OK, so I wanted to start with descending Telegraph hill, but sadly I really don't have any pictures of this. I think Kate may have taken some, and if so I will have to post them, because it may have been the prettiest part of the city. We went down the Greenwich Street Stairs, which wind through beautiful gardens and homes built on essentially a cliff side over looking the Bay.
When we arrived at the waterfront I was snapping a picture of this crab. Crabs are to San Francisco as what Lobsters are for Maine. We were going to take pictures of many different crabs that we saw throughout the city, however this idea never materialized. While I was trying to snap Kate in a solo shot, I nice chap offered to take our picture together. Below is the result, the crabs claws are cut off, but otherwise not too shabby.
Below is a view out the F train window that we boarded. This train had an interior that reminded me of a school bus. It was really retro, and I really dug it. Through the window you can catch a glimpse of Lotta's Fountain. This is a San Francisco landmark, largely because it was one of the few structures to survive the 1906 earthquake, and it served as a meeting point and a symbol of hope to the citizens in the aftermath. I wanted to get a better picture, however the silly bus zooming by got in my way. As Kate said, at the very least it makes for an interesting shot.
The school bus-like interior. Isn't it fantastic?
Typically in this day in age when we hear someone say "Civic Center" we think of some where we might go to see a concert, the circus, the ice capades or watch a hockey game. However in San Francisco the Civic Center equates to a large area that is composed of public buildings including city hall and the library. A large "Mall" or pedestrian plaza connects the buildings and is known as UN plaza. The area is also home to an opera house, symphony hall, and hall of records. It was very vacant there when we went (It was the weekend), and it is sort of close to the Tenderloin, actually it is pretty much in it, so you really don't want to stray too far from these buildings or you will be in the epi-center of the town's down trodden. On the way there we passed through a still thriving (if you can call it that) red light/ adult district. When I was a kid nearly ever town of a reasonable size on east coast had a neighborhood like this. Even Lewiston, ME had its lower Lisbon St. filled with adult cinemas, pawn shops and adult book stores. Thankfully in most places these undesirables have disappeared. 
Part of UN plaza seen above.
City Hall, I half expect to see some tumble weed, or tumble trash as it might have been here. This is where Harvey Milk was assassinated along with the San Francisco mayor George Moscone, by another deranged city supervisor. Harvey Milk is a great movie, I saw it on one of my many plane trips to Spain over the past year. Sean Penn may be a wee bit out of touch with reality, but the guy can act, and he's made some great films through the years.
This newer and very Spanish looking church is adjacent to the Mission. When we walked by they were holding a wedding. The Mission district is actually named for these structures which lie on the perimeter.
This is a shot of Mission Street. It is a very busy neighborhood, with the type of foot traffic you come to expect in NYC neighborhoods. It is loud, aromatic, and has a edgy, and yet somehow a close knit feel to it. The side walk had accents (colored tiles) much like they often do in various chinatowns. The area is also known for its murals painted on buildings. A McDonalds- the traditional flat one story type, has a location here and is completely covered in murals. 
Some examples of the murals and the colorful store fronts with a Latin flare.
Our guidebook said this place had the best burritos in town. LaTaqueria is said to be a favorite for locals rather than a popular tourist destination. They even had "head" tacos on the menu. I stuck with the carnitas burrito, a side of chips and salsa, which Kate and I split (AWESOME pico de gallo salsa- tons of cilantro and onions!). Kate went with the always good- chicken burrito. We originally wanted to go to a taco truck, but the only ones we saw were Ecuadorian. I'm assuming there are more around on week days.
I'll pick up where we walk off our hearty lunch!
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