Alcatraz - The Rock

Today a group of 8 of us toured the city aboard a small bus before heading to the waterfront area. The city itself is beautiful and charming in its own way. It is a relatively new city and is an eclectic mix of many cultures. We visited Chinatown and Little Italy as we drove up and down the famous steep streets. 

We departed from Pier 33 for the short trip out to Alcatraz. The view of the city skyline from the boat was spectacular. We made our way on foot from the dock up the hill to the cell block. They have an excellent audio tour which not only detailed the history of the prison but also told the story of several of the more (in)famous inmates, described prison life (not only for the prisoners) and highlighted several of the failed but bloody escape attempts. We both found it extremely interesting but let me tell you that even on a sunny warm day in June it was apparent that the Rock was a severe and brutal place to spend any time. The wind is very strong and I can't imagine how cold it is (was) in the depth of winter.

After returning to the mainland we wandered along the waterfront. It was very busy and very noisy. There are street performers everywhere and their music filled the air. We stopped at the famous Boudin's for lunch. San Francisco is famous for its sourdough and Boudin's is one of the original bakeries. I had crab cakes with sourdough and Stephen had a roast beef roll. Delicious! 

We made our way past Pier 39 which is a tourist area full of restaurants, cafes and shops to Fisherman's Wharf. It really is very beautiful, particularly on a perfect sunny day. 

Our plan was to walk down to the Hyde St tramcar stop to catch a trolley back to our hotel past Lombard St (the crooked street so famously used in many car chase scenes). Unfortunately when we got there we found out that the The President is in town and due to his visit all tramcar service had been suspended. Not happy!!! We decided to catch a cab but as we were standing on the corner a limo drove past and the driver offered us a deal too good to refuse......mind you he could have sold ice to Eskimos! Not only did he take us back to our hotel he also stopped (very illegally) at Lombard St so we could get out to take photos. The flowers are in full bloom so it was just spectacular. 

We are now relaxing in our hotel room. Stephen is happily watching the U.S. Open on TV. The new course at Chamber's Bay looks absolutely beautiful. As I lie here on the bed writing this blog entry I can here the noise of the city below - horns tooting, trolley car bells, traffic, the wails (and it really is a wail and not a siren) of fire trucks, etc. The city is jam packed. The welcome home parade for the NBA winners Golden State was held this afternoon and this coupled with the presidential visit has caused major gridlock. There are people and cars absolutely everywhere. 

We are off to the Napa Valley tomorrow.