Tuesday took us to what became some of our favourite attractions in the city - Alcatraz and the Exploratorium. We also checked out the Aquarium of the Bay and Fisherman's Wharf during the day, and wandered through Chinatown in the evening.
A Cell in Alcatraz
We started the day off bright and early at one of the most famous maximum security prisons in the world. Alcatraz is located on an island off the coast of San Francisco, so we caught a ferry there and back. The prison was open from 1934 to 1963 and housed some of the world's most notorious criminals. Most of these criminals had served time at other prisons first, but they caused trouble so they were shipped to Alcatraz, aka The Rock. No one has been known to escape Alcatraz, but there was an attempt in 1962 and the prisoners were never found; the FBI investigation couldn't determine if the prisoners actually escaped, or if they died tryin'.
Alcatraz Island
Once we were on the island, we were free to wander around. After watching a brief film about the history of the island, which included its use by the American military in the 1800's, we walked up the steep paved slopes to the Cellhouse. The complementary Cellhouse audio tour is well worth the listen and it takes you through the prison, recounting stories from its fascinating history. Plus, walking around the prison puts everything into context.
Rockin' our Audio Tour Gear
One of the most interesting things we learned during the audio tour was that about 300 civilians lived in a community on Alcatraz while the prison was in operation! The families of the prison employees made up the population, and the community had its own bowling alley, convenience store, and soda fountain shop. Kids went to school on the mainland and traveled there by boat every day. We heard interviews with people who had grown up on Alcatraz and apparently it was a great place to grow up, and they never locked their doors! Who knew?!
After escaping Alcatraz, we returned to San Francisco and made our way to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch at Tarentino's Restaurant. The Aquarium of the Bay was our next stop; it features animals and plant life from the San Francisco Bay. Unfortunately we were completely spoiled by the awesomeness of Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto earlier this year, so most other aquariums pale in comparison. However, we were particularly intrigued by the Giant Pacific Octopus, and were entertained by the sleepy possum at the Aquarium of the Bay.
We then wandered in the sunshine along the waterfront all the way to the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is kind of like a science centre, but way better; it's full of "participatory exhibits", aka toys, that you can play around with to help you learn about science and the world around you. There were so many exhibits there that even our 2 hour visit wasn't nearly long enough to see them all. We were especially impressed by complex scientific principles that were demonstrated, as well as the live life science exhibits that usually don't make it into science centres. Despite the creepy crawlies, the creepiest thing was a toy with mirrors reflecting light in such a way that you could combine strips of your face with a friend's face.
After escaping Alcatraz, we returned to San Francisco and made our way to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch at Tarentino's Restaurant. The Aquarium of the Bay was our next stop; it features animals and plant life from the San Francisco Bay. Unfortunately we were completely spoiled by the awesomeness of Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto earlier this year, so most other aquariums pale in comparison. However, we were particularly intrigued by the Giant Pacific Octopus, and were entertained by the sleepy possum at the Aquarium of the Bay.
We then wandered in the sunshine along the waterfront all the way to the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is kind of like a science centre, but way better; it's full of "participatory exhibits", aka toys, that you can play around with to help you learn about science and the world around you. There were so many exhibits there that even our 2 hour visit wasn't nearly long enough to see them all. We were especially impressed by complex scientific principles that were demonstrated, as well as the live life science exhibits that usually don't make it into science centres. Despite the creepy crawlies, the creepiest thing was a toy with mirrors reflecting light in such a way that you could combine strips of your face with a friend's face.
AH!
So weird, but we had a lot of fun.
After a long day of exploring, we walked up and down lots of hills until we arrived in Chinatown for supper. We stopped at one of the first restaurants we came across. Judging by the number of specials written on the wall only in Chinese, the restaurant was legit. We finished up the night with a drink at Vesuvio Cafe, and walked back to our sketchy neighbourhood.
In case you missed them, here are links to our first couple of blog posts about this trip:
A Week in San Francisco (Part I)
Napa Valley Monday
And here are the rest of the posts from our trip:
Yosemite Wednesday
A Week in San Francisco (Part III)
Muir Woods Friday
A Week in San Francisco (Part IV)
Here are some pictures from our Tuesday of exploring in San Francisco:
After a long day of exploring, we walked up and down lots of hills until we arrived in Chinatown for supper. We stopped at one of the first restaurants we came across. Judging by the number of specials written on the wall only in Chinese, the restaurant was legit. We finished up the night with a drink at Vesuvio Cafe, and walked back to our sketchy neighbourhood.
In case you missed them, here are links to our first couple of blog posts about this trip:
A Week in San Francisco (Part I)
Napa Valley Monday
And here are the rest of the posts from our trip:
Yosemite Wednesday
A Week in San Francisco (Part III)
Muir Woods Friday
A Week in San Francisco (Part IV)
Here are some pictures from our Tuesday of exploring in San Francisco:
