Alcatraz aka The Rock

Another interesting adventure awaits us today. We are going to take a ferry and get a guided tour of Alcatraz. First super max prison and considered the most secure in USA. The ferry ride is nice, the weather again is great. On our way we have the opportunity to take great pictures of the city and attempt the Golden Gate bridge. Since we have been here the bridge has always been covered with fog. We will try again tomorrow on our way into Napa Valley to see if we can get a clear one.

Once we arrive at Alcatraz we walk toward the cell block where we are offered a headset with a self guided tour recording. It's pretty well done, we get to hear stories and witness the remnants of the escape attempts made from The Rock. Alcatraz today is now a National Park. It has however started off as a lighthouse, a fortified military site, a military prison, a federal prison, a native American occupation and finally national historic landmark.

After the tour is complete we take the ferry again, this time we head to Angel Island. This island is now a State Park. It started however for military use, then as a quarantine station and finally an immigration detention facility. To visit the island we ride on a tram where an audio track and a tour guide provide us with the history of the island.

We take the ferry back to pier 33 riding in the waves. The wind is stronger than this morning and the boat is rocking more than what I expected. It's not bad to the point where we have to hold on for our lives but bad enough that you have to hold on all the time while walking around.

Once we arrive back on land, Ben decides he would like to go visit Coit Tower. Getting to the tower is a bit of a challenge as you have to find the various steps and they are hidden in behind people's yards. People living here must see lots of strangers in their back yards. Once at the tower we have another great view of SF. We decide not to go up to the top of the tower as the landscape is foggy and we do not think there will be a better view up there. Plus you have to pay to take an elevator to the top. There are no stairs that we are allowed to take.

From there we decide to visit the cable car museum. It is not far away. It's not a big museum bit it is interesting. All the cables that pull the 4 cable car lines start from this building. You see the motors and pulleys that run at a constant speed of 9.5 mph. I also learn that the brakes are made of pine and that they change them every 2 to 4 days. You do smell the wood burning while riding the cars.

We start heading back to our studio but first make a stop for some local food. We have to try the burritos from Pancho Villa Taquerilla. We order in advance as the reviews indicate that there are usually lineups here. When we arrive are order is in the queue. We take a couple of the salsas to go and head back to the studio. I was not disappointed, the burrito was great. I was not able to finish it all.

Another great day ended, tomorrow we head north.Read more