“I left my heart in San Francisco”

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October 18, 2006, Wednesday. We left Napa and arrived at Sausalito. The Chamber of Commerce was helpful, the visitor’s center was useless, but the bike store was very helpful getting us started. This is truly a biker’s heaven. We biked out of Sausalito and up, up toward the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a bike lane but the road is heavily trafficked. So, in a low gear, we just pumped slowly uphill keeping right on a very winding road with lots of other bikers, but more cars and trucks. The day was crystal clear and warm so the views as we approached San Francisco (SF) were great. Biking after 3:30 PM, take the ocean side, because it is free of tourists and reserved only for bikers. We biked out on the bayside and returned on the Oceanside, about 2 miles each way. (Glenn I thought of you as we biked the Pacific Coast Bike Trail, over the Golden Gate Bridge!) But coming back into Sausalito was all downhill, Yeah! It was a real test of our brakes.
We made reservations at the Marin Campground, back a few miles on Rt. 101, clean, but more important convenient to the Freeway bus service into SF.
October 19, 2006, Thursday. We took the bus into SF just a short walk from the RV campground, and headed to Fisherman’s Wharf. We wanted tickets on the ferry to Alcatrez. So we walked and walked, then we walked some more, but we found the pier, got the tickets and walked back for lunch. We ate at the famous seafood restaurant, Aliotio’s on Fisherman’s Wharf. The meal was a delight! We shared mussels in marinara sauce, then I had sole and Bob the fish and chips, SF sourdough bread and a special Aliotio Beer, yum.
We stopped at pier 39, famous for its entertainment and finally to pier 29 ½ for our trip to Alcatrez Penitentiary (taken from the word penance) and those who went here ----did penance. The conditions here were the harshest, but the crimes were the most heinous. To escape one had to be able to swim 1½ miles in water less than 50 degrees and the tides are another problem, to say nothing of hypothermia. So while the prisoners could see life going on, across the bay, they couldn’t participate or touch it. The cells were small and cold and obviously life was dismal. This is now a National Park and lots of tourists visit, it was informative and sad.
We returned to Ghiraradelli Square for a Sundae with dark chocolate sauce, how decadent! Time to get the bus “home”.

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Comments

[Beverly]

Have really enjoyed the wonderful photos!!