Day 2: San Francisco's Other Side

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We started out our day with a trip the Alcatraz Island and the
infamous prison. We acquired audio tour headsets and walked around
the cell blocks, with our trip narrated by the voices of former guards
and prisoners. The audio tour even included appropriate background
noises such as whistles and shouts. Can you say creepy?? It was very
moving, though. The kids seemed to really enjoy hearing the details
of famous prisoners and fabled escapes. Alcatraz was followed by
lunch on Fisherman's Wharf, and most of us tried out some fish and
chips or other seafare. We were then delighted by the exhibits in the
Aquarium of the Bay, which features an underground tunnel where you
are surrounded on three sides by water and various sea animals. Even
the oldest kids (myself included) were fascinated by the manna rays
and small sharks swimming only a few feet away. This is a truly
incredible aquarium! Perhaps our most lively part of the day was our
service project at the Glide Methodist Church in the Tenderloin
neighborhood. Anyone who's been to San Francisco probably remembers
that the Tenderloin is home to the poor and the drugged. Don't worry,
your kids' innocence has not been ruined! We didn't see any drug
deals or anything even close, and they were never in any real danger
(I promise). We served about 500 meals at the Glide soup kitchen.
For those of you who watch Seinfeld and know who the soup nazi is, I'm
here to tell you that he has a counterpart in San Fran. The head cook
at the soup kitchen was VERY particular about how the food was served,
when it was served, and to whom it was served. Sometimes you just
know who's in charge. . . They run a very tight ship, and it was a
great experience. The kids saw what life is like for many people in
this world, and I think it actually affected them.

Well, we are off soon to catch some dinner and perhaps glimpse curvy
Lombard Street. Overall, a very successful day. Please, again,
remind your kids that they can tough it out. Good things come to
those who stay with the group and don't whine 😊.

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Comments

[Laurie DeHaas]

been there, done that!
I'm glad you took the kids to Alcatraz. We went there a few years ago and found it extremely interesting. Hopefully all the kids got into the service at the soup kitchen - what a great opportunity. Take care and thanks for staying in touch.