p&sr
OBS Chief
Here is a belated Report for my Trip this year from California to Jasper in the Canadian Rockies, and back again... nine days in June, with my long-time Travel Companion "Moonlight Express". All in Coach, all Low-Bucket, all On Time, and No Checked Luggage... the Perfect Way to Travel! Since we were travelling together, we avoided any tight connections or long marathons without a break... basically, a Human Approach to Travel... just to make things different!
The Trip began before Dawn on Friday the Fifth, as my Beautiful Moonlight Express and I walked together to the near-by Commuter Bus Stop. We took the GG Bus down Hwy 101, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and into San Francisco... giving us a Preview of Fisherman's Wharf and the Embarcadero by early Daylight, then through the Financial District and across Market Street, where we stepped out. We doubled back to Battery Street, where we had noticed a fine little Donut Shop in the historic Shell Building there ("Art Deco" lobby and elevators in the main entrance). After a hot cup of coffee and some fresh-baked Donuts, we were ready to face the Day.
We walked down Market Street through all the commotion of a Weekday Morning, and stepped into the Embarcadero BART Station, where we were able to buy Day-Passports for the San Francisco MUNI (including unlimited rides on the Cable Cars, for $11) at the News Stand there. With these Tickets in hand, we continued down to the Foot of Market Street, past the Street Vendors setting up shop in the Park there, and over to the restored Ferry Building. Just south of there, we found the Amtrak Station in its forlorn-looking Brown Brick Building. Once the Attendant had seen to the loading of an early Bus to the East Bay, she gladly helped us to store our luggage for the day so we could tour the City "hands free". Well worth it for the $3 fee. (Fee is "per bag", but if everything straps or hooks together, it all counts as One.)
From there we walked back to Market Street, stepping in to the huge open atrium of the Hyatt Regency Hotel there. After admiring the sculpture and the indoor fountains, we rode the Glass Elevators up to the Top, then back down to Street Level. Exiting through a side door, we found ourselves right by the terminus of the California Street Cable Cars. We watched as they rolled one Cable Car across the Street and into the Loading Area, and then climbed on board. We rode through the Financial District and Chinatown, then up to the Top of Knob Hill, past the Stanford Court, the Fairmont (with its glass elevators), the Huntington and the Mark Hopkins Hotels (lots of RailRoad History on this Hill), the Crocker Garage and Grace Cathedral, then down the other side to Van Ness, which is the End of the Line. Quickly switching to the other side for good views, we rode back again as far as Powell Street.
There we transferred to a Southbound Cable Car for the steep descent to Union Square (past the Saint Francis Hotel with its glass elevators) and on to Market Street. Then we got into line for the return trip... a short-enough line this early in the Morning. We watched as they pushed the Cable Cars onto the Turn-Table, slowly spun them around, then pushed them off again into the Loading Area. The second Car ("Bay and Taylor") had room for us, so we climbed right in.
This ride took us once again over Knob Hill, through the back end of ChinaTown, and past the Cable Car Museum (which stores the Cars overnight, and houses all the Equipment that drives the underground Cables). There we stepped off to transfer to the next Car, with destination Beach and Hyde. We saw the connecting tracks leading to the California Street line, then crossed the Broadway Tunnel and climbed to the top of Russian Hill, with dramatic views down the crooked part of Lombard Street and across to Coit Tower. Then down the steepest section of the trip (overlooking the Bay, Alcatraz, and Angel Island) to the Turn-Table in the Park below.
We stepped in briefly to the Buena Vista Cafe at the corner there (inventors of "Irish Coffee", so they say) as I had heard it was a good place for breakfast. It turned out, though, to be 95% "Pub", and whatever the other 5% was, it would not be our choice for Breakfast. We headed down to the sandy Beach at the Aquatic Park, touching the Water, then climbed an observation platform to watch a dozen swimmers doing their morning laps in the cold Bay Waters. We stepped out onto the Hyde Street Pier where the Historic Ships are, and saw the Paddle-Wheel of the Steamer "Petaluma". Then past the Nautical Supply Shops and the actual Fishing Harbours at Fisherman's Wharf, and into the Restaurant District. There we enjoyed Hot Clam Chowder in a Sour-Dough Bowl, served right on the sidewalk. Just the thing on a cool, fresh Summer Morning!
Nearby at Jones Street, we boarded a "Peter Witt" Heritage Streetcar from Milan, riding through the Tourist District, past Pier 39, down the Embarcadero by the Cruise Ship Terminal and a popular Dinner Circus, then all the way up Market Street to the Castro. At that point we transferred underground and caught the M-Line Streetcar out through the Twin Peaks Tunnel and down to San Francisco State at the south-west corner of the City. From there we doubled back to the Geneva Station (which contains the Balboa Park BART Station), and rode the next J-Church Streetcar past the historic Mission Dolores and back across Market Street. There we entered the Subway and continued on to the Montgomery Street Station.
We bought a minimum-fare BART Ticket from Montgomery to Embarcadero (one stop down the line), and rode there by the Scenic Route... through the Trans-Bay Tunnel to West Oakland, where we crossed the Amtrak Line and the UP Yards, underneath Downtown Oakland, then along the Freeway just south of the U.C.Berkeley Campus and under the Hills to Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Concord, and Pittsburg-Bay Point (in the California Central Valley, with views of Suisun Bay and the Delta in the distance). Back the same way, and off.
Since we were near the Amtrak Station at the Ferry Bldg, we stepped over and picked up our luggage, then enjoyed Toasted Subway Sandwiches while seated on the Sidewalk of Market Street. From there, we caught the "T-Third" light-rail from beneath Market Street, along the South section of the Embarcadero (with fine views of the Bay, the Bay Bridge, and Yerba Buena Island) and the BaseBall Stadium, stepping off at 4th and King for the CalTrain to San Jose. We had a smooth, fast ride down the Peninsula with all the familiar landmarks.
At Mountain View we saw the San Jose Light-Rail and a little historic Depot. Getting off at San Jose, we found we still had time to ride the Light-Rail. So we headed through Downtown and the Heart of Silicon Valley, past the Moffett Field NASA Station and back to Mountain View once again. By running over to the next track, we were able to catch the returning Light-Rail, timed to depart exactly at our arrival. We enjoyed the Jacaranda Trees with their purple blossoms, and the pink clouds of Sunset back at the Station. Waiting there for the Northbound Coast Starlight, there was plenty of Train Action with numerous arrivals and departures of the CalTrain and the Amtrak Capitol Corridor Run.
The Coast Starlight arrived on-schedule. Consist was 2 Engines, plus a "Cascades" Engine, Baggage Car, 4 Sleepers, Parlour Car, Diner, Lounge, and 3 Coach Cars. We found good seats together on the left side, for best views of the Water, and settled in for the long haul. North through Santa Clara, Alviso, the Salt Marshes at the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, then along the Mulford Line near the Bay Shore up to Oakland. Following the familiar route north from there along the Water, we enjoyed great views, familiar sights, and sparkling lights all the way to Sacramento, then dozed off for a few hours of restful sleep. The Trip was now well underway, and we could count "Day One" as a complete success.
(to be continued in this Thread...)
The Trip began before Dawn on Friday the Fifth, as my Beautiful Moonlight Express and I walked together to the near-by Commuter Bus Stop. We took the GG Bus down Hwy 101, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and into San Francisco... giving us a Preview of Fisherman's Wharf and the Embarcadero by early Daylight, then through the Financial District and across Market Street, where we stepped out. We doubled back to Battery Street, where we had noticed a fine little Donut Shop in the historic Shell Building there ("Art Deco" lobby and elevators in the main entrance). After a hot cup of coffee and some fresh-baked Donuts, we were ready to face the Day.
We walked down Market Street through all the commotion of a Weekday Morning, and stepped into the Embarcadero BART Station, where we were able to buy Day-Passports for the San Francisco MUNI (including unlimited rides on the Cable Cars, for $11) at the News Stand there. With these Tickets in hand, we continued down to the Foot of Market Street, past the Street Vendors setting up shop in the Park there, and over to the restored Ferry Building. Just south of there, we found the Amtrak Station in its forlorn-looking Brown Brick Building. Once the Attendant had seen to the loading of an early Bus to the East Bay, she gladly helped us to store our luggage for the day so we could tour the City "hands free". Well worth it for the $3 fee. (Fee is "per bag", but if everything straps or hooks together, it all counts as One.)
From there we walked back to Market Street, stepping in to the huge open atrium of the Hyatt Regency Hotel there. After admiring the sculpture and the indoor fountains, we rode the Glass Elevators up to the Top, then back down to Street Level. Exiting through a side door, we found ourselves right by the terminus of the California Street Cable Cars. We watched as they rolled one Cable Car across the Street and into the Loading Area, and then climbed on board. We rode through the Financial District and Chinatown, then up to the Top of Knob Hill, past the Stanford Court, the Fairmont (with its glass elevators), the Huntington and the Mark Hopkins Hotels (lots of RailRoad History on this Hill), the Crocker Garage and Grace Cathedral, then down the other side to Van Ness, which is the End of the Line. Quickly switching to the other side for good views, we rode back again as far as Powell Street.
There we transferred to a Southbound Cable Car for the steep descent to Union Square (past the Saint Francis Hotel with its glass elevators) and on to Market Street. Then we got into line for the return trip... a short-enough line this early in the Morning. We watched as they pushed the Cable Cars onto the Turn-Table, slowly spun them around, then pushed them off again into the Loading Area. The second Car ("Bay and Taylor") had room for us, so we climbed right in.
This ride took us once again over Knob Hill, through the back end of ChinaTown, and past the Cable Car Museum (which stores the Cars overnight, and houses all the Equipment that drives the underground Cables). There we stepped off to transfer to the next Car, with destination Beach and Hyde. We saw the connecting tracks leading to the California Street line, then crossed the Broadway Tunnel and climbed to the top of Russian Hill, with dramatic views down the crooked part of Lombard Street and across to Coit Tower. Then down the steepest section of the trip (overlooking the Bay, Alcatraz, and Angel Island) to the Turn-Table in the Park below.
We stepped in briefly to the Buena Vista Cafe at the corner there (inventors of "Irish Coffee", so they say) as I had heard it was a good place for breakfast. It turned out, though, to be 95% "Pub", and whatever the other 5% was, it would not be our choice for Breakfast. We headed down to the sandy Beach at the Aquatic Park, touching the Water, then climbed an observation platform to watch a dozen swimmers doing their morning laps in the cold Bay Waters. We stepped out onto the Hyde Street Pier where the Historic Ships are, and saw the Paddle-Wheel of the Steamer "Petaluma". Then past the Nautical Supply Shops and the actual Fishing Harbours at Fisherman's Wharf, and into the Restaurant District. There we enjoyed Hot Clam Chowder in a Sour-Dough Bowl, served right on the sidewalk. Just the thing on a cool, fresh Summer Morning!
Nearby at Jones Street, we boarded a "Peter Witt" Heritage Streetcar from Milan, riding through the Tourist District, past Pier 39, down the Embarcadero by the Cruise Ship Terminal and a popular Dinner Circus, then all the way up Market Street to the Castro. At that point we transferred underground and caught the M-Line Streetcar out through the Twin Peaks Tunnel and down to San Francisco State at the south-west corner of the City. From there we doubled back to the Geneva Station (which contains the Balboa Park BART Station), and rode the next J-Church Streetcar past the historic Mission Dolores and back across Market Street. There we entered the Subway and continued on to the Montgomery Street Station.
We bought a minimum-fare BART Ticket from Montgomery to Embarcadero (one stop down the line), and rode there by the Scenic Route... through the Trans-Bay Tunnel to West Oakland, where we crossed the Amtrak Line and the UP Yards, underneath Downtown Oakland, then along the Freeway just south of the U.C.Berkeley Campus and under the Hills to Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Concord, and Pittsburg-Bay Point (in the California Central Valley, with views of Suisun Bay and the Delta in the distance). Back the same way, and off.
Since we were near the Amtrak Station at the Ferry Bldg, we stepped over and picked up our luggage, then enjoyed Toasted Subway Sandwiches while seated on the Sidewalk of Market Street. From there, we caught the "T-Third" light-rail from beneath Market Street, along the South section of the Embarcadero (with fine views of the Bay, the Bay Bridge, and Yerba Buena Island) and the BaseBall Stadium, stepping off at 4th and King for the CalTrain to San Jose. We had a smooth, fast ride down the Peninsula with all the familiar landmarks.
At Mountain View we saw the San Jose Light-Rail and a little historic Depot. Getting off at San Jose, we found we still had time to ride the Light-Rail. So we headed through Downtown and the Heart of Silicon Valley, past the Moffett Field NASA Station and back to Mountain View once again. By running over to the next track, we were able to catch the returning Light-Rail, timed to depart exactly at our arrival. We enjoyed the Jacaranda Trees with their purple blossoms, and the pink clouds of Sunset back at the Station. Waiting there for the Northbound Coast Starlight, there was plenty of Train Action with numerous arrivals and departures of the CalTrain and the Amtrak Capitol Corridor Run.
The Coast Starlight arrived on-schedule. Consist was 2 Engines, plus a "Cascades" Engine, Baggage Car, 4 Sleepers, Parlour Car, Diner, Lounge, and 3 Coach Cars. We found good seats together on the left side, for best views of the Water, and settled in for the long haul. North through Santa Clara, Alviso, the Salt Marshes at the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, then along the Mulford Line near the Bay Shore up to Oakland. Following the familiar route north from there along the Water, we enjoyed great views, familiar sights, and sparkling lights all the way to Sacramento, then dozed off for a few hours of restful sleep. The Trip was now well underway, and we could count "Day One" as a complete success.
(to be continued in this Thread...)