So continuing on from my most recent entry I left you all about to head out with friends for dinner.... At about 8pm the party rendezvoused at a fantastic restaurant called Millennium - a highly acclaimed vegan haunt offering exquisite food & wines.....Following dinner, Paul & his wife Kerry said their goodbyes and headed home. Still eager to party the remaining dynamic duo headed to a quiet bar for a quick (yet potent) cocktail where we met Amelia & Alex both locals to San Francisco after a feeble attempt to keep the bar open beyond its allowed time we headed to Cantina for several 'final' rounds before heading home.
It was around 8 when the alarm woke me.... I was to visit Alcatraz, my long awaited tourist destination. The 11.30 boat left right on schedule and the 10 minute trip across the bay enabled me to catch some good panoramic shots of San Fransisco.
Several tours are operated within Alcatraz but I would recommend the Audio tour - you are provided with some dodgy earphones and a mp3 player with a pre-recorded tour around Alcatraz narrated by some of the correctional officers and past inmates - very entertaining.
Alcatraz housed the worst of the worst criminals, some of note were Al "Scarface" Capone, Robert "Birdman" Stroud and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. The tour enables you to see inside these cells as well as walk into the infamous Solitary Confinement cells on D block where the hardest criminals were kept.
Alcatraz had 14 breakout attempts none more famous than in 1962 when three men vanished (presumed drowned) from the supposed maximum security prison, using spoons, paper mache and raincoats for a raft. The breakout inspired the 1977 movie staring Clint Eastwood "Escape from Alcatraz".
Amazingly children freely played within the prison grounds, with officers families living in several housing sections scattered around the island. After walking around the eerie halls of Alcatraz for approximately 3 hours, I decided enough was enough and I headed for the return Ferry terminal (via the souvenir shop - of course!).
Hitting the mainland around 3.30pm I instantly remembered one final tourist spot I hadn't visited AT & T Park - Home of the San Francisco Giants (baseball). Unfortunately however the $10 cab fare was wasted as later today would be game day and as such the gates were locked and security weren't letting me in.
I'm now heading off to the suburbs of San Francisco to spend my final night with friends at an old 30's movie theatre and then to a jazz club Yoshi's for drinks and good tunes.
Fam Fest starts tomorrow in Kentucky and I'm looking forward to seeing all the family once again!
James.
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