The Rock – Discovering Alcatraz

Chris Boothman
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5
The Rock – Discovering Alcatraz

One of the highlights of our trip to San Francisco was visiting the island of Alcatraz! The island is of course famous for the prison, but it also has other key characteristics that made this famous as a fort, a natural habitat and a Native American homeland.

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The tour begins on land as you embark on the Alcatraz Cruise which sets sail from Pier 33 on the San Francisco Bay side and is about a 15-20 minute cruise to the island providing great views of the San Fran skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, mountains in the background and of course the island itself.

After arriving on the island you are given a very brief introduction from a national park ranger, and then you are left alone to go on a self-guided audio tour of the island. Rather than going into intricate details of the tour, here are our top 5 ‘must-see’ aspects of the Alcatraz Tour:

The Escape Attempts

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There were of course many escape attempts during both Alcatraz’s time as a military prison between 1859-1933 and as a Federal Penitentiary between 1934-1963. During this latter time, a total of 34 men that tried to escape in 14 separate attempts. Five of these men were never heard of or seen again, and are presumed to have drowned due to the severe current and frigidity of the water. One inmate successfully crossed the stretch of water but was captured on the rocks of the Golden Gate Bridge with exhaustion.

Throughout the tour of Alcatraz, you are given detailed accounts of the escape attempts and you can see the various spots that the attempts took place.

The Cells

I would say that the best experience of the tour is being able to stand inside one of the cells and envision for a few moments at least, what the inmates were feeling. For the most parts, the cells are small, ‘dingy’ and pretty much what you would consider stereotypical solitude but at the end of the day, prisoners knew that they had to survive and deal with the conditions the best they could.

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Some would deal with the conditions better than others while those that struggled and caused problems, would be resigned to dropping to the notorious ‘D-Block’ which although the cells were slightly larger, had much less sanitation and poorer living conditions in general.

The Infrastructure

When you think about Alcatraz and its buildings, you first thought is likely to be the main prison cell house which of course is the iconic image and architectural giant on the island. However, there are many other landmarks that served a roll on Alcatraz. The ‘Dock’ was originally completed in 1854, and has been modified and enlarged several times since then. Built in 1857, the ‘Guardhouse’ is the oldest building on the island. This was the first line of defense against any form of attack and contained gun ports and various firing positions on the roof. The ‘Warden’s House’ was a pinnacle landmark as it housed the leader of the island. In 1970, a fire ripped through the abandoned building leaving the shell and remains that you see today.

The Policies and Regulations

Learn about the daily routines of the inmates and in particular what they were allowed, supposed and expected to do. One of the most insightful of all the policies set forth in the inmates handbook was rule #5

You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. Anything else you get is a privilege.

The Dining Quarters

The inmates met three times each day as a group and this was probably one of the more appealing times of the day as for 20 minutes they were able to eat a relatively good meal and dine in what they would deem to be a luxury setting. However, this was also three times a day that was the most dangerous for the guards and wardens on duty, as the potential for fights and attempted group attacks was a definite possibility.

The dining room today is still pretty much intact and as you stand there it is a pretty small room which given that it would house anywhere between 260 and 300 inmates at any one time, was not the most appealing thought for anyone thinking this was a time to relax away from the confines of a cell.

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These are only a few of our highlights from our trip to Alcatraz. We spent three hours on the island and were not able to see everything there. I would certainly recommend getting on an early cruise and spending the majority of the day there because you can learn a lot of history and get a better understanding not only to the location of Alcatraz and its relative proximity yet distant nature from the San Fran coastline, but also the experiences of inmates and conditions they were forced to live in.

Have you visited Alcatraz before?

If so, what did you learn from your experiences there?

Day Trip to Yosemite National Park

Chris Boothman
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25
Day Trip to Yosemite National Park

Before traveling to San Francisco, we decided to either venture north to the wine valleys of Napa and Sonoma or head away from the coast inland to Yosemite National Park. I am not sure what the eventual determining factor was but we opted for the latter and prepared a route from San Francisco that saw us first head south to Pebble Beach and the 17 Mile Drive along the Monterey Peninsula, and then head across country to Yosemite (about a 4 hour drive). From Pebble Beach, we drove a couple of hours before staying overnight in Modesto and then woke up early Saturday morning to take on the 2 hour drive to the entrance of the National Park.

There are various routes that you can take to get into Yosemite and it really depends on the type of drive and scenery you want. The scenic Route 120 was our chosen method and this even allows you to take on the infamous ‘Old Priest Grade’ which has some pretty steep gradients but in reality is just a quicker way to get to your final destination of Yosemite. I am not convinced that this route would be as ‘easy’ in bad weather but given the perfect driving/road conditions on our trip it was not as bad as reputation suggests.

Yosemite National Park, for anyone that has never visited here, is truly breathtaking. The scenery is unbelievable and maybe that was because I have been trapped in the lowland states of Kansas, Oklahoma and currently Arkansas, but in reality the natural beauty present in Yosemite can surely only be found in national park settings.

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Arriving at the entrance to Yosemite, you have to pay a $20 fee if you are in a vehicle but this in reality is not bad as it gives you a 7 day pass in and out of the park as long as you keep your receipt. It may seem a little expensive if you are only staying for a day, but after you have drove around and experienced what Yosemite has to offer, you will realize it was well worth it! If this is your first time into the park, the map and guide the ranger provides will prove to be very useful.

The entrance from Route 120 is a great way to get into the park because you are starting from the 6,000 feet elevation and drop down into the valley to get to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Driving down through the valley gives you amazing photograph opportunities along the way, with views looking over the valley, surrounding mountains and forest. There are countless spots to pull over and even though the ranger indicates at the entrance you are about 45 minutes from the Visitor Center, with all the stops along the way, I would recommend allotting about 1 1/2 hours to get to the bottom of the valley.

Once you get into the valley, your first problem is going to be parking! The bottom of the valley is the hub for transportation to get to all the ‘hot spots’ around Yosemite and hosts several camp grounds for folks hiking and staying overnight in the park. We were fortunate to locate a spot and were then able to get out and start exploring. One major difference that you will notice if you are visiting from the San Francisco Bay Area is the vast difference in temperature. Whereas the Bay Area had a very comfortable 75 degrees, Yosemite was a toasty 98 degrees which for anyone interested in hiking would certainly require you to carry plenty of fluid along the way!

Some of the key landmarks in Yosemite worth visiting especially if you only have a day are as follows:

1. The Waterfalls

There are a variety of waterfalls in Yosemite that are worth visiting, none more spectacular than Yosemite Falls itself. Other waterfalls in the region include Bridalveil Fall, Horsetail Fall and Sentinel Falls (among many others).

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Depending on the time of the year that you visit will determine how many of these falls are actually active and we were fortunate that early July still sees many of these falls flowing water as the final amounts of snow that melted flows down the mountainside.

2. El Capitan

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The granite face of El Capitan, formed by glaciers thousands of years ago, rises more than 3,000 feet from the valley and is a true spectacle and landmark inside Yosemite. One of the favorite spots for rock climbers, many times you will see folks trying to master a true test of even the best of climbers out there!

3. Half Dome

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Missing out on seeing Half Dome is like going to London without seeing Buckingham Palace or Paris and not visiting the Eiffel Tower. This landmark really is the stereotypical attraction that people associate with Yosemite National Park. Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome is a great challenge to many hikers.

From the Visitor Center in the bottom of the valley, you can take on the 14-15 mile hike into relative unknown wilderness in search for reaching Half Dome but by all accounts, this is not for the faint-hearted and should only be attempted by those folks that are serious or at least in shape.

There is so much more to see in Yosemite than I have mentioned above. Just get out there and start exploring but what I would recommend is going against this whole post and spending more than just a day trip in the region. Take advantage of that 7 day entrance fee pass and camp among the wildlife and true nature that Yosemite offers.

What is your favorite landmark in Yosemite?

Do you have any hidden trails or hikes that you would recommend travelers to try?

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Seattle

Chris Boothman
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11
Top 5 Reasons to Visit Seattle

Seattle, Washington is one city that we are really hoping to visit in the near future (hopefully at some point during 2014). We are excited about the opportunities available here and the fact it is in close proximity to the Canadian border so you could make a bigger trip out of this by crossing over into Canada.

As we have yet to visit the infamously named “Emerald City”, this is a great opportunity for us to learn more about this beautiful city especially given it is one of our ‘bucket list’ locations.

Here are 5 interesting locations/attractions worth visiting from our research and certainly something we would consider if and when we venture to the far North West corner of the United States:

Crystal Mountain Resort

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So the first place which is a little out of the way or “off the beaten path” is located about 80 miles outside of Seattle city center. If you are interested in seeing spectacular views and love the natural beauty of national parks, you have to take a trip to Mt. Rainier National Park and head up to Crystal Mountain Resort. Perched in the middle of the Cascade Mountains, this resort is the place for ultimate relaxation.

Crystal Mountain Resort is no longer just a mecca for snow enthusiasts rather it remains open all year round and offers a myriad of activities for all ages including hiking, guided horseback riding, disc golf and of course scenic gondola rides (no need to travel all the way to Venice to ride a gondola when you can just be whisked away in the beautiful mountains).

Of course, Winter is the perfect season to visit this part of the country especially if you love to hit the slopes and test your skiing skills! After a long day on the slopes or hiking around the beautiful national park, why not sample some local northwestern cuisine in the Summit House located inside the Crystal Mountain Resort. This is a perfect way to end the perfect day and if you cannot relax in this part of the country with such breathtaking views, there won’t be many places around that you can!

The Museum of Glass

Situated a little closer to Seattle is Tacoma which at just over 30 miles is within a short commute of the Emerald City, the Museum of Glass is a great way of experiencing contemporary glass art in a breathtakingly beautiful museum on Tacoma’s revitalized waterfront. The hub of the northwest USA glass manufacturing industry, Tacoma is the perfect setting for the museum to be located and one of the major attractions of this place for so many people are the amazing glass blowing demonstrations that are readily available to the public on a daily basis.

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The museum’s galleries are dedicated to temporary exhibitions of works executed in glass and there are a host of local artists and those from further afield that travel to this spot of the country to demonstrate and advertise their works of art! Along with these temporary pieces, there are more permanent exhibitions on offer all year round for those who wish to return and just explore the beautiful pieces of architecture that these brilliant artists have created.

Jimi Hendrix Memorial

You may have read that we are heading to an Elton John concert in Memphis soon so we are of course avid music fans! Living in the heart of the Mid-South, we are in the stereotypical hub of country music so we really don’t have much contact with the ‘Rock N Roll’ era aside from Elvis’ legacy in Memphis!

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Seattle’s most infamous musician has to be the one and only Jimi Hendrix who for any budding guitarists out there is probably one of the true greats. Now I am personally not a Hendrix fan, I don’t particularly like his genre of music but even if you are not affiliated with the culture he was involved in, simply visiting a monument devoted to the true legend of music he was has to be worth spending some time at.

“Although Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) had verbally requested to be buried in England, his body was returned to Seattle and interned at Greenwood Memorial Park, Renton, Washington, approximately 30 minutes south of Seattle.” (Discover Black Heritage, 2013)

I would recommend taking along your iPod or iPhone, setting your playlist to the likes of Voodoo Child and Angel and just reminiscing of the music legend that Hendrix truly was whilst taking in the magnificent monument and park that it stands in.

Space Needle

Afraid of heights? Here is your chance to conquer that fear! Love the thrill of climbing to the summit of a skyscraper? Here is your chance to add yet another impressive structure to your list of climbs. The Space Needle is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle standing at over 600 feet tall. From the top of the Space Needle you can see landmarks such as the snow capped Mt. Rainier in the distance along with a host of other key Seattle and NW US attractions all from a perfect 360 degree vantage point.

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One of the most exciting attractions of the Space Needle is the SkyCity restaurant which rotates the full 360 degrees and offers visitors the opportunity to sit, relax and take in the breathtaking views as your are slowly guided around the city.

Heather and I both have a soft spot for skyscrapers and this is probably one of the reasons why I featured this despite it not really being off the proverbial beaten path.

Boeing Factory

Ok, so you love traveling! All avid travelers probably have one of many things in common – they have flown on a Boeing plane at some point. Well what better way to experience a Boeing on your next flight than by getting a better understanding of the manufacturing process of these soaring birds. Located about 30 minutes north of Seattle, there are great tours available around the Everett factory. Home to the 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner production lines, this is your chance to learn exactly how these planes are constructed.

“During the tour of the world’s largest building by volume (472,000,000 cubic feet or 13,385,378 cubic meters), visitors will see airplanes being built for our worldwide base of airline customers.” (Boeing, 2013)

All tours of the Boeing factory last around 90 minutes and prices range from $16-18 depending upon what time of the year you visit. Unfortunately no personal items (for security reasons) are allowed on the tour so it will be you and your memories that you are able to take away from this tour!

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I have always been amazed at the engineering and construction that goes into the aviation industry so I would love to be able to take a tour of such a plant and explore the intricacies as to what actually happens in the development of these forms of transport.

Seattle has so much to offer, let’s be frank! I didn’t even mention any of the main attractions such as the Pike Place market, CenturyLink field etc. but those above are a great way to see the broad spectrum of the NW part of USA.

Does anyone else have any suggestions on places “off the beaten path” to visit in the Seattle region?

Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39

Chris Boothman
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7
Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39

A vacation or trip to San Francisco would not be the same without visiting Fisherman’s Wharf and in particular Pier 39. If you are staying in the downtown area as we were, such as on Union Square, you have two recommended options of accessing the Wharf area and I have to admit that both of these are viable choices which we encountered on our trip to San Fran.

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a. Take the local cable car – A short walk from Union Square to Market Street will allow you to pick up the F-Line MUNI cable car. This is not the ‘stereotypical’ old-school cable cars that all the souvenirs and movies recognize, but it is still a very convenient service that for $2 is a real bargain! You can hop on and hop off as many times as you want during a 90 minute period (or longer in some cases as the drivers rarely check your tickets). Later in our stay we realized that you could take the Hyde-Powell Cable Car which is the old-style cable cars where folks lean off the side and head to the Wharf but this is a little more expensive but probably worth it just for the experience!

b. Get some exercise and start walking – After riding the MUNI cable car, you probably think that the walk is out of the question given the route the cable car takes and length of time it takes to reach Pier 39. However, a direct walk from the Hilton Union Square hotel (where we stayed!) is about 1.8 miles to Pier 39. The walk is not all flat and encounters some pretty steep gradients but it is worth the trek, especially as you can swing by the cable car museum along the way which unless you walk this way you will probably never know exists there.

So….after you have decided your method of transport to get to the Wharf, what is there to do there? Well, pretty much everything but here are our top 5 attractions in the Wharf/Pier 39 area:

Eat at one of the Pier 39 restaurants or cafes

There are plenty of options available in the area to wine and dine but we recommend sampling on the local places rather than opting for a chain location. We Players Sports Grill and Arcade which is similar to a Dave & Busters location. The food is pretty expensive there and not all that brilliant but the atmosphere is cool inside and it’s a nice place to relax for lunch or early evening dinner. If you are more interested in sitting down with gorgeous views over the Bay towards the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, why not sample either  Neptune’s Waterfront Grill and Bar or the Pier Market Seafood Restaurant.

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Our favorite location though on Pier 39 has to be ‘T’s Fish & Chips’ which offered a great British style chippy experience! As you walk inside you are greeted with the Union Jack flag with FISH AND CHIPS across the middle of it! After setting the mood, order yourself some grub from a wide range of options and then enjoy the great value food.

Gift Shops

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Every other store around the Wharf and on Pier 39 is a gift shop so that you can purchase a cherished memory to take back with you! Whether it is a magnet of Alcatraz or the Golden Gate Bridge or even a penny machine (Heather’s favorite!!), there will be something for everyone. I know we certainly enhanced the economy of the gift stores whilst in the area. One of the cool stores is Lefty’s San Francisco – The Left Hand Store, where everything inside is designed for left handed people. If you are right-handed, you have probably never thought about what it is like for lefty’s using everything that is designed for right handed people.

Sit and relax while gazing over San Francisco Bay

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After walking around Pier 39 and reaching the end, you can sit for hours taking in the beautiful scenery of the Bay with Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate Bridge and mountain range in the backdrop. All of this, along with a cool ocean breeze provides the perfect setting for relaxation.

Ghirardelli Square

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Situated just off Fisherman’s Wharf, the home of Ghirardelli is a perfect spot to go and enjoy something to meet your sweet tooth! There are various options available and of course its personal preference but I would recommend the Ghirardelli Caramel Sundae (check out one of your flyers that you are bound to pick up along the way because there will likely be a $1 off coupon to save some cash!) which was delicious. Our justification for sampling the caramel sundae was the amount of walking up and down those San Fran hills would certainly help burn off the calories.

Pier 39 Street Performers and July 4th Fireworks

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Every day there are performances on Pier 39 to keep tourists and locals entertained. Whether it is a local band playing some classic hits, or a magician keeping everyone on their toes, there is someone available to keep you interested.

Our trip was over the July 4th weekend so of course on the evening of July 4th, we were treated to a spectacular firework display over the San Francisco Bay. We stood on top of the bridge by the Wharf and watched among thousands of other onlookers as the impressive display continued for around 30-45 minutes.

We spent almost two full days experiencing the Wharf and Pier 39 and we could easily have spent much longer in this area! You will notice that this is the hub of San Francisco and where all the locals and tourists hang out. There is a lot of hustle and bustle going on in this part of the Bay, but at the same time it can be very relaxing!

What are your experiences of Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39?

What is your favorite restaurant on Pier 39 or nearby?

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