Happy New Year 2025 -- January 1, 2025

San Francisco Examiner, 01-January-1925

I hope everyone has a happy, peaceful, healthy (especially healthy) and prosperous new year.

As the clock on the Ferry Building hits Midnight, Father Time hands off to 1925.

Ferry Building 125 -- July 14, 2023

Yesterday San Francisco's Ferry Building began celebrating its 125th anniversary. I took the photo in 2015 when the clock tower was decorated to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. 

Engineer Howard C Holmes designed the Powell Street cable car lines and later became Chief Engineer of the State Board of Harbor Commissioners. He built the Ferry Building and many of the piers in San Francisco. I took this photo in 2013.

Embarcadero Walking Tour -- December 18, 2016

Saturday I gave a walking tour along the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Whart to two people who won me in the community support auction at work.  We talked about how last week's king tide had lapped over the seawall.  We had lunch at Castagnola's.  The weather was cold but very clear.  

Ferry Building Number 50 -- January 3, 2015

In late December, "1915" disappeared from the tower of the Ferry Building, replaced by "50" for the upcoming Super Bowl.  I find it interesting that this is the 50th Super Bowl, but they are not going to identify it with a Roman numeral "L."  Instead, they are using Arabic numerals.  Using "L" would have improved kids' knowledge of  Roman numerals. I'm going to miss the 1915.  I took the photo on 29-December-2015. 

I took this photo on 03-March-2015. 

NFL Kickoff 2015 -- September 12, 2015

I rarely mention football in this blog, but Thursday I took a lunchtime walk towards the Ferry Building and found people setting up for NFL Kickoff 2015, which has something to do with the Super Bowl which will be held in Santa Clara.  The area in front of the fountain had a big stage where there was going to be music. 

I find it interesting that this is the 50th Super Bowl, but they are not going to identify it with a Roman numeral "L."  Instead, they are using Arabic numerals, as we see on the Ferry Building tower.  Using "L" would have improved kids' knowledge of  Roman numerals. 

Frisco California Vegetables -- July 15, 2014

This 1930s vegetable crate label from the Merrill Packing Company of Salinas, shows the San Francisco Ferry Building.

Ferry Intintoli -- June 18, 2014

SF Bay Ferry's high speed catamaran Intintoli, along with sister boat Mare Island, provide most of the service between San Francisco and Vallejo.  I like the way you can see between the hulls.  I took this photo at the Ferry Building in May, 2014. 

Ferries Mendocino and Intintoli -- May 18, 2014

We had some warm weather last week.  On 12-May-2014, I took a walk by the Ferry Building.  High speed catamaran ferry Mendocino prepares to leave the Ferry Building for Larkspur.  In the background, high speed catamaran ferry Intintoli has just arrived from Vallejo.

Ferry Building Gate E #2 -- February 15, 2014

I took this photo of Gate E at San Francisco's Ferry Building on 15-January-2014.  Gate E is the destination of the Alameda/Oakland, Alameda Harbor Bay and South San Francisco Oyster Point ferries.  It was also the destination of the experimental Google ferry, which took its tech workers down the Peninsula to the Port of Redwood City during January and part of February.  I like the swooping seagull in the foreground. 

Ferry Building Gate E -- January 17, 2014

I took this photo of Gate E at San Francisco's Ferry Building on 13-January-2014.  Gate E is the destination of the Alameda/Oakland, Alameda Harbor Bay and South San Francisco Oyster Point ferries.  It is also the destination of the experimental Google ferry, which takes its tech workers down the Peninsula. 

Ferry Mare Island -- December 9, 2013

SF Bay Ferry's high speed catamaran Mare Island, along with sister boat Intintoli, provide most of the service between San Francisco and Vallejo.  I took this photo at the Ferry Building in May, 2013. 

Erected A.D. 1896 -- October 23, 2013

This marker at the front of the Ferry Building commemorates its construction.  Chief Engineer Howard C Holmes also built the Powell Street cable car lines.  I took the photo on 04-October-2013. 

Ferry Flip Board -- October 13, 2013

The departure board in the Ferry Building.  I like watching the characters flip when it updates.  I took the photo in February, 2013. 

Ferry Building -- August 12, 2013

 

 San Francisco native Ruth Asawa, who passed away this month, placed many of her sculptures around the city.  One of the favorites with many people is the fountain in the plaza of the Hyatt Union Square Hotel.  The fountain, installed in 1973, was formed using baker's clay, with help from friends and school kids who created some of the people, animals and autos.  It was then cast in bronze.  Unfortunately, the fountain has been threatened by Apple, which wants to replace the building at Post and Stockton with an ugly Apple Store which would displace the fountain.

Here we see the Ferry Building with a sailing ship, a helicopter, and fish, but no ferry boats.  I took this photo on 13-March-2009. 

Ferry Mare Island -- May 15, 2013

High speed passenger ferry Mare Island lays over at the Ferry Building after a quick trip from Vallejo.  Mare Island and her sister Intintoli were built in 1997.  They sail for Vallejo BayLink Ferry (http://www.baylinkferry.com/). 

Train Station #59 -- May 8, 2013

Today I took a photo of a train station without trains.  This is the Amtrak Station behind the California Agriculture Building, next to the Ferry Building.  Amtrak California buses come here. 

Port of San Francisco 150 -- April 29, 2013

On 24-April-2013, the Port of San Francisco celebrated its 150th anniversary, the anniversary of Governor Leland Stanford signing legislation to create the Board of State Harbor Commissioners.  The state operated the port until 1969.

A celebration Sunday included the fireboat Guardian.  On 20-February-2013, I took a photo of Guardian as she nudged up to the wharf behind the Ferry Building. A fireman stood at the bow and handed out plastic fire helmets to a class of pre-schoolers. That was pretty cool.

Blackpool Boat Tram -- April 27, 2013

Blackpool Boat Tram 228, built in 1934, pauses at the Ferry Building stop on its way to Fisherman's Wharf on a cloudy day.  I had been trying to catch a photo of the car for a while before I caught up with it on 25-April-2013. 

Ferry Intintoli -- January 11, 2013

Ferry Intintoli backs out of Pier 1/2 by the Ferry Building in April, 2002.  Its trip to Vallejo will be the longest ferry ride on the bay, taking about 1 hour, depending on tides and weather conditions.  The service is operated by Vallejo Baylink (http://www.baylinkferry.com/).  The boat is named after a former mayor of Vallejo. 

Ferry Peralta -- December 12, 2012

Alameda/Oakland ferry Peralta backing out of Ferry Building Gate E on 10-December-2001.  I was surprised when they named the Peralta, because that had been the name of a Key System ferry which had been cursed with bad luck.  After the fireproof boat burned, it was rebuilt into streamlined ferry Kalakala which had a long career on Puget Sound.  The new Peralta has had a fairly quiet career.