The Tourist Trap
Gotta do it just once... no, actually, you don't really
Well, I could come up with a number of excuses, but after all this is a San Francisco Mountain Biking page,
and it was I who put the loop on the web page, so...
Photos
Click to expand
This is at the end of the Municipal pier, where you can see most elements of the Tourist Trap loop.
The Hyde Street pier is where the old ship is docked, and from there you head straight
up Russian Hill to the right. From the top, take a left down Lombard Street, and then after the curvy
part it continues straight out to Coit Tower (rising on the hill next to the masts of the ship). From there head
to downtown and the Transamerica pyramid, bank left around it to the Embarcadero, then stay on that,
past Fisherman's Wharf, back to the start.
This is curving around the Maritime Museum toward the Hyde Street pier, and the cable car terminal, which is where
the climb up Russian Hill begins. Ooooh, look everybody... Ghiradelli square!
It ain't so bad... at least I've spared you the cable car shots... those things are so cheesy! Riding
along, you can hear the cables rolling under the ground. Right along here,
right next to the second shot I think, is Gary Danko's, rumored to be the best upscale restaurant in the city.
Top of Lombard Street, with Coit tower off in the distance. See, no lame cable car shot with
Alcratraz in the background... I promise!
Oh well, I guess I just couldn't resist.
After heading down Lombard Street, you'll be at Coit Tower before you know it.
Here's a shot from the parking lot, which affords good, if hazy, views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the
East Bay, and Marin. If you're not from around here, which would be about the
only excuse you have to actually be riding this loop, then you may not recognize Mount Tamalpais,
where mountain biking is rumored to have begun.
Sometimes, I see something that I just have to shoot.
Heading now along Columbus toward the Transamerica Building. The bus cables are very typical San Francisco.
Don't worry, you'll be going faster than most of the cars. China Town is not far from the right of this shot.
Rounding the base of the Transamerica building, and heading east along Clay, you'll reach the Embarcadero,
and one of the other more recognizable buildings in the city.
Heading back to the start you'll pass Fisherman's Wharf, where for sure you'll hear one of those
Peruvian bands right around here.
At the end of Fisherman's Wharf you can have a look at the sea lions...
...just lounging away...
...and one last look at Alcatraz before heading back to the Hyde Street Pier.
Yes, another most excellent biking day, even though the only dirt was an unplanned
detour around the Blues Festival held at Fort Mason.
That's the great thing about the city... you never know what you are going to come across.
Now, where to eat?
You can go back to Gary Danko's if you have credit cards to max out, otherwise
Fisherman's Wharf and China Town is where you can find all the overpriced and bland food for tourists coming from
far away. Those coming from closer, like the East Bay, tend more toward the overpriced and bland food in North Beach
(although the coffee shops tend to be pretty good).
Unless you know for sure from reliable sources that a restaurant is good,
food is often pretty unremarkable in these three sections of town.
Now, if you want a local insider tip, the best food you can find in the city-- Asian, Italian, or
otherwise-- is in the Richmond district along Clement Street.
Little China Town starts around 4th Avenue or so, but the farther out you go out, like around 25th,
the lower the prices and the better the food, in a quiet, quiant, and understated kind of way.
It's hard to go wrong here.
(b. September 26, 2004)
Back to San Francisco.
Back home.
This is curving around the Maritime Museum toward the Hyde Street pier, and the cable car terminal, which is where
the climb up Russian Hill begins. Ooooh, look everybody... Ghiradelli square!
It ain't so bad... at least I've spared you the cable car shots... those things are so cheesy! Riding
along, you can hear the cables rolling under the ground. Right along here,
right next to the second shot I think, is Gary Danko's, rumored to be the best upscale restaurant in the city.
Top of Lombard Street, with Coit tower off in the distance. See, no lame cable car shot with
Alcratraz in the background... I promise!
Oh well, I guess I just couldn't resist.
After heading down Lombard Street, you'll be at Coit Tower before you know it.
Here's a shot from the parking lot, which affords good, if hazy, views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the
East Bay, and Marin. If you're not from around here, which would be about the
only excuse you have to actually be riding this loop, then you may not recognize Mount Tamalpais,
where mountain biking is rumored to have begun.
Sometimes, I see something that I just have to shoot.
Heading now along Columbus toward the Transamerica Building. The bus cables are very typical San Francisco.
Don't worry, you'll be going faster than most of the cars. China Town is not far from the right of this shot.
Rounding the base of the Transamerica building, and heading east along Clay, you'll reach the Embarcadero,
and one of the other more recognizable buildings in the city.
Heading back to the start you'll pass Fisherman's Wharf, where for sure you'll hear one of those
Peruvian bands right around here.
At the end of Fisherman's Wharf you can have a look at the sea lions...
...just lounging away...
...and one last look at Alcatraz before heading back to the Hyde Street Pier.