Feb 23, 2013 (Saturday)
Originally, we had planned to go to Alcatraz on Friday, but
we were unable to get tickets for that day. I had looked before we left on
Thursday and there were many tickets available, but then Friday morning when we
looked to reserve they were all sold out. Luckily, we were able to get tickets
for the 10:30 boat. Tickets for Alcatraz are $28 for the day time tours and $35
for night tours. There are some ticket plan options and tickets are cheaper for
children and senior citizens. Be sure to
purchase tickets early – either online or over the phone.
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| Painted Ladies |
We drove by the area with the “Painted Ladies”, otherwise
known as “Postcard Row”. The homes are adjacent to Alamo Square, at Hayes and
Steiner Streets. This is area is one of 11 historic districts in San Francisco.
The Victorian houses are back-dropped by the downtown skyline. We also tried to
find the “Full House” house. We found an address online, but we are not so sure
that it was the actual house.
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| Alcatraz |
The next plan of action was to find parking for
Alcatraz. We found a parking lot near
North Pointe and Stockton that was $16 for the day. A few blocks from there
parking was more than double that. The parking lot was a short walk to the
Alcatraz dock and to Fisherman’s Wharf. We arrived to the dock about an hour
before our departure time. The lines for the boat start about 40 minutes prior
to the scheduled departure time. I would advise getting there early for a good
spot on the boat. The boat ride is about 15 minutes long. Once arriving on the
island there is a brief orientation, mostly about safety. Alcatraz was
originally a Civil War-era artillery post, then it was converted to a military
prison in 1907, then lastly it became a federal maximum-security penitentiary
until it closed in 1963. In the late 60’s and early 70’s American Indian
protesters occupied the island, claiming it as Indian land. The island itself
is about 12 acres in size. The gardens on the island have a large variety of
plants and are well maintained. After arriving on the island and going through
the orientation, there was a tour that started almost immediately about the
attempted escapes from the island. The tour lasted about 45 minutes and was
really interesting. There are also many other tour guide talks available, be
sure to check the schedule if there is something you are really interested in
hearing about. The tour we took was nice because it broke up the 130 feet in
elevation difference that you need to walk up to get to the prison. There is a
small tram available if you need assistance.
There are also many stairs once you get into the prison. There is an
audio tour available, free of charge. We did not do the audio tour, but it
seemed that pretty much everyone took advantage of it. The prison was packed
with visitors, making it difficult to get around. I personally was not that
impressed with the prison, especially since we went to the Ohio State
Reformatory just last year. The Ohio site had a lot more architecture and was
much more creepy! We spent about 2 hours
on the island, but I think you could easily spend nearly the entire day there
if you really wanted to check things out completely, watch the available
videos, or take part in the different tours.
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| Sea Lions @ Fisherman's Wharf |
After returning to the main land we walked down “The
Embarcadero” to Fisherman’s Wharf. We had lunch at Boudin Bakery. Sandwiches
were around $9-$10. There were also soups and salads. It was a decent option
for a relatively quick lunch that tasted good. After lunch, we wondered around
Fisherman’s Wharf for a bit, checking out a few shops and of course checking
out the sea lions!
We walked down to the San Francisco Maritime Historic Park.
There are many historic vessels on display at the site. You are able to walk
the pier for free, but if you would like to board the ships you will need to
pay $5/person. The “America the Beautiful” passes are honored at this site.
This park is very close to the Powell-Hyde Cable Car Turnaround and Ghirardelli
Square. There is also a National Parking Information Center in the area.
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| Napa Valley Wine Train |
It would have been nice to have more time in San Francisco,
but we need to high tail it so we would not be late for our Napa
Valley Wine Train Dinner reservation! The Wine Train dinner tour lasts three hours.
The unfortunate part of taking the dinner train this time of year was that it
was too dark to see the vineyards. The Wine Train serves a five course meal – it was
absolutely amazing! I had the Roasted Beef Tenderloin for my main course and
Mike had the Grilled Salmon. Tickets for the event are on the pricey side, but
all in all I would say that it is totally worth it! Also, it should be noted that tip is not
included in the train ticket price, granted the ticket price was for the train
ride and the meal, so you do not have to tip on the entire ticket price. We
noticed that some people tipped and some did not, those who did not probably
did not realize that tip was not included in the ticket price.
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