Next time your cable car teeters tantalisingly on the intersection of Powell and California, hop off and take the short uphill hike to Nob Hill, so named for the grand edifices built and once occupied by the wealthy railroad barons and other nineteenth century entrepreneurs. It is still home to some of the most prime real estate in the city.
Fairmont Hotel – survived the 1906 Earthquake and Fire and
hosted the signing of the UN Charter in 1945
Lobby of the Fairmont Hotel
Majestic Grace Cathedral – home to two labyrinths, glorious
gilded bronze doors and fine stained glass windows
California Street cable car – quieter than the Powell-Hyde and
Powell-Mason lines – but no less fun!
The Bay Bridge complements the buildings that frame it
One of the many fine murals in the Grace Cathedral
depicts the 1906 Earthquake and Fire
Serene Huntington Park watched over by
the Grace Cathedral
Mark-Hopkins Inter-Continental Hotel – the glass-walled bar on its 19th
floor known as the “Top of the Mark” provides one of the great views of the city
Tony Quarrington 
