Sutro Ruins

The other day, I was passing thru San Francisco and stopped at the ruins of the Sutro Baths. The baths were built in the 1890s, and were an engineering marvel. Water was supplied by the surf. There were seven pools; six were heated; in the other, you could do polar bear swimming. (the ocean temp is usually in the 50s year round). It was a huge complex: thousands of people enjoyed the baths on a busy day. See the photo I took of the descriptive sign in the parking lot above the baths; notice that in both pix, past and present, you can see the same offshore rocks). The baths were all the rage early in the 20th century, but diminished in popularity after WWII. In 1966 a fire burned the exterior structures as they were being demolished. The baths are right next to the Cliff House, which, though it has been destroyed a number of times, has, unlike the baths, always been rebuilt.