Phil & Ellie...On the Road Again: San Francisco, 10/17/12

On the road again Wednesday Oct. 17 by ferry to San Francisco. We visited the Wells Fargo Museum. Took a lot of photos but can't find them. The Bank was founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo. It became the largest banking and transport company in the West. There was an actual Wells Fargo stagecoach. Displays of gold including one with nuggets and a sign. "Guess the dollar worth." The answer: $22,000! Needless to say there are guards around.

We started a guided walking tour of Chinatown in Union Square (a bus stop). "Victory" statue celebrates the Navy's win at Manila Bay during the Spanish American War.

Caps for sale.

The "Dragon's Gate" is the entrance to Chinatown. It was installed in 1969, a gift from the Republic of China.

An inscription on the gate by Dr. Sun Yat-sen reads "All under heaven is for the good of the people."

Chinese landmark building.

Old St. Mary's Cathedral.

The Church was built in the midst of gambling and other vices hence the words proclaiming...."Fly from evil."

It was completed in 1854.

St. Boniface stained glass window.

The bricks survived the fire following the 1906 earthquake. The church was rebuilt. Chinatown was destroyed after the fire. It was rebuilt with many shops and restaurants to attract out of town visitors.

St. Mary's Square features a 12 foot tall statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen the first provisional president of the Republic of China in 1912.

St. Mary’s Square, a Martial Art lesson.

Colorful banners and lanterns line the streets.

Lanterns and Chinese clothing hanging outside the shops.

Even the stuffed animals are in Chinese clothing.

Street lights in Chinatown.

First Chinese Baptist Church.

Ross Alley is the location of the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, a hole-in-the-wall storefront where 20,000 fortune cookies are baked and folded by hand every day.

The flat cookies and fortune are folded over a rod.

A map of Chinatown with the description of the 22 blocks.

Many ornate and colorful balconies.

San Francisco has many colorful murals.

In Portsmouth Square a replica of "Goddess of Democracy" Statue that was in Tianemmen Square in 1999. The community center of Chinatown. People practice tai chi, play checkers chess, and cards.

Rest room in Portsmouth Square.

Commemorative sign for the first public school in California April 3, 1848. This Square is also where the U.S. flag was raised claiming this land for the U. S. on July 9, 1848. It is also where Brannan proclaimed there's gold in them hills on May 12, 1848.

Robert Louis Stevenson is remembered for writing Treasure Island.

Our last stop on the tour was tea tasting. We learned in making tea to "sponge" it, not put the loose tea in a tea ball.

We had tasted Jasmine, Ginseng oolong and Angel tea. Very good and very educational.

Tea set for sale.

Mural in the shop.

One last photo.

We met at this restaurant for a walking tour of Little Italy.

St. Francis Church was the first Catholic Church established in San Francisco in June 12, 1849.

Caffe Trieste opened in 1956, was the first Espresso coffee house on the West coast. They host poets, composers and artists.

The oldest operating bar is the Saloon, at 1232 Grant Ave., at the corner of Fresno Alley in North Beach.

I didn't catch the name of the place that makes shoes, leather apparel and other things.

An Irish bar in Little Italy, where Janis Joplin got her first singing job.

Savoy Tivoli Bar established in 1907.

Tony's Pizza and Tony Gemignani's International School of Pizza.

Memorial to the Firemen, 1849 - 1866 in Washington Square, the community center for the neighborhood.

Not Washington's statue but Ben Franklin's in Washington Square.

St. Peter and St. Paul is known as the Italian Cathedral of the West.

Holy water font as we entered.

Mass is in English, Italian and Chinese.

Coif Tower built in 1933 at the top of Telegraph Hill. There are murals on the Tower's inside walls but we didn't have time to get there.

Joe DiMaggio's restaurant

Lots of outdoor dining, but in the sun, not too busy.

But shady restaurants are busy.

Murals everywhere.

The Stinking Rose (garlic) restaurant

City Light Bookstore was famous haunt of 1950's beat poets. Tradition continues today.

Vesuvio's in across the alley. Alex our tour guide was very informative. Great tour as a part of our Big Bus Tour (24 hour package).

After lunch of Italian meatballs we took the bus ride again. Interesting painting of houses. The bus tour could not drive past the famous "Painted Lady" houses and we didn't have time to get off the bus and walk there. Can't do and see everything.