Having packed in so much the day before, we decided to take our second day of sightseeing in San Francisco at a slightly slower pace. First taking advantage of the central location of our hotel to pop into a few shops and then riding the cable car over the hill to Fisherman’s Wharf.
Although touristy, the cable car, which stops at various classic sights such as Lombard Street, is a unique way to see the city.
To add to the experience, the cable car drivers were particular characters who brightened up our day even further.
Everyone I had spoken to prior to our trip said that visiting Alcatraz Island was a must while sightseeing in San Francisco, so after lunch we boarded the boat to the former federal penitentiary. The queues were pretty long despite it being mid-week and outside the school holidays so booking in advance is a must for this attraction.
Not normally one for an audio tour, I decided to give the one at Alcatraz a chance given that it has won numerous awards. It was definitely among the better of the audio tours I have listened to – I enjoyed the first-hand accounts and stories given by former prisoners and guards, however given my propensity for taking things at a somewhat speedy pace I found it hard to relinquish control of my route and pace around the prison to an electronic device.
I wish I had more time to soak up the view of the city but after a relaxed morning, we didn’t have as much time as we thought!
Nor did we have time to fully explore the beautiful gardens that surround the main prison buildings.
And even though I didn’t feel like we’d had enough time to really take in Alcatraz, it definitely provided food for thought as we sat on the F-Line street car back towards our hotel from the right side of the water…
San Francisco is one of those cities I love – there are so many different areas, all of which seem to hold something unique and have a different atmosphere. We didn’t even make it to the Haights, Hayes Valley or Japantown, to name a few, so I guess San Francisco will just have to go onto my ever-growing list of places to return to!