California: The Bay Area
San Francisco has so many sport, movie and historic references we wanted to experience the sights, culture and intrigue of the Bay Area!
After a night-drive across the bridges, Alcatraz and the famous San Francisco piers were our first stop. An added bonus of some Alcatraz based whale watching in the bay and some crazy seagulls highlighted our time on The Rock!
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge driving into downtown San Francisco
View of Coit Tower from Pier 33
Michele and Peyton on our yaht (aka Alcatraz ferry) with the “City by the Bay” in the background.
Approaching Alcatraz… If this were an active prison I don’t think we’ld all be so happy but it really is a pretty prison :)
Another possible ItsDillerTime album cover.
Alcatraz is covered in some amazing flora. The history is that the guards and prisoners cultivated over 200 species of flower on the island over the years it was open.
Eastern guard tower.
We didn’t know about this but a group of Native Americans from various tribes occupied Alcatraz, at that time a decommissioned prison from November 1969 until June 1971.
A guard house ruin that has turned into a lush garden.
Vince calls this the Beauty by the Bay!
Headed into lockdown!
I’ve said this to my boys about 20 times since going to Alcatraz… :)
You might recognize the showers from a number of movies.
An audio tour is on that headphone set and we walked the blocks and grounds hearing from actual prisoners and guards from Alcatraz.
The boys in “the yard”… also in numerous movies. If memory serves, the top step is for the ones in charge… guess Robert is running things!
Out the back gate of The Yard facing the Golden Gate Bridge and LOTS OF BIRDS!
Hillarious screaming seagull attack caught on film!
Same stairs minus the attack seagul.
Prisoner with some art skills.
Prisoners planning their break-out!
The Warden getting locked up by the inmates.
Alcatraz Lighthouse
The kitchen was noted as the most dangerous room in the building for some of the obvious reasons. The audio tour spoke rather graphically about a missing knife that was found after the sound of that knife going into the back of another prisoner was heard amidst the clanning dishes.
Jr Ranger Books and school time for the boys, Mom instructing.
A less common treat was a mother Grey Whale and calf were playing/feeding where the current swept around Alcatraz. Not the best photo but watched the two for about 15-20 minutes and didn’t have to pay for a whale watching tour.
This blew my mind. This is the flanking cannon pointed at the docks. Guess if you were going to tack down Alcatraz it wouldn’t be without some damage.
Jr Rangers geeting sworn in.
We took in the city streets, including Lombard St. as well as trolley cars and the notable architecture that makes many of the home fronts of popular TV and movie homes. Throw in some landmarks like Coit Tower, Pier 39, the Museum of Fine Art, Chinatown and The Golden Gate Park (which is larger than NY Central Park) and we got our San Francisco treats (reference for everyone over 50ish!) Also saw the Waymo automated taxis again like in Vegas and LA. They were everywhere downtown and they seem to be working well… except the rubber necking seeing a driverless car go by 🤯
Automated taxi and yeah that is a 4 door Jaguar outfitted with cameras and 3D imaging.
Headed to Pier 39!
Pier 39 is a boardwalk with all the tourist traps we could hope to avoid :)
Pack of Sea Lions behind Pier 39 were the highlight… and they were free :)
We didnt’ go to the Aquarium but did ride the Sea Lions out front.
This icon is the front to the Palace of Fine Arts. There were about 8-10 groups having wedding photos or prom pics around the water’s edge.
Lombard Street… aka the crookedest road in the world!
Can’t do San Francisco pictures without a Cable Car!
Found some beautiful blooming trees in one of the meadows in the Golden Gate Park. This city park is bigger than NY’s Central Park and its massive.
Driving the Golden Gate Bridge heading toward Salsalito.
Sutro Baths from Land’s End trail in west San Francisco.
After a bit of school work we got out to the north of San Francisco and to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore. Both offered some great views and rock hounding/throwing for the boys but the National Recreation Area is… huge and covers so much territory and numerous sites on all sides of the bay like The Presidio & Lands End (SF), Rosie the Riveter (Richmond), Fort Baker & Point Cavallo (Salsalito) and Muir Beach, not to mention the actual Golden Gate Bridge. Tried to capture most of it so enjoy the tour!
Point Reyes is home to elephant seals. We didn’t see any males but this one in the Visitor Center looked familir for some reason.
Point Reyes Beach
Trail hike out to Chimney Rock overlooking Drakes Bay.
Chimney Rock view of the Pacific Ocean.
Looking back from Chimney Rock as the coastal rocky shore and Drake’s Bay docks where we will see some female elephant seals shortly.
Female elephant seals lining the beack, in for their annual molt.
The molt is something to behold.
Once molted the seals coats really shine and this one let me check out the dental work.
Skunk in the field… we kept out distance thus the blury picture but trust me, its a skunk!
South Beach Reyes Point.
Cypress Row at Reyes Point has a cool back story. The building at the end of the row was a 20th-century telegraph and later the home of KPH Radio Station from 1912-1997.
Knew about Rosie the Riveter but had no idea the scale of the wartime ship production rolling out of Richmond, which is across the back from San Francisco. At peak production, the majority female crews were finishing 1 ship per day.
Robert liked firing the rivet gun simulator :)
Thats our Rosie!
This assembly plant is now home to numerous shops and businesses but once was the top wartime producer of tanks and other maritime vessels.
Splurged for a nice lunch at Spinaker’s on the Richardson Bay in Salsalito. Delicious seafood of course.
The boys found this rock beach east of the Golden Gate Bridge in Salsalito their favorite stop. Some really cool colored rocks and tons to throw back into the bay. Of all the highlights…. boys!
The Presidio
Very cool to see our WW1 and WW2 soldiers honored here.
After a few days of driving… everywhere…we finally got our parking pass for the Muir Woods National Monument and capped off our time on a picturesque walk through some statuesque redwood woods. After, a fun dinner at The Pelican Inn & Pub we wrapped the evening rock climbing in the surf and adding a few hundred rocks to the Pacific where Redwood Creek empties into the ocean on Muir Beach. ***No salmon were injured by the Robert induced rock spectacular ☺️
Redwoods are tall!
Was cool to learn how these 1000 plus year trees live in groups and are healthy because of fires that would burn off molds and other ground plants that could rot the roots.
Lunch at the Pelican Inn and Pub.
Yes boys bangers and mash is sausage and mashed potatoes :)
