Touring 'The Rock' and San Francisco

Today we were scheduled for two tours - one for Alcatraz and one for a driving tour of the city.

Cable Cars at Powell and Market

We started our day at 8:00am when we went for some breakfast at a little restaurant a block away from the hotel. After eating a nice breakfast we walked down to the end of Powell at Market and decided to ride the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf and since the line wasn't too long we waited for the next car.

Cable Car View of the Bay Bridge

Our wait was only a few minutes and when we got on the car we nabbed one of the outside benches. The morning was foggy and overcast with some drizzling rain. So riding the cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf was perfect. We got to enjoy the ride and got to see a few things along the way. We got off the cable car at the end of the line and then walked to the place where we had to check in for our tours which was on Beach St. between Mason and Taylor. I booked these tours through GuideYou.com but the tour company for today's tours was American Guide Tours. They operate from a little counter in Mamita's Restaurant. I was a little skeptical when we walked up to the place but all was well. We checked in and got our tickets for Alcatraz and our walking tour tickets. Today we were going to Alcatraz in the morning and then taking a driving tour of the city. From the check in place we had to get to Pier 33 by 10:30am for an 11:00am departure to Alcatraz.

Sea Lions at Pier 39

There is only one company that provides ferries to the island and that is Alcatraz Cruises and that is why we had to be at Pier 33 at a certain time. We still had a little over an hour before we had to be at the pier so we wandered through Pier 39 and watched the sea lions for a bit and then we stopped and had some coffee. We eventually made our way to the place where you line up to board the boat but we had to wait until they finished boarding the 10:30am folks. Then we were in line and put through a little maze (just like the lines when you are at DisneyLand or such) and wait. Our tickets were checked three times and then we were finally on board.

Alcatraz Island

It was a short ride to Alcatraz and when we got off the boat we had to gather around one of the rangers for a short introduction and a list of rules. This was pretty short and then we were free to explore the island. I first went into the bookstore to get my National Passport Stamps and then we started walking around. We took our time walking up the four switchbacks to the cell block building. We stopped along the way to read signs, look at the views, watch the birds and take pictures.

Arriving at Alcatraz Island

When we arrived at the cell blocks we got our audio tour and headed out. We followed the audio tour throughout all the areas of the cell blocks and learned quite a lot about life on Alcatraz. Once the audio tour was done we returned our headsets and left the cell blocks and wandered around a bit before heading back to the dock. I am glad we took this tour I have been wanting to get to the island for a long time now - I am just glad it was for a visit and not for being a prisoner. The cells were small and there wasn't much of a view from them. I also like that once you are on the island you can take as much time as you want as long as you are on the last boat back to San Francisco. I want to go back and visit the island again but I would like to do the night tour. For this trip we barely got tickets - they sell out fast and you need to make reservations early. Or you can do like I did and book it through one of the tour companies. Ours worked out well and we enjoyed it tremendously. Here are some links about Alcatraz that I read before going on the tour.

A Brief History of Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island: An Inescapable Experience
Alcatraz Prison: History and Facts About Alcatraz
Novato Woman Recalls Growing up on Alcatraz
Former Alcatraz Resident Darlyne Sheppeard Recalls Growing Up At America's Most Infamous Prison
Overland Park woman packing bags for reunion on Alcatraz
Alcatraz History

Alcatraz Cell

Recreation Yard

Alcatraz Escape Route

Looking Down "Broadway"

After our visit to Alcatraz we took the ferry back to San Francisco and began walking along Beach Street.

San Francisco National Cemetery

We had to return to the check in place for the tours to catch a bus for a driving city tour which started at 3:15pm.

Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point

We still had about an hour so we walked until we found a little restaurant and stopped for some lunch. Now that we were full we finished our walk to catch our bus. Our tour bus was a simple open top bus that took us on a driving tour of the city and it lasted about 3 hours.

Japanese Tea Garden Entrance

We started on Beach St. and drove by Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square and then across the Marina District. We then drove through the Presidio past the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco National Cemetery and then headed over the Golden Gate Bridge and back.

Corner of Haight & Ashbury

We continued through the Presidio and then exited at the Arguello Gate and drove south to Golden Gate Park. We drove past the de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden and California Academy of Sciences before exiting the park at McLaren Lodge.

Haight Street Legs

Next we headed down Haight St. where the "Summer of Love" took place. We got to see beautiful murals and architecture as well as some interesting sculpture. Leaving Haight St. we drove around Alamo Square and saw the famous "Painted Ladies" and then drove through the Tenderloin District - told to us by the tour guide as not the safest place in San Francisco. The bus next took us through Union Square, Financial District, North Beach and Chinatown before making our way back to where the bus tour started. It was now around 6:30pm and we decided we wanted to head back our hotel. We were both tired and decided to skip dinner and take the bus back to Union Square and get to the hotel. We had a fun and full day and got a great perspective of the city. I also found one letterbox today but I won't say where it was because it was a mystery and it was a good hide and fun find.

The 'Painted Ladies' with San Francisco Back Drop