San Fran

Another day, another San Francisco area adventure.  After an early breakfast, once again Son Brian, Daughter-In-Law Nicole, Hubby Tony, and I all piled into the car.  This time we headed north towards San Francisco.

Twenty-five years ago when Tony had a business trip to San Francisco I came along and played while he worked.  I'd seen quite a few sights on that trip, but one of the ones I missed was Alcatraz Island, otherwise known as "The Rock".  When Son Brian asked us what we'd like to do on this visit that was at the top of the list.

Our reservations were for one of the first tours of the day, before the temperature had a chance to warm up. Because I knew it would be even cooler on the island I dressed in every layer I'd brought with me...a long sleeved shirt, sweater, and a light jacket. I could have used more. The trip to Alcatraz starts with a 15-minute ferry trip.   It was very chilly waiting at the dock to board, and not much warmer on the island.

The Rock

When we arrived at Alcatraz we were greeted by a National Park Service representative who gave us an orientation, then we were free to explore. First we watched an informative video about the history of the island, then we headed up to the main building to pick up the audio tour that was included with our ticket.  The very interesting tour led us from one section of the infamous federal penitentiary to another.

If we'd had more time I would have liked to explore some of the island's hiking trails, but it was coming up on lunch time and everyone was hungry.   Thankfully, our return trip on the ferry was warmer. After we got back to the mainland we had lunch, then walked through Fisherman's Wharf and up to Ghirardelli Square. Of course we had to stop for ice cream. The line to order was long, and the wait for the order was even longer, but once I tasted my sundae I decided it was worth the wait.

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