Thursday Postcard Hunt: Cable Cars and Gondolas
Cable Cars and Gondolas
I'm from California, the San Francisco area. Therefore, a cable car is nothing other than these, found in San Francisco. This one is at the corner of Grant and California. Chinatown is in the background. If you want to experience China without going to China (minus the wall of course), visit San Francisco's Chinatown.
While the SF cable car is THE cable car, the definition includes other forms of transportation, often crossing over into the gondola. Besides being boats, gondola can also refer to seats on a Ferris wheel, and a type of lift at a ski resort. Some aerial trams are gondolas as well!
This sky tram in San Francisco only ran from 1955 to 1966. For 25¢ up to 25 passengers at a time would take a slow four minute trip, loading below the Cliff House, and traveling above Sutro Baths basin, to Point Lobos, where they then had to walk back. Along the way they were treated to two artificial waterfalls. It would have lent a nice view of the sea lions on Seal Rocks. Until recently I never knew this existed, and wonder why my parents and I never rode it. The San Francisco Chronicle called it, in 2023, "San Francisco's Greatest Gondola."
Another sort of gondola.
If you've worked retail and set shelves, you know there is a type of common shelving called gondola shelving. I tried to find a postcard with that, but the only thing I could come up with was an AI image that missed the point. Also, a description of one AI imagined as a get well card stating "I hope you're soon as strong as these gondola shelves." Weird.
I love the first one, because it is not the typical picture of San Francisco. The second picture, as I wrote in another blog, would scare me a bit.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not the typical Golden Gate Bridge or view from Oakland! Yes, I would have liked to ride that as a child, not now! Although it went slowly, and only four minutes, I might be able to do that.
DeleteAll three cards are awesome. The sky tram is very cool looking. The venetian gondola shelf is strange but beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame you missed out on that gondola ride! It doesn't seem very aerodynamic, though it looks sturdy.
ReplyDeleteNo, not at all aerodynamic! Very slow ride, for just four minutes, for a nice view.
DeleteI had never heard of SF's gondola. hahaha at the "strong as a gondola shelf".
ReplyDeleteNope, and I'm not sure why I hadn't. I'll have to ask my older brother. I hope he doesn't say, "Oh, yeah... we rode that all the time before you were born!" He's a lot older.
DeleteI'd never heard of that gondola in SF either. Of course, I only visited in the '80s, so...
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of gondola shelving although having looked it up I realise its all around us. The AI image is a hoot especially with the get well message. Could even be a library for mermaids. Lovely image of SF with all the lights.
ReplyDeleteYep! It's the regular metal ones with adjustable shelves and endcaps! A library for mermaids! Perfect!
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