Anna's Next Adventure: 100% tourist in San Francisco ...

Grey skies in San Francisco

Today was my only full day in San Francisco, so I went like the clappers all day, trying to experience as much as possible. I began the day with an 'early bird' (along with hundreds of other people) tour of Alcatraz. The recommended time spent on the island is two hours. I spent close to four ... I seem to have a morbid fascination with prisons and the horrifying stories that accompany them (perhaps being a Tasmanian, I've visited Port Arthur one too many time?) I took the audio tour (excellent), listened to a 45 minute talk about the attempted escapes (fascinating) and wandered the island, trying to put myself into the shoes of the inmates, the staff and their families. It must have been torture for the prisoners, being able to hear the sounds of everyday life as Alcatraz is so close to downtown San Francisco.

Alcatraz ferry with 'The Rock' in the background

Birds on Alcatraz ... the most recent residents

Alcatraz

Warning on Alcatraz

Arriving at the dock

Indians welcome ... how nice

Derelict buildings and lush gardens, quite the contrast

The old Officer's Hall

The recreation yard

Mating season for the local birds

My next stop was a stroll along Fisherman's Wharf, a hot bed of overpriced tourist restaurants and souvenir shops. My reason for visiting such an area (that I would normally avoid) was to see the resident sea lions lounging about on the docks. They were quite spectacular ... close to 100 sea lions sleeping, swimming, communicating, playing on the docks so close to town. I did become quite attached to them and spent a good 45 minutes just watching and laughing at them. I feel another visit coming on before I leave San Francisco (and possibly a blog entry solely dedicated to these wonderful creatures).

Sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf

'Get out of my way!'

The most vocal of the sea lions

A comforting message on an apartment building

My last major touristy stop for the day was the Golden Gate Bridge. It is just as spectacular as I had imagined. It is also a lot longer than I expected ... Wikipedia just told me that it is 2.7 km long. Lucky I was up for a day of walking in the fresh (read, windy) air ... it was a 30 minute power walk just one way along the bridge. I was slightly disappointed not to find a bus service at the other end, however, after a handful (or three) of cashews, I was able to head back to the other side. I did regret not hiring a bike for the trip, but I've now worked up a significant appetite for my adventure into Chinatown this evening. I navigated the San Francisco bus system back into the city, getting off several blocks earlier so that I could scope out Japantown. Tonight, I'm aiming for a non-touristy Chinese restaurant with some authentic Chinese food and a Tsingdao or two.