If there is one thing that is a MUST DO in San Francisco (a you must not go home without having done this), and I know this is cheekily touristy—catch the world famous San Francisco roller coaster cable car ride.
There are actually a few tram routes but after carefully studying them I decided to take the Powell-Hyde (Line 60) route starting from Hyde and Beach Terminal in the Fisherman’s Wharf. The queues here are noticeably long but turnover is quite fast so just a little warning.
From the Fisherman’s Wharf on Hyde Street, the tram rolls up to the steep Russian Hill passing the most crooked street in the world, Lombard Street and reaching its summit with the view down to the Alcatraz Island. Then slowly, the tram edges its way to Nobb Hill and the peripheries of Chinatown. Afterwhich it’s a downhill run to downtown San Francisco passing through the Theater District, Union Square and finally, stopping at Market Street where the trams turn which is right in the heart of San Francisco’s shopping and commercial centre, and a stone’s throw away to the financial district.
Tickets are $5 each one-way and can be bought on board or via the kiosks. Not bad but not cheap as well but understandable considering that these cable cars have become a major tourist attraction. The Powell-Hyde line for example, because of its strategic route, is the favourite line frequented by tourists and visitors who want to experience what’s it like to ride in a manually powered 1800’s cable car system that journeys up and down the hills of San Francisco City.
To learn more about the history go here (click): San Francisco’s Cable Car History, thanks to British immigrant, Andrew Hallidie who built a cable tram railway for the city drawing his inspiration from an incident he witnessed, a tragic horse – car accident that dragged the horse down the hill, as well as the carriage and its passengers.
Here is a short video I took during the cable car ride:
We made sure to sit on the outside part of the tram and our driver, I think they are called, ‘grip operators’ said he is just 2 weeks in the job but it seemed like he’s been doing this for a long time.
Here are more fotos of San Francisco’s cable car, the ride and the passengers:
They manually turn the cable cars at the end of each line. This one is at the Hyde and Beach Terminal in the Fisherman’s Wharf.
The eager passengers, mostly tourists.
Inside the cable tram: the lever covered in leather and the switch gear system manually powered by the cable driver.
An Italian tourist passenger, like many, he prefers to hang off the cable car and the grip operator always reminds him not to block the doorway or hang off too far.
Here are some of the sights during the ride:
Travel Period: March 2011
Destination: San Francisco (California), USA