[cornishfrogboy]

Day 2. Alcatraz... or 'Jailhouse Rock' 😃 (By some Elvis guy)

Alcatraz tickets are best bought 90 days out and on release, (as we had done). We were later to find on arrival at the ferry that the earliest tickets available on that day were 8th April, 11 days hence. I felt smug.
We walked from Hotel down Market St to Embarcadero, which is a flat level walk behind all the wharfs and round to pier 33 from where the Alcatraz ferry leaves. A nice walk that gave good views of bay bridge, the wharfs and Coin tower as well as all the SFO high rise.
You queue to enter the queue to get on the boat (self explanatory when you get there). It pays to do this as you then get on the boat early and pick your seat. We found top deck, port side outboard and towards the rear worked very well for photo opportunities on the short journey.
On arrival at 'The Rock', there is a compulsory presentation before you are allowed to roam around. This does not start until everybody is off and therefore there is no advantage gained in rushing to be first. You are simply first to wait!
Alcatraz, unusually, was absolutely everything that we expected and more. There is a timetable of events when you are there and if taking place, the presentation on the 1962 escape is not to be missed. The audio tour was simply the best that I have ever heard and covers every aspect of the history of the cell block.
A truly great start to our vacation.

Wishful thinkin! They wouldn’t let us leave him there.

Yet more wishful thinking! The view prisoners would have had from the Prison.

Next it was Fisherman's wharf, a tourist trap, but not to be missed. Highlight for us was the sea lion colony close to pier 39.

Sealions Colony at Fisherman's Wharf
To get back to Market St we used the Powell cable car. The queues were quite long and we got on the 3rd tram after 45 minutes. Tickets are bought over the counter at a clearly marked booth very nearby. I recommend standing on the running board for the journey. The tram drivers are a light hearted bunch of comics. The journey took around 20 minutes.
A full day and one more to go!

The expectant wait for the Powell cable car. The ticket office is immediately behind that olive green booth type thing.

Our car awaits loading!