A San Francisco Treat

And no, I'm not talking about Rice-a-Roni. We saw a lot of the city today, and we have the blisters to prove it.

We started with a cable car journey to Fisherman's Wharf. The cars move at just 9.5 mph, but you really have to hold on over some of those hills! While on the car, we chatted with the brakeman about the history of the system and its evolution, but we still had to jump out of the way when it was time for him to crank the brake. In all, not the most economical or practical form of transportation, but a unique one nonetheless.

At Fisherman's Wharf, we discovered one of our favorite San Fran landmarks: the sea lions at Pier 39. As we learned, we were somewhat fortunate to see them, given their sudden departure earlier this year after 20 years using the docks as resting places--it seems many, though not all, of the creatures have since returned after finding Oregon a less suitable habitat. It was still quite a site, however, with the animals constantly barking and jockeying for position. That said, you should feel fortunate that our camera doesn't have smell-o-vision...yikes.

Other notable sites at the Wharf included the Golden Gate Bridge (which we'll be driving across tomorrow!) and Alcatraz. After exploring the rest of the tourist trap that is Pier 39, we ventured over to Ghirardelli Square (the same as the chocolate) before heading to Alamo Square.

For those have seen the TV show Full House, this section's for you. Alamo Square is the site of the opening credit's picnic in front of the Painted Ladies homes.

Though commonly thought to be the home of the Tanner family, they are not--the actual Full House house is about a mile north, at 1709 Broderick Street. Rest assured, we went there too.

We hit a couple other terrific San Fran landmarks today: City Hall and Lombard Street. City Hall was somewhat close to Alamo Square, and offered some terrific insights into the city's history. A two mile hike away, Lombard Street claims to be the windiest road in the world, with eight hairpin turns down an incredibly steep hill. And believe us--walking up the hill is no picnic!

We rounded out the day with wine at our hotel and a nice dinner at Restaurante Milano, a charming place in Nob Hill. Tomorrow, it's off to Napa, where we'll be seeing yet another side of California (hopefully one that is a little warmer...). Until then, we leave you with a picture from lunch today (we just couldn't resist).