist.
I bet they always say that! I booked in for three nights very pleased
to be staying in the heart of San Francisco. The room was spacious
and very nice and cost $109 per night. The noise was typical of
inner city hotels with the bells of the cable car a novelty background
sound.
San Francisco is a city of hills and even boasts the steepest residential
street in the world. Lombard Street. After seeing the street of
San Francisco it is easy to imagine sparks flying from the belly
of a Cadillac as it lands heavily from a city street drop off hotly
pursued by Starsky and Hutch.
In the early 20th century the first city mass transport system was
commissioned here to help people around the hilly streets. Cables
were laid under the roads which moved on a steam powered pulley
system. Cable cars would attach on to these rides and be pulled
along up the streets. These same cable cars are still going strong
as they have for nearly 100 years although there are not as many
lines as their used to be. The locals still use them to get around
and as you can imagine they are a huge novelty for tourists. I caught
my first ride across town to Fisherman's Wharf.
City Transport
The San Francisco waterfront is no longer used by cargo ships as
they now berth across the bay at Oakland. A series of piers stretching
for miles now service the tourism and ferry boats. Pier 39 is world
famous and has many eateries and novelty establishments such as
the Hard Rock Café. Being the day before the 4th of July
there were thousands of people on the waterfront enjoying many activities
such as bike riding and city tourist buses. Not far across the bay
is the infamous Alcatraz island known for its hard nose prison that
once held America's most dangerous criminals. I just had to go there
so I set off to find some tickets. This is where I got scalped!
I can fully understand it, Alcatraz is a hugely popular place
to visit and the regular parks board ferry outlets sold out days
before. Clever tourism entrepreneurs purchased many tickets and
with the help of students sell them on the waterfront. My ticket
cost me US$62 from the regular $23. I was totally unaware there
was any mark up. I also purchased a San Francisco City Sights ticket
for the usual $20. The red London type buses travel on the hour
on a hop on hop off city circuit. They also go on excursions to
the Golden Gate Bridge and the Redwood groves. I boarded the bus
and enjoyed some excellent commentary from the young host. The circuit
went past Union Square, in which I disembarked near my accommodations.
The ticket was valid for 3 days which was excellent. The open air
ride on the top deck offered excellent photographic opportunities
and the 17-200 superzoom showed its versatility once again as a
travel lens. The evening of the 3rd of July was enjoyable with dinner
at a novelty café on Powell Street and evening drinks at
the Starlight lounge, a relaxed cocktail bar and night club.. Starlight
is a popular establishment on the 21st floor of a high-rise hotel.
It's a classy joint as the Americans would say. By 1 am I decided
to save the next day and call it a night.
Starlight Lounge as seen from Union Square
July 4th is America's independence day celebrations and a public
holiday for most. I boarded the red bus and headed once again for
the waterfront. The journey to Alcatraz was short and one must think
of the convicts as they gazed upon the looming walls. Many would
know they would never leave this barren and windswept little rock
in the bay. Alcatraz is great for photography with old cell blocks
and exercise yards. The self audio tour is award winning and is
excellent with spell binding narration from ex prisoners and staff.
You simply put on the head phones and the mp3 player and follow
the instructions. The island is a national park and a unique attraction.
I spent 3 hours on Alcatraz and it was worth every penny of my over
inflated ticket price.
Alcatraz in sepia
The Alcatraz watch tower
Sepia image of the cells on Alcatraz
The celebrations of the 4th of July are marked by huge fireworks
displays on the San Francisco waterfront. Bands were playing on
Pier 39 and many were dancing in the streets having a great time.
I took up position on a street overpass with my finger on the shutter.
I chatted to a young lesbian couple and had a very colourful conversation
as a million people crowded on to the waterfront. The fireworks
were great and went on for ages. I had plenty of time to capture
some of the massive star bursts. The display ended at 11pm and the
mass exit of people began. The city put on many buses and the trains
were running full, clearing the backlog. I walked the entire way
home rather then join the cues of people waiting for the bus; I
think I made it home faster. As you can imagine I slept very well
that night. Tomorrow I intended to take in the city vista from a
famous bridge.
Crowds gather at Pier 39
Peir 39 Panorama
Pier 39 Crowd
Fire Works on the 4th of July in San Francisco (above)
The Golden Bridge was built in the 1930's and has an appeal to
every visitor to San Francisco. The huge suspension bridge spans
the bay at the harbour entrance. The bridge is known for its foggy
shroud and it is rare to see the entire span at any one time. I
just knew my trip would have to take in the Golden Gate Bridge,
camera in hand. Pedestrians are not allowed on the Auckland and
Sydney harbour bridges unless they join a tour group. Pedestrians
and cyclists are allowed on this massive steel goliath. The bridge
has a cycle/walkway and is open and free to anyone who wants to
brave the fog and the traffic noise. I chose to rent a bicycle and
bike the bridge.
I was not alone in this adventure. Blazing Saddles is a company
that rents bikes for around $30 a day to hundreds of people. The
route took me along the waterfront and over the bridge to Sausalito
on the north shore. There was a few other bikers headed in the same
direction and I teamed up with a young Irish honeymoon couple from
New York. The heat of the day was quickly replaced by a cold foggy
wind on the bridge and I was pleased I bought along my shell jacket.
I chose to walk my bike over the bridge for fear of being blown
off bike and all. Being the school holidays there was a lot of people
on the bridge enjoying fleeting views of the city skyline through
the fog. The balustrade was surprising low and leaning over the
rail to take photos is easy. Looking down at the unwelcoming cold,
choppy waters of the bay I wondered how low a person would have
to be to end their lives by jumping off. Hundreds of desperate people
have come to an untimely end from this bridge. The authorities seem
to do nothing to discourage it, the fact you can freely walk here
and lean over the rail is very compliant to the freedom evoked in
the American constitution. I had recently seen a sign that said
'Donate your car to the salvation army' Maybe a slightly less selfish
way of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.
Foot and Vehicle Traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge from the North Shore
Fog on the Golden Gate Bridge
The walk over the bridge seemed to take a while and I ended up giving
up my jacket to an Asian girl who looked like she was close to hyperthermia.
As soon as I walked off the bridge the temperature rose like a rocket.
The life came back into the cheeks of the Asian girl and she returned
my jacket to my day pack. My walking companions disappeared into
the mass of humanity taking in the vista of the Golden Gate Bridge
from the viewing areas. I mounted my Blazing Saddle and shot down
the hill to Sausalito. Nice place! Quant seaside terraces with very
nice little and some not so little houses. All with amazing views
of the city and harbour. I met up again with the Irish couple for
ice-cream in a seaside village cafe. They were returning the same
way over the bridge but after 2 hours I was keen to take the easy
way out. After cueing in the hot sun, so far removed from the cold
on the bridge I boarded a Bay Ferry to Fisherman's Wharf.
Sausalito California photo
Back on dry land the roaming cell phone rang. Bill Swank was a photographer
I met at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara and he was inviting
me up for dinner in the North East Suburbs. I boarded a BART train
for Lafayette. Bay Area Rapid Transport is a very efficient train
system. The trains are fast, often and the tickets are automated
with vending machines. I was whisked under the Bay, through Oakland
and onto Bill's neighbourhood in less then 40 minutes. After a very
pleasant evening I travelled late that evening back to Powell Street
and my hotel in Union Square.
Friday was my last day in the United States. I packed my pack and
boarded the BART for San Francisco airport. I went to the international
terminal and was somewhat dismayed to see the Qantas terminal closed.
An airport officer told me I needed to board a train and go to the
American Airlines counter in the domestic terminal for my connection
flight to Los Angeles. A one hour, short haul over California and
then the excitement of boarding a Jumbo for the twelve hour overnight
journey back home to New Zealand.
I arrived home at 5am to a cold and frosty Auckland morning. I gave
a cute little drug dog a friendly pat on the head. He looked at
me, gave me a quick sniff and went on his busy way.
Also see the San
Francisco gallery of photos.
Travel Photography Galleries from this trip to California...
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