First pic: Sausalito ahead, resembling one of those European hill-towns.
Turns out I was much more interested in the city's winding streets and stairways then, as now, but don't recall which stairways back then nor did I take pix. So this first recent trek was to be a random hike, as in whatever stairways I might find.
The only street name remembered was the main shopping street, Bridgeway, where some start up from here. The first climbed this time was El Monte Lane, 120 steps up to Bulkley, (pic 2, 3). Down 29 more to Santa Rosa (pic 4).
… A short double stairway down to Glen with a chair at the top (fifth pic: 19 steps)
… House at Girard & Turney (pic 6). Same general area: pics 7, 8, 9.
… A house on Bonita (pic 10)
Back up to Bulkley on steep San Carlos and onto Harrison. Noticed a stairway called Excelsior Lane going up and down from Harrison (pics 11, 12), so naturally had to count all the steps from the top: Miller & San Carlos. Part of Excelsior is a walkway and one lower part a narrow vehicle street just before a double stairway continues it down to Bridgeway (pics 13, 14, 15, 16), about 178 steps.
Next to this was another stairway rising from Bridgeway called Reade Ln. with 55 steps and a walkway up to Bulkley. So back up again (pics 17, 18).
Someone's written a book about Sausalito's stairways. If I ever see it will get it, but will continue to explore to see what I might discover on my own.
Having seriously fallen in love with this city, am also jealous because San Francisco could have had more winding streets that look like theirs had we not fallen victim to so many unimaginative developers of lookalike houses and condoboxes in our higher-up 'hoods (like Twin Peaks/Midtown Terrace, Diamond Heights, etc.)
Sausalito's streets, as one climbs higher up the mountain, are narrow and curving, sometimes with no sidewalks at all (others have one or two sidewalks). Steps lead up to houses on one side of the street and down to them on the other side.
The several stairways I had the pleasure of meeting this trip are all very old, including wood railings and old stone steps. There are some "Not a Through Street" signs, but experienced one dead-end where I walked right up to the end of the street with no sign and no way to go but to retrace my steps. All in a day's hike: no problema.
And the houses. P;enty of contemporary homes but they're also quite attractive. Many were very old, smaller, and my-type-cuuuute. And the trees. So many beautiful trees all over (last pic: Glen & Turney, a treehugger's heaven) … white picket fences … Bay 'n boats below.