Lombard Street might be something that you would recognize as a San Francisco landmark. It is said to be the “crookedest street in the world” with 8 turns. It was originally a straight road but it was so steep that people were afraid to drive down it!
I drove down to the bottom but obviously I couldn’t drive and take pictures so I went around the block and found parking at the top of the hill. I got out and walked about halfway down.
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The view from the top -
Steps going down the side -
On the path down -
About half way down -
Looking back up -
Coit tower and Bay Bridge -
Coit tower -
Stairs going back up -
View from the bottom looking back
I am lucky to be able to get these shots early in the morning and during the week before the crowds come. On the weekends sometimes there are long lines of cars waiting to go down this hill. So much so that there is talk of having to pay a toll or get a permit! I know I would be torn about living there; is it worth the inconvenience of having so many cars driving by or is the view enough to compensate for that?
Lands End is the other “L” I have for you, especially if you are someone who likes hiking trails. When we went to Immigrant Point Overlook the other day, Lands End was on the schedule as well. I tried to make things easier for my hubby by mapping out a route of several spots to hit in one sweep.
Because it is not easy for Bill to walk on all the trails, he let me out and parked to wait for me to explore and take pictures. I didn’t want to stray too far and take advantage of him so there is lots out there left to investigate. As you can see by the signpost, there are several different paths that you can take and they lead to many interesting spots.
I did walk a short way down one path because I was looking for the labyrinth but it turns out I was in the wrong part of the trail. No worries, once again I got some gorgeous views and the sun was out!
I was amazed by the size of that boat going toward the bridge. Then again, I’m amazed by the Golden Gate Bridge too!
Lands End is certainly a fitting name for this spot. I know that anybody who likes to hike would have an excellent time exploring all the different trails. One leads to the memorial of the USS San Francisco, a WWII cruiser that was involved in the Battle of Guadalcanal. And sometime I may even go back to try and find the labyrinth!
Disclaimer notice. The coloring book pages are from the inserts the San Francisco Chronicle put out and I mentioned them in my theme reveal so you can go to that to get the info about the artists if you are interested. I did the coloring and took the pictures.
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Hi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteRight off the bat, I admire your colored Lombard Street illustration. It's the prettiest one yet! I was not familiar with Lombard and enjoyed learning that it was once so dangerously steep that they needed to construct eight turns, earning it a reputation as the “crookedest street in the world.” Looks like you picked a brighter day to take pics and you collected some excellent ones at Lombard Street and Gardens including the view of SF from the top, the view down the steps and the view back up the hill from the bottom. Everything along the way looks clean, beautiful and nicely designed. I know it must have been almost as taxing to walk down that steep pathway as it was for you to make those climbs upward. When Mrs. Shady and I visited Carlsbad Caverns, NM, we at first tried to make the two mile trek down the hill to the cavern entrance thinking it would be easy. We soon abandoned the plan, turned around, walked back up to the top and took the elevator down. :)
You also captured breathtaking views from Lands End, a paradise for hikers and people who love to explore trails. Stunning views of the water always seem to be a few steps away and you lucked out with a sunny day.
Thanks for the guided tours of San Francisco's "L" attractions, dear friend Janet. I'll be back tamale for M-day!
Thanks Shady! I am definitely getting my workouts for some of these photos. I think I take the pictures of the stairs just to prove to everyone that I really did it! I hear you about going back to take the elevator. That's why sometimes I only go half way. LOL
DeleteLombard Street is lovely, so are your photos! Beautiful place indeed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Frederique. I am glad I found parking close so I could take that walk down.
DeleteThe other day I was wondering if you would write about the crookedest street, but my memory failed when I tried to think of the name! So glad you posted about it and boosted my memory. Every time we took guests down that street, I wondered how the residents put up with it. It's so lovely, though!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've been to Lands End. What magnificent views from there! If we get back to that area to visit, I'll need to add that to our itinerary.
Definitely should visit Lands End. I was wondering where the homeowners park their own cars, you know? Then I saw some side entrances. Still, I'd be nervous.
DeleteI was waiting to see this and consider this one of the most interesting streets in The world. The first time I saw it was I. what’s Up Doc. If you haven’t seen it, you should watch it because it was filmed. All over the city.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've seen that movie. If I had been thinking, I could have included spots that were in films or TV as part of this excursion but I didn't.
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