The City....

What comes to mind when you think..."The City"?  We needed a tourist day so we went to The City, as we have many times in the past.  We never tire of this beautiful City by the Bay.  But then there are lots of beautiful cities by bays; New Orleans, Vancouver, Seattle... to name a few, but this is the only one with... 

The Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco is a unique and breathtaking metropolis of about 800,000 people, and one of the top-ranking tourist destinations in the world, renowned for its chilly summer fog and steep rolling hills. 

Sutro Baths looking towards the Cliff House

The trail goes...d.o.w.n...!

The Cliff House, a landmark restaurant, is perched above the ruins of the Sutro Baths, opened in 1896 as the world's largest private indoor swimming pool complex; now part of  the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, with miles of trails both north and south of the GG Bridge.

Old Victorians...

There is an eclectic mix of architecture, mixed-use neighborhoods, and culturally rich streetscapes. 

...and downtown cityscapes..

But we are repeatedly drawn to the Ferry Building, located at the eastern end of the Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street.  It is the center of a transit hub that connects all of San Francisco's neighborhoods and the surrounding Bay communities.

SF Ferry Building

It is a marketplace extraordinaire with shops large and small celebrating food in all its forms, from artisan cheeses to the freshest of local fish and produce.

This wonderful ceiling draws the eye..

Momentarily..

From all the vendors along the way...

The Embarcadero is the eastern waterfront and roadway beginning at the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge, near the Ferry Building.... 

SF Oakland Bay Bridge

Ferry departing for Sausalito

...And continuing north through Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, another popular tourist area  with restaurants and street stands selling Dungeness crab, clam chowder and that wonderful sourdough bread.  The neighborhood also encompasses Ghirardelli Square, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and the Wax Museum.

Passing the cruise ship terminal

And Pier 39

Alioto's at Fisherman's Wharf

And that famous sourdough bread

The City by the Bay

Our day in The City...San Francisco!