On the third day, Saturday, Rusty and I did several VERY fun things. We had to get down to Fisherman's Wharf to pick up our tickets for our Alcatraz tour.
In order to get there we thought we would take a classic cable car. Well, we got up early and made our way to the first stop and were surprised to find such a long line. It took us about 30-45 minutes before we got on the car, but it was worth the wait to actually ride the iconic car of San Fran. A little hint for you soon to be travelers, don't go to the main turn-around to get on. They don't fill up the cars, and you can hop on at the next stop. That would save you lots of time. Also, you can either buy an all day pass (a great deal) or just a one way ticket on the car. I believe the one way ticket was $5 and the all day pass on public transportation was $13 (a total steal).
We finally made it to the tour store to pick up our tickets. We were a little frustrated because it was first come first serve and the ticket guy was running late. Once we actually got our tickets we were given a 3:20 loading time. That wasn't exactly what we wanted. This is why I would recommend going straight through the Alcatraz Tours Company. There is only one company that has a license to dock at Alcatraz. Do not be fooled by the other companies who say they tour Alcatraz...they only float around the island.
Anyway, back to our day ahead. We picked up our tickets and grabbed a quick breakfast at Joanie's near the tour shop. It wasn't too bad but nothing special. Very typical Denny's or IHOP style food.
After breakfast we took the double Decker bus to the Ferry Market. For you foodies this is a MUST!!!! It is a huge farmer's market with incredible fare. All kinds of local produce, local soy, local honey...ahhhhh I want to go back!
We sampled a few things and then went inside the Ferry Building for another surprise. There were tons of shops and little restaurants. We loved Cowgirl Creamery (I hate weird cheeses but they had some that changed my mind). We sampled cheese, wine and chocolate and bought a few things to take home.
After our trip to the market, we made our way to the Alcatraz Tour. We recommend getting there AT LEAST 30 minutes early or you will be stuck waiting in the hot sun. We made it there early enough to cool off with a few bottles of agua. We hopped on the ferry boat and took a beautiful but short ride over to Alcatraz. The park offers a free audio tour of the prison....but beware it is a nice climb to the top where you pick it up...WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES! I was wearing my typically ballet flats but by day three I was up to about three band-aids per foot :(
Once up at the top we grabbed the audio tour guides and checked everything out.
My husband in jail...
Some of the famous prisoners like Al Capone...
Rusty trying to put me in solitary confinement...
The island tour was really neat and we are really glad we took the time to do it. Once we made it back to the mainland we maid our way to dinner of course!
We made our way back to FW and ate at Ciopinno's. It had a weird name but as far as location it was bay side across from The Cannery. It was an Italian seafood joint with great outdoor seating. Rusty and I enjoyed a great bottle of wine and some decent seafood risotto. I think I could have made it better :/
After dinner we walked across the street and took the night tour of the city. Seeing all of the city lit up was a wonderful way to end the day.
Come back this afternoon for the final installment of my trip! I have to head to a meeting so it should be up sometime around 3pm central time! Have a great weekend!
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