Winter Holidays – San Francisco (Day 2)

Day two, and we were up early, having had a mixed night of sleep. I woke in the early hours and struggled to get back to sleep. Jet lag, I guess. The motel had a breakfast room which opened at 8:00, and so we waited for that to open and headed in there. There was not a vast selection; it was mainly cereal, pastries and toast, with tea and coffee also available. But it was enough for us.

After breakfast, we walked to Lombard Street – the famous zig-zag street in the city – up several steep hills.

Outside our hotel, you can maybe see how steep the hills are!

We climbed up this…

…and this….

…. and this!

And here, at last, is Lombard street

From this street, we walked downhill to Fisherman’s Wharf area, by the sea. The area is a little like Blackpool sea front. There are seals there, and tourist shops.

Tram lines

Old fashioned tram

Submarine in the harbour

Seal statue

Seals again!

We took a boat to the Rock, to Alcatraz. Alcatraz can be wondered around by yourself, though most people walk around the old prison buildings with a free audio tour. First, though we watched a short film about the island’s history. We then proceeded to take the tour, which consisted of listening to accounts of prison life from former guards and prisoners.

The Rock

The island was at one time a home to various groups of native Americans. Messages from them are still present…..

Guard tower

Gun on the island from before it was a prison

Water tower, complete with message from the native Americans when they were there

Prison cell

The long corridor of cells

I think this was solitary confinment

The library (as was)

Information about an attempted escape

The city across the water

The Golden Gate Bridge

The lighthouse

These are mock ups of the fake bodies which were made to fool the guards during a break out, as depicted in the film ‘Escape from Alcatraz’.

The dining room

Last meal

Sustainable Alcatraz

As we were leaving in the boat

A model of the Rock, back on dry land

Following this – with the weather improving – we took the boat back to the mainland, and had a late lunch of sandwiches. Then we walked along the sea front and to a park not too far from where we were staying.

Look at how steep that hill is!

An old paddle from a paddle steamer

The bridge again

This is the statue of a politician I think

Another statue in the park

We then went back to our room to rest, before later heading out for food to a Chinese restaurant before turning in for the night.