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- English
When Robert Louis Stevenson visited San Francisco in 1879, he declared, "Nob Hill, the Hill of Palaces, must certainly be counted the best part of San Francisco. It is here that millionaires gathered together, vying with each other in display". My Nob Hill tour is a 2-hour walking photo-shoot tour that starts with a Cable Car ride and a visit to a French Gothic Cathedral and ends at the Top of the Mark on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel for photographs and beverages at sunset.
The eclectic history of Nob Hill includes:
* The Gold Rush (not the San Francisco 49r cheerleaders)
* The Silver Bonanza (not including Ben Cartwright, Ben, Hoss or Little Joe)
* The Transcontinental Railroad
* The 1906 Earthquake and Fire, and
* A spectacular French-Gothic design Episcopal Cathedral that took nearly 40 years to build.
The opportunities for photography are endless on Nob Hill!
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
We can meet in the Hyatt Regency Hotel Lobby or outside at the California Street Cable Car Terminal.
Tour ends with beverages at sunset at the Top of the Mark in the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel.
Itinerary
-
(Pass by)
We'll ride a cable car (not go to the museum!) on the California Street Cable Car Line. If everyone is on time we'll take some photos with parked cable cars. Each cable car ride is $8.00 but a MUNI Mobile all-day pass is only $13.00 (for unlimited MUNI rides anywhere in San Francisco). The ride up to Nob Hill on the California Street Cable Car Line takes about 15 minutes passing through the Financial District and Chinatown.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Beaux Arts Architecture, the oldest restaurant in San Francisco, Wells Fargo Bank, 555 California, much more.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Grant Street is the oldest street in San Francisco, Chinese lanterns, Edwardian buildings with Pagoda enhancements, Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
Admission ticket free -
1
The holiday lights on all the trees are red and green. The Fountain of the Turtles is a copy of 16th century Fontana delle Tartarughe located in Piazza Matteo in the Sant'Angelo district of Rome. Architect Giacomo Della Porta and sculptor Taddeo Landini built the original between 1580 and 1588. The replica was made in the early 1900s and donated to Huntington Park by the Crocker heirs in 1955.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
Grace Cathedral is the 3rd largest Episcopal Church in the United States. The French Gothic Architecture, Ghiberti Doors, ecumenically themed murals and stained-glass windows call for dramatic or pensive expressions. The vaulted ceilings may transport you to another side of the globe. For myself, different aspects of Grace Cathedral remind me of the Cologne Cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris and Reims Cathedral. With a little help from my friend, Archivist Michael Lampen, I’ve had the privilege of photographing a number of fascinating areas in the Cathedral including the Bell Tower, the sacristy and the Columbarium.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
The Fairmont Hotel The Fairmont Hotel was built between 1902 and 1907 in honor of James Graham Fair who made a fortune mining silver and gold in Nevada’s Comstock Lode during the 1860s. After we pass by the statue of Tony Bennett and enter the magnificent ‘beaux arts” lobby of the Fairmont Hotel we will walk over to the Roof Garden looking out over North Beach onto San Francisco and Suisun Bay. We’ll see the 1933, Timothy Ludwig Pflueger designed Cirque Bar which was the first bar to open in the City following the repeal of Prohibition. I always enjoy stopping in on proprietor and “master product presenter”, Sultan, at Charisma Crafts where you’ll be amazed at the exquisitely beautiful detail on fabrics that take years to handcraft into garments. If we’re lucky we’ll get to spend a minute with the “First Concierge in America” and Fairmont Hotel historian, Tom Wolfe.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
Top of the Mark Our tour ends on the 19th floor of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, “Top of the Mark” for "no host" beverages and photos at sunset. The Mark Hopkins Hotel guests have included leading statesmen, royalty, and celebrities, such as, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson (who required a personal chef to prepare his vegetarian meals) and The Rolling Stones (who took two entire floors for themselves and their entourage). As much as I love history, it’s the view at Top of the Mark that keeps me coming back to try to get the perfect photo at sundown and early “blue hour".
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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