San Francisco - Day 3

San Francisco - Day 3 saw more sunny weather in the Bay Area.  We started out finding Cafe Trieste which was recommended by a friend of Frances.  Required navigating more seriously steep hills to get there - coffee was good :)

We decided to do the on/off bus today with stops at the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park (national AIDS grove was very touching), Haight Ashbury (Frances bought a dress for Jennifer in a shop formerly owned by Janis Joplin's girlfriend which was next door to where Jimi Hendrix lived and around the corner from the Grateful Dead - a very eclectic street) plus Chinatown and back around to Union Square with all the shopping.

Haight Ashbury

Our bus ticket included the night tour.  Heading over the Bay Street bridge to Treasure Island provided awesome views is San Francisco at night.

24,500 steps and 17.3 Km's today :)

Home tomorrow after another lovely Easter weekend away with Frances.

Alcatrez, Fishermans Wharf and more

Today started out rainy but off we went. We opted for the Cable car ride down to Fishermans Wharf and then walked over to pier 33 for our boat to Alcatraz

Fortunately, the rain abated as we arrived at Alcatraz.  What an amazing tour, especially the audio tour through the prison.  The worst of the worst went to Alcatrez, including Al Capone who was convicted of tax evasion and Robert Shroud (birdman) described as a homicidal psychopath through the tour.  We saw cell blocks C (general population) and D (treatment and segregation).  The cells were 5 x 9 x 7 feet in size - so small.  We heard the voices of some of the inmates, including what it was like to be in the blackness of segregation, and of one of the children who lived there while her father worked as a guard.  We saw how the escapees of 1962 made their escape through the use of spoons to enlarge vents into a utility corridor and left dummies in their cots.  Did they make it?

The shower room (no privacy here)

Cell block C - general

We then headed back to Fishermans wharf and walked to Ghiardelli square to pick up chocolate for Rob!

 Next up was a walk up a very very steep hill to the top of Lombard Street.

We had dinner at Fishermans Wharf (thanks Dad) and then walked back to out hotel in Union square.

23,484 steps today and 16.12 km.  That doesn't account for the steepness of the hills we walked up and down!

Should sleep well tonight :)

Day 1 in San Francisco = Wine Tour!

We boarded the party bus (special lighting that changed and sparked plus quite the sound system) at 0830 and headed off the the Golden Gate for a quick look.

Then back on the bus with Mimosas as we headed to the Jacuzzi vineyard.

The Jacuzzi vineyard in Sonoma was lovely.  We tried 5 nice wines and I'm regretting not buying a bottle of the Rose. They don't ship to Canada :(

Then on to 3 more wineries in Sonoma and Napa. We went to Larson (with 3 large Labrador dogs - pictures featured on their wines!) Madonna and Andretti (as in the race car Andretti's).  We powered out on the wine tasting by the last one :)

Larson

The bus ride back was interesting with loud music and dancing in the aisle.

Tomorrow is predicting some (much needed) rain.  We're off al Alcatrez.

More updates tomorrow.

Off to the City by the Bay

Off to San Francisco for a couple of days.  Tigger is helping with the packing.