Brasshopper in San Francisco
Brasshopper learnt a lot about San Francisco when he went there with Irv and Karen in 2002. He is pictured here in front of the famous Golden Gate Bridge and next to one of the famous cable cars that traverse the steep streets of this amazing city. Here are some of the facts that Brasshopper discovered...
Alcatraz
Alcatraz, the infamous island prison known as 'The Rock', lies just a mile off the city seafront. Al Capone was its most famous resident. It is now disused and has become a tourist attraction. It is said that no-one ever escaped from Alcatraz but Brasshopper did get away.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is 1.2 miles long. It took 4 years to build and was completed in 1937. It can withstand winds up to 100 miles per hour and sways 27 feet to do so. It is suspended on 2 cables made up from enough steel wire to encircle the earth 3 times (80,000 miles).
Cable Cars
The famous cable cars of San Francisco were originally brought into service because the streets are so steep that horse-drawn cars could not operate safely. Many cars were decommissioned after an earthquake in 1906 but 3 routes remain as a 'must have a ride' tourist attraction. In 2002 it costs $2 a ride.