The alarm went off at 6:30 for a quick shower before we headed out to catch a bus towards the Alcatraz cruise terminal. We had spotted a café there where we could get breakfast. Everything went really smoothly, and after declining the offer of taking a photo, we quickly boarded the boat, and it took off according to schedule, 8:45.
At the island, there was a mandatory orientation with Ranger Tom, who seemed to really like his job. The right amount of information, delivered with the right amount of precision and wit. We found out about a tour of escapes from the island, so we did a couple of quick excursions before getting on the tour at 10.
It was the same Ranger Tom as before, but this time he talked a bit too much with too many side stories. Overall interesting and fun to listen to, but could have been shorter.
Off to the cell house itself and an audio tour. If you ever go to Alcatraz, do the audio tour. It was terrific! Clear sound, good voice, and excellent directions on where to go, turn, stop, and look.
Boat back and then find some lunch. Dad had a lobster, and I went for the salmon. Then off to find a rent-a-bike to go across the Golden Gate Bridge. The bikes were decent, but the brakes were a bit too loose. I was careful on the slopes.
When getting closer to the TGGB, we just confirmed our suspicions, the fog was really heavy, so heavy that the fog horn for the bridge was going off. We biked across and back, among the many pedestrians. Stopped at the bridge cafe on the SF side for a coffee before heading back into San Francisco to return the bikes. Funny how much fog there was at the bridge when it was clear weather in the city.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by the part of Lombard Street we never got to yesterday, the crookiest street in the world. Short nap in the room before we left for dinner at a “large local restaurant” in the south-west part of SF. We took the subway, and halfway through it left the tunnels and became a tram, going in mixed traffic. Never seen that before. It also converted the steps to adjust the change at the platform level.
Magnificent food, atmosphere, great staff (who asked us if we were Danes cause she lived in Copenhagen for a while), and not too expensive. Lucky us who booked a table a couple of hours before, because the party before us got turned away at the door since they were full.
A slow walk back to the hotel with a stop at a hotel lobby where they didn’t know that they had calvados in their liquor cabinet. Made up some plans for tomorrow and then off to bed.
