A San Francisco Treat

I found myself seeing all the sights - Alcatraz, Fisherman''s Wharf (gotta get some bread bowl clam chowder...wow), Ghiardelli Square (a chocoholic lover''s paradise), Sausalito (although that was short and sweet because of the ferry), and I even got to drive down the ever popular Haight Street. Great sights for everyone, young or old.

I think my favorite part of the whole trip was the fact that San Francisco happens to be one of the most animal friendly cities I have ever seen and that had a huge, positive impact on me. Alcatraz was extraordinary with its giant Aloe atop the hills around the back of the island. I don’t know if people realize the incredible view of the Bay Bridge without all that fog…smile. And the tape that came along with the tour was quite interesting and informative. I have many images of the island from the ferry.

Quick Tips:

Bring sweaters and shorts. You may need both. Bring good walking shoes. There are so many great sights to see and some of the best ones are on foot.

Be prepared for any kind of weather, but try to get to some of the cultural locations. There you will find some great art and architecture.

Best Way To Get Around:

While walking may be optimal for some of the sightseeing locations, getting to and from those locations can be achieved by taxi or by ferry. Have fun!

While visiting a friend and I decided to visit the Exploratorium. Wow, what a fascinating piece of architecture. It wasn''t very crowded since the weather was acting strange. We merely walked all the way around the building to shoot images of the architecture as well as admire the beauty. I don''t think we ever went inside . . . smile . . . And then we proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the building admiring the real estate offered there. Some of the homes were just gorgeous!

I managed to take many photos while touring Alcatraz. Upon arrival you are greeted by a guide. I do have a confession though, my friend and I decided to take our tour our way so we started at the end of the tour site rather than the beginning.

Coming around the back side of the island is wonderful. I managed to capture quite a view of the city over the water from the back along Alcatraz.

Also around the back is where all those steps are and the views from atop of some of those stairs, well spectacular to say the least. Of course, again we stopped for images from that spot.

Inside the walls of the prison, you could almost sense the sadness and anger at the same time while listening to the tapes and staring into the empty cells. It was kind of eery but at the same time I was eager to learn. One inmate created some of the most beautiful paintings depicting the view of the bay almost all the way around from inside his prison walls. They are on display inside. Be sure not to miss it.