CaliforniaApril 2000Day 8San Francisco. I hope I remember everything. First stop was a trip past City Hall, then a trip up the Twin Peaks for a view of the city. | ||||
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| We drove around (I think) Astor Square to look at the "painted ladies", the ornately painted Victorian houses. | ||||
 | There are actually rules, that there have to be at least three colors, and they have to contrast, and they have to be painted to show off the decorations. | |||
| We drove past Union Square, went to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, | ||||
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and finally to Fisherman's Wharf.
We went to "Underwater World", a very small aquarium; notably, the fish are on three sides -- left, right, and above (my pictures of jellyfish came out horribly). Next was a boat to Alcatraz, and a tour of the grounds and the main cell building. | ||||
 | Views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge, from the boat to Alcatraz |  | ||
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| Welcome to Alcatraz. | ||||
| The island was home to the "Tribe of All Nations", an Indian (Native American Indian) gathering, which didn't last very long. That's why the sign background still says "Indians Welcome" | ||||
 | One of four rows of cells, three stories tall. |  | ||
| This is your home for the next 15-25. Cells at Alcatraz hold one prisoner each. | ||||
 | The Administration building. |  | ||
| Note that the red stripes in the shield say FREE | ||||
 | The view of San Francisco from Alcatraz. It was common to hear the sounds of party-goers on the Wharf, and to smell the chocolate from the plants that used to be downtown. Supposedly, this was the worst part of the punishment. |  | ||
| It's a little hard to see, but sitting on the dock of the bay (ha! I kill me!) are hordes of sea lions. | ||||
| Took bus and BART to Hal's place for dinner and conversation with his friends Ken and Suzie. | ||||