San Francisco

Ahhhh San Francisco!

Last time we were here, it was nothing but blue skies and warm temperatures. So it was kind of a novelty to have misty skies and rolling fog this time.

We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge to Battery Spencer, which overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.

Then we drove to Fort Baker to view the bridge from a lower point. We had previously viewed the bridge from Fort Point, which is on the San Francisco side of the bridge.

From here, we drove some windy back roads and did a drive by San Quentin Prison. Silly me thought that this was like Alcatraz, you know, a decommissioned prison. But guess what, it is still a current prison. Needless to say, it was a very brief stop.

After this, we drove on to Oakland to check out the stadium that the Golden State Warriors play, which is next door to where the Oakland Raiders and Oakland A’s play.

We continued our loop of the bay to ‘Treasure Island’, which is a bit of a creepy, abandoned island thing that at one point was an institution operated by the Catholic Church. Now it is home to a wine bar, a self storage place, some houses and some kind of school. You know what though, as creepy as eff as it is, the view is million dollar.

Later that afternoon, we hit Alcatraz for a night tour. We were really glad we opted for the night tour, for a few reasons. There is a lot of renovation going on at Alcatraz right now. Eventually the place will be amazing, but for now there is a lot of the island that is off limits. We were lucky to have been able to visit the exercise yard, gardens, and lots of buildings on the North last time. Alcatraz at night is pretty freaking cool. Literally, it was near freezing, but also viewing this place in the cover of darkness adds to its isolation

We were fortunate to have gained access into the hospital, which was terrifying. Yes, in your mind you know this place is empty. But when you allow your mind to wander a tad, and you consider who has been in these rooms and how they have been treated, it does make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Red hot tip for anyone who does the Alcatraz night tour – eat before, or settle for Maccas after. Do not try to find somewhere to eat afterward, because anywhere near the wharf is not open. Bubba Gump’s website states they are open til 11pm, but if you arrive any time after 9 you will be shouted at by rude staff. Perhaps this is an opportunity for a business around the Alcatraz Tour wharf to engage with the tour company to stay open on the nights that the night tours are run. With over 300 people on each night tour, it will be worth while.