St. Francis Transit

Southern exposure from the top of Nob Hill. This is just four blocks from me, but it's some of the steepest four blocks you'll ever see. Actually, for San Francisco, it's not that bad. The trained eye can make out the Hastings tower just left of center in the picture, with it's American flag sticking out the top. Here's a closeup to help.

It turns out this hill is why cable cars were made. Back in the day, the older, wealthy folks needed a convenient way to ascend back to their lofty estates. Today, it's mostly tourists that ride, but professionals needing a lift over the hill to get to the Financial District have no shame climbing aboard in the predawn hours. All of the city's cable cars are located in the northeast quadrant where I'm at, and are designed to get passengers up and over the steep hills. Here's a look down California, west toward Van Ness.




The day after these shots were taken, the fog came back. Hastings' tower is now just a faint silhouette. And California Street disappears in the haze, even in the middle of the afternoon. It's about ten or fifteen degrees cooler with the fog cover, and no one uses words like "gorgeous" or even "nice" about it like they do on the perfectly clear days. But it is eaxctly those things for someone from Florida, where days like these are rare and linked with holiday cheer.