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Lombard Street
Lombard Street is best known for the one-way section on Russian Hill which has eight sharp turns known as switchbacks that have earned the street the distinction of being the crookedest street in the world. The switchback design was first used in 1922 to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade that proved too steep for most vehicles.
Traffic crawled down the 8 sharp turns as the many on looker's took pictures. Dan, Chris and I just had to experience driving down the hill and I got to be the one to actually drive. It was an experience even at a crawl to make the many turns before reaching the bottom of the hill. In the space between each turn there are amazing plantings that make the hill look like a garden rather then a road.
Dan also took video of us driving down the hill. It will give you a little perspective of what it was like. Nothing of course is the same as actually doing it.
One of fun things Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf offers is the Crystal Geyser Center Stage where you can watch performer's. We got to watch a couple performers in San Francisco for Acrobat School. I managed to catch a little of the end of their act which clearly included comedy and serious six pack's.
The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition to exhibit works of art presented there. Today it is a popular attraction for tourists and locals and is a favorite spot for weddings and other such events. It was one of ten palaces and is one of few Exposition buildings still standing. One interesting thing to note is that it isn't the original structure. These palaces were never meant to be permanent structures and were built out of materials not designed to handle the weather for posterity. As a result the structure was rebuilt our of a more permanent material and that is what exists today.
We stopped here during our Bike Ride of San Francisco on our way back to Fisherman's Wharf. It was a great place to take a break and enjoy the beauty of this amazing structure. There seemed to be lots of activity with multiple weddings going on and other groups taking photographs. We found a nice bench to stop at and enjoy everything the area had to offer. I could have stayed longer but we were beginning to get tired.
