Just a few blocks from Fisherman’s Wharf, adjacent to the Cable Car turnaround, sits the Hyde Street Pier. With views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Ghiradeli Square, this National Park is a great place to explore some of the city’s maritime history and is free to the public. Among the items on exhibit are the National Park Service’s collection of historical boats such as the 1890 Eureka steam ferryboat and 1886 square-rigger Balclutha. There is even a replica of a Chinese Shrimp Junk boat named the Grace Quan docked at the Pier. Standing on the stern of the Balclutha, watching the fog roll into the bay, smelling the sea air, hearing the sounds of sea gulls and the occasional fog horn in the distance, the only thought that comes to mind is what a charming place indeed. |Maritime National Historic Park|

What started in 1983 as merely a temporary alternative for tourists who couldn’t ride on a Cable Car while the system was being upgraded, is now one of the world’s largest fleets of historic streetcars still in operation. The F-Line is a beautiful route that begins in Fisherman’s Wharf, travels along the Embarcadero, and heads down Market Street to the Castro district.

The 1940′s era PCC model as seen in the picture to the right typically operate the route most often, but once in a while the opportunity strikes to ride a vintage |Milan Trolley circa 1928|. Just imagine riding in a polished wooden streetcar with vintage Italian advertisements, |Madeline Peyroux| faintly playing in the background, combined with beautiful views of the bay. If all public transit were this charming and romantic, maybe I wouldn’t drive so much. |Historic Streetcar Route Map|Market Street Railway|SF MUNI|