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February 25, 2008

Hello from San Francisco: Our Last Day –
An Exhilarating Ride on a Cable Car & a Trip to Fascinating Alcatraz

Finally we were treated to another gorgeous day with bright blue skies -- our last day in San Francisco. From the historic Queen Anne Hotel we took the bus downtown to famous Union Square, location of all sorts of fancy retail stores. Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, Nordstrom and many other upscale stores and boutiques make this a magnet for the true shopoholics. So far we had had extensive exposure to San Francisco's public transport system, but we had left the real highlight for the last day: a ride on one of the famous San Francisco cable cars!


One of San Francisco's famous cable cars

We hopped on at the corner of Powell and Geary Streets and started to enjoy the outdoor experience on this moving historic landmark. The cable car was so full I was literally hanging outside the vehicle and did not have enough space to turn my body around. I kept thinking to myself how ironic it was that in virtually every other kind of vehicle you have to stay seated and strapped into your safety belts. But here in San Francisco you can literally let it all hang out! What a great experience on this gorgeous day - it really brought out the kid in all of us.


Union Square on a gorgeous day

Our charming driver Rufus kept the whole car entertained and compared his job to being a supervisor at an adult day care centre. How true! Riding the San Francisco cable cars definitely brings out the playful and adventurous spirit in everyone, regardless of age. He even let us off at the top of Lombard Street to give us a quick peak at "the world's crookedest street" before he rang his bell, and we had to run to jump back onto the moving vehicle. The cable car ride was one of the absolute highlights of our San Francisco experience!


Vintage streetcars

Once arrived in the Fisherman's Wharf area we strolled south, past Pier 39 with its lazy sea lions and the various colourful flower beds of Tulipmania. Our destination was Pier 33 where we caught a boat across to another one of San Francisco's great destinations: Alcatraz Island!


Arrival on Alcatraz Island

Right at 11 am we started chugging across the bay to Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz Cruises is the only cruise company that takes you across to Alcatraz Island and lets you off on the island which is now part of the National Park Service.It takes just about 10 to 15 minutes to get across to this infamous island. During our boat trip we enjoyed a beautiful view of downtown San Francisco, the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge and the mountainous communities on the north and east side of San Francisco Bay.


The watchtower

We arrived at the ferry dock where a National Park Ranger provided us with a brief overview of things to see and do on the island. We then took in a 15 minute video that gave us a great summary of the island and its fascinating history. From 1850 onwards, Alcatraz Island was the location of a citadel, and it also housed the first lighthouse on the West Coast, built in 1854. In 1909 it became a military prison and in 1933 it finally was converted into the notorious maximum security penitentiary that it is known for all over the world.


Signs of the Indian occupation

Starting my walk, I stopped in a room that displays posters and information about the 1969 to 1971 Native American Occupation of Alcatraz. I then snapped photos all along my walk to the famous Cell Blocks and caught some gorgeous views across the bay. I admit I was morbidly fascinated by the run-down morgue that held deceased prisoners from 1933 to 1963, the year the prison was finally closed. The focal point of any trip to Alcatraz is a visit of the four cellblocks that housed 390 cells, all designed for single prisoners, which actually provided better conditions than many other penitentiaries of the time.


What a typical cell would have looked like


After getting equipped with headsets and a recorder, I followed the excellent narration of the audio tour that featured the voices of real former prison guards and former inmates. Alcatraz is a truly fascinating destination, and the stories of its famous inmates (Al Capone, Robert Stroud -- the Birdman of Alcatraz, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and many others) make your hair stand on end. The audio tour provided a fabulous self-guided experience where you could stop and linger at any of the destinations to look at them up close. I stopped frequently and snapped hundreds of pictures of this unique place.


View eastwards across the bay

The tour features many noteworthy stops, including the large dining room and kitchen, the intake-area where new inmates got changed from their street clothing into prison garb, the prison library and the main cellblocks with their tiny cells, all equipped with a metal bunk, a small wash basin and toilet bowl. The corridor separating cellblocks B and C is named Broadway; another corridor is called Michigan Avenue, and the area in front of the dining room was referred to as Times Square. Several of the cells were furnished to show what they would have looked like when the prison was still in operation. The location of the famous 1942 Battle of Alcatraz and the cells where several prison guards were killed was signposted.


The lighthouse on Alcatraz Island

The cells housing Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, location of the most famous escape attempt in Alcatraz' history, were also furnished to provide an authentic demonstration of the escape. The cells showcased the papier-maché dummies that these inmates used to disguise their disappearance. I could also see the small tunnels, hand-carved with metal spoons, which successfully took the prisoners into an unguarded utility tunnel and from there off the island. The three prisoners or their bodies were never found, and to this day there are diverging theories that presume that the escaped inmates either drowned or made their way all across to Latin America. An episode of the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" TV series proved that the escape could have indeed succeeded.


The ruins make for dramatic shots

I also examined the Control Room and the visitation area as well as the outside space at the southern end of the cell block building which features a lighthouse and the ruins of the former Warden's House which burned down in 1970. The stark outline of these ruins against the bright blue sky created an eerie yet beautiful impression. After checking out the many souvenirs in the gift shop I made my way back down to the ferry dock, past another set of ruined buildings which include the recreation hall and the Coast Guard quarter. There is a real mystique to this place, and the lingering spirit of history is palpable.


Heading back with Alcatraz Cruises from Alcatraz Island

Just before 2 pm we caught another ferry back to the mainland, because we needed to squeeze in one final adventure into our packed San Francisco schedule: we were going to spend our last few hours in this city on another bike ride. This time our destination was Golden Gate Park.


Related Links:

Hello from San Francisco: Arrival in San Francisco & the Queen Anne Hotel
Hello from San Francisco: Fisherman's Wharf & Dinner at Neptune's Palace
Hello from San Francisco: A Culinary Tour through North Beach
Hello from San Francisco: The Coit Tower Murals, a Bike Ride across the Golden Gate Bridge & Dinner at McCormick & Kuletos
Hello from San Francisco: A Victorian Homes Tour & the City's History Explained
Hello from San Francisco: The Handlery Hotel & Exotic Entertainment at Asia SF
Hello from San Francisco: An Excursion to Muir Woods and a Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting
Hello from San Francisco: Good Karma & Great Food at Tangerine SF
Hello from San Francisco: A Ride on a Cable Car & Explorations of Alcatraz
Hello from San Francisco: Our Final Bike Ride to Golden Gate Park & Dinner at Colibri's
Only in San Francisco (Part I): An Interview with the San Francisco Visitors & Convention Bureau
Only in San Francisco (Part II): An Interview with the San Francisco Visitors & Convention Bureau

Useful Links:

Travel planning with the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau

Useful Books:

     

Video Clips:

Hanging out of the cable car

 

Chatting with Rufus, the charming cable car driver

 

Joking on the cable car - our driver is hilarious

 

Riding the cable car: jumping off to see Lombard Street

 

Departure for Alcatraz

 

Images of Alcatraz: Approaching the island, landing area, watchtower

 

Images of Alcatraz: Entrance into cellblock

 

Images of Alcatraz: cells, kitchen, corridors, C-Block, Visitation Area, Control Room

 

Images of Alcatraz: corridors, Times Square, views from behind bars

 

Images of Alcatraz: the Administration Building & the Light House

Images of Alcatraz - the bleakness of the exercise yard

 

Images of Alcatraz: ruins of the Officers Club

 

Images of Alcatraz: Ruined Warden's House, Control Room, interior of cellblock, Anglin Brother's cells, demonstrating successful escape

 

Images of Alcatraz: the Gift Shop

 

Images of Alcatraz: ruined Officer's Club, old Barracks Building, Electric Shop

 

 


 

 

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