If you’re planning a trip to San Francisco, chances are you’ll find yourself at Postcard Row. Also known as the Painted Ladies, Postcard Row is a street of beautiful Victorian houses in the Alamo Square neighborhood. Learn all about its history, how to get there, what to do nearby, and more with this complete guide to Postcard Row in San Francisco! A Brief History of Postcard Row The houses on Postcard Row were built in the Victorian style by Matthew Kavanaugh in the 1890’s. He also lived in one of the Painted Ladies after it was completed. In the ’60s, a San Francisco artist named Butch Kardum began to transform the dreary gray homes that dominated the city after World War II. He painted his own Victorian home in bright colors and others in the city followed suit – thus, the “colorist movement” was born. Although the Painted Ladies are one of the most famous examples of colorful, Victorian homes in San Francisco, you can find many more scattered throughout the city as well. How Much Does it Cost to Visit Postcard Row? The Painted Ladies a perfect tourist destination for budget-minded travelers in San Francisco. Alamo Square Park is free and has a beautiful view of the Painted Ladies and the San Francisco Skyline. You can’t go inside the houses on Postcard Row (although you can take a virtual tour here), so no entrance fee is required. Pack a lunch for a picnic and you can easily enjoy a half-day outing without blowing your budget. How to Visit Postcard Row The Painted Ladies are located in the Alamo Square neighborhood next to Alamo Square Park. You can find the famous homes on Steiner Street between Grove and Hayes streets. There are four different ways to get to Postcard Row…

Whether you’ve been to San Francisco many times or are just planning your first trip, there’s a lot to take in. One of the most famous sightseeing options are the Seven Painted Ladies. Read on to learn five fun facts about these famous homes. Then contact GoCar Tour to find out how you can plan a truly unique San Francisco touring experience. 1. They only began being called the Seven Painted Ladies in recent years Though it’s often assumed that they’ve always been referred to as the Seven Painted ladies, this name actually only took hold in 1978 when authors Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen wrote a book about the homes. In fact, Painted Ladies doesn’t refer to these home in particular, but to any set of homes made in either the Victorian or Edwardian architectural style that has at least colors or more.   2. Painted Ladies can be found in many other cities You can find Painted Ladies all over the country. Some of the most famous examples include those in Cap May, New Jersey, Baltimore, Maryland, St. Louis, Missouri, and Cincinnati and Toledo Ohio. 3. One of the Seven Painted Ladies has a tiny museum The second to last home on the row has a very small museum on its top floor. There visitors can check out a ticket from the day the Golden Gate Bridge opened, a picture of people in Alamo Square Park when the city burned during the 1906 earthquake, wedding cake tops that are more than 100 years old, and clothing from the 1800s. 4. They have a unique symbolism Have you ever wondered what exactly the Painted Ladies mean? They’re symbolic of the famous California Gold Rush. With so much money coming into the city, San Francisco builders wanted to show off…

The Golden Gate Bridge first opened to the public in 1937. Since then it’s become one of the most recognized bridges in the world. At GoCar Tours, we love the fun facts that can be learned on our storytelling tours, but today we wanted to share five fun facts about the Golden Gate Bridge to get you ready for your one-of-a-kind tour. 1. It took four years to build Construction on the bridge began in January of 1933, right in the middle of the Great Depression. It finished under budget and ahead of schedule in 1937. Before it was completed, the only way to get from San Francisco to Marin County was via boat. 2. It was named after a strait One of the fun facts about the Golden Gate Bridge that often surprises people is the fact that it was named after the Golden Gate Strait, which was the way to enter San Francisco Bay via the Pacific Ocean. Back in 1846, that strait got its name thanks to an American topographer who felt that it reminded him of a Byzantium harbor known as “Golden Horn.” 3. Building the bridge was a deadly proposition Steps were taken to keep the workers safe, but nothing could prevent all accidents. There was a safety net that was suspended under the bridge to catch workers who fell. It saved 19 of them, but 11 men weren’t so lucky and lost their lives during the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. 4. The Golden Gate Bridge was once the longest suspension bridge in the world When it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world with a total suspension span of 4,200 feet. In 1964, it was surpassed by a bridge in New York. Today it’s the ninth longest suspension…

Those of us at the GoCar Tours offices were treated to something amazing this week when the Formula 1 Red Bull team came to San Francisco to shoot a promotional video. It was quite a scene to see an F1 car driving up and down San Francisco’s famed Hyde Street. Of course, in the City by the Bay, there are awe-inspiring things like this to view every day. Enrico Fulgenzi didn’t disappoint As if it weren’t enough to see a Formula 1 car driving up and down Hyde Street, Enrico Fulgenzi was at the wheel of the 2015 Red Bull car. If you’re not up to date on your Italian Formula 1 drivers, just know that Fulgenzi has been racing for ten years. His first year racing he won three podiums and one podium, which gave him 5138 points – enough to win runner-up of the series in his first series. Since then, he’s done it all: He’s been in the Porsche Cayman Cup, he was the 2013 champion of the Italian Porsche Carrera Cup, he’s been in the Abarth 500 Europe Trophy, the Porsche Carrera World Cup, the Porsche Supercup, and now a promotional video driving up and down one of the most famous streets in the world. What are you going to see on your visit to San Francisco? It’s too late to get out there and see this for yourself, but the GoCar Tour experience allows anyone to see this city like they wouldn’t otherwise be able to. Hop in one of our storytelling cars, which are much smaller than your average Formula 1 car, and much slower, too – but just like an F1 car, they’ll take you somewhere you’ve never been before. There’s no telling where Red Bull’s Formula 1 car is going to show…

Traveling on a honeymoon is a unique opportunity to see the world in a way you might not otherwise see it. San Francisco has an almost endless list of things to do, many of which are perfect for honeymooners. Read on to learn more about them and then reach out to GoCar Tours to book the tour of a lifetime. 1. Head straight for Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park offers incredible photo opportunities, lush gardens, and incredible blooms. Make sure you make it through the entire park, including the Conservatory of Flowers. There you’ll see almost every type of flower imaginable. 2. Have a bite to eat Fisherman’s Wharf Locals will tell you that Fisherman’s Wharf isn’t what it used to be. They’ll tell you that what was once pure has now become a tourist attraction. While it is true that it’s changed over the years, and that some aspects of lost their initial charm, it’s still a magical, unique place that’s well worth a stop. In fact, we suggest you get there hungry and eat some of the freshest seafood available in the world. 3. Get your creep on at Alcatraz There’s a ton of history to be experienced in San Francisco, and a trip to Alcatraz Island is necessary if you want to see it all. There’s no question that visiting is an intense experience but it will also ground you in California and in the past in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. 4. Do it all at the California Academy of Sciences There’s something for everyone at the California Academy of Sciences. Do you like watching fish in their natural habitat? Then check out the aquarium. Do you love outer space and marvel at the planets? Then the planetarium may be your favorite spot….

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most frequently visited sites in the San Francisco area. Many tourists can easily see that it’s a massive, impressive, staggering work of engineering but they don’t always know some of the fascinating history behind it. Goldengatebridge.org has a ton of interesting information, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions. Here are three of our favorite facts. 1. The Golden Gate Bridge once had the world’s largest suspension span As the website states, “The 4,200-foot long suspension span of the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest span in the world from the time of its construction in 1937 until New York City’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge was opened on November 21, 1964.  It is 60 feet longer than the Golden Gate Bridge.  The Verrazano was the longest single span bridge until July 17, 1981, when the Humber Bridge in England, spanning the Humber River, was opened for traffic with a main span of 4,626 feet. Today, both the Great Belt East Bridge in Denmark (main span of 5,328 feet) and the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan (main span of 6,532 feet) have main span lengths which exceed that of the Humber Bridge.  The table below shows the relative suspension bridges in comparison. 2. The name has nothing to do with its color While it’s obvious today that the name isn’t related to its color, many tourists assume that it was once gold. In fact, according to the website, “The term Golden Gate refers to the Golden Gate Strait which is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.  The strait is approximately three-miles long by one-mile wide with currents ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 knots.  It is generally accepted that the strait was named “Chrysopylae” or Golden Gate by Army Captain John…

Going down the Lombard St in San Francisco in a go cart ……. wheeeeeeee