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Main page San Francisco Southbound along Highway 1
Tourist attractions
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Coit Tower, on a small hill in the middle of the city, with a view of the city and the Bay area (right upper corner) |
Coit Tower - was built by Lillie Hitchcock Coit to honor the San Francisco Fire Department that saved her from a fire when she was a girl. The tower is shaped as a nozzle.
Today the tower is visited by people that wants a view over the bay. You can see Golden Gate, Alcatraz, the harbor, Portland and further towards the others bridges that crosses the bay.
Hilde and myself have good memories from this tower. It was on the top of Coit Tower that I asked her to marry me on November 12, 1999. She was surprised and in shock she answered - YES!
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Most crooked street in the world. Lombard street. |
San Francisco is hilly and the streets go straight up and straight down again from hill to hill. There are of course some places where you can't make dead straight roads and then you make some turns. "Everyone" wants to drive down Lombard Street and Japanese tourists (and myself) are at the top taking photos.
As a Norwegian I am not so impressed by some hills and turns, but to give some extra gas when you cross a crossing street so that the car is "flying" down the hill. It feels like a roller coaster and you do not believe that car scenes in films from SF are film tricks any more.
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The Victorian houses are characteristic for San Francisco, and the hills really are steep...! |
As you go around the city you will see that a lot of different ethnical groups lives here. In the financial district will you find tall buildings made of concrete, steel and glass, but in the other neighborhoods the buildings tell more about the people living there.
In Chinatown the building are in Chinese style and in Little Italy the wine bottles are candlesticks and the garlic is hanging from the ceiling.
The only style that is special to SF are the Victorian Houses that are painted in different pastel colors.
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Gate of Chinatown |
Chinatown is full of life from early in the morning until late in the evening.
When I arrive from Europe and suffer from jet lag I find it exciting to have a walk in Chinatown early in the morning. I like to watch the butchers, the fishmongers and the green-grocers prepare for a new day and the demanding customers be there at 6 am to get the best goods.
In Chinatown you will find that the street signs are written in both English and Chinese.
Latest update: July 7, 2000