#  >  > Non Asia Travel Forums >  >  > Travel the World Travellers Tales Forum >  >  San Francisco and Alcatraz

## aging one

Last summer my kids went home for a month to visit friends and family in California. They kept a blog and I think these photos are worth a thread.

Coit Tower.



Trans America Pyramid.



Entrance to China Town.




steep drop down to the Bay and Marin County in the background.



First view of " The Rock" Alcatraz.



The first Swensens, I went to school with the Swensen kids. Just a small little shop on the cable car route.



Lombard St. known as the crookedest street in the world.




The bottom


Heading out to Alcatraz.



The Golden Gate the bridge is named after.


The Bay Bridge, and the port of SF



Almost there



The same place the prisoners got off the boat.



Exterior of the main cell block


Hottest showers around, the communal showers. The water was kept super hot so that if you tried to flee the rock you would freeze.



The 3 story high cell block



Small single prisoner cells.





The Hole.  Bad gentlemen went here, no blankets and totally made of steel. Just a hole in the floor.



The yard, sadly you cant see the steps. The higher you set the more sun you got. The biggest name prisoners sat at the top.



The view of the city they had, must have been hard seeing it and knowing you had no way to get there.



Prisoner named cell block divisions.




The heads from the movie Escape from Alcatraz, they made the cells up to look like the real deal the night of the escape.




Out of the cells through these dark corridors and onto the roof.



Great shot of old San Francisco that is in the Alcatraz museum.



Sunset over the Gate.


They enjoyed dungeness crab at Pier 39 after their journey. Said they really  wished Thai crabs were this big.



pier 39 at dusk.

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## SEA Traveler

this trip made by the kids to SF was truly and educational experience to them.  I'm sure they will always treasure this opportunity that you have given them AO.  The photos will be so appreciated by them in future years.

I can relate to all these places shown in the photos as my many trips to SF always had me walking through the city.  I have a Lombard photo somewhere.  I'm gonna go find it and then post it if there are no objections.  

Nice blot the kids put together.  No go have a beer and carry on.

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## aging one

Yes there are more to add, and thanks very much.  :Smile:

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## Boon Mee

Nice pictures and commentary, AO.  Your kids got lucky it being a sunny day. :Smile:

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## SEA Traveler

Here is my photo of Lombard Street.  Understand that this photo is from about 17 years ago.  But Lombard street is still there, just as the photo displays.

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## aging one

Thats the shot the dont have. Thanks a million, hence the crooked street.  You have not changed much at all.  :Smile:

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## Davis Knowlton

Nice shots AO. Been to most of those places as I have a brother in Mill Valley. Didn't like that crab as much as Asian crab though.

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## ltnt

Great post AO.  I spent half my life in the Bay Area and worked just down from the Trans America towers at 50 Beale St for Bechtel Corp.  I used to call it the 23rd floor of nowhere.  Thanks for the memories.

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## SEA Traveler

> Nice shots AO. Been to most of those places as I have a brother in Mill Valley. Didn't like that crab as much as Asian crab though.


I feel the same way.  The "dungeness" crab just seem to be lacking a flavor.  I much prefer the Maryland Hardshelled Crab with Old Bay seasoning and rock salt.  The Thai crabs I get over on Samersan Fish Market a few kilo down the road are similar to the Maryland Blue Crabs and I prepare them similarly as well.   Beer steamed with Old Bay.  I still like using the Thai spicy fish sauce as well.  Washing them down with some cold suds.

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## david44

Great pix thank you happy memories of North Beach As a crab lover what is the "Old Bay " seasoning a brand and can you make/get it here

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## sabang

I like the vibe of San Fransisco, and have spent a bit of time there. I saw the 'Birdman of Alcatraz' when I was quite young too, classic movie that.

How surprised I was then, to find that Alcatraz is a lot harder to get into than it is to escape from. I must have turned up to the Tour (which I heard was good) 4-5 times, always full. So I gave up.

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## aging one

> How surprised I was then, to find that Alcatraz is a lot harder to get into than it is to escape from. I must have turned up to the Tour (which I heard was good) 4-5 times, always full. So I gave up.


Thats the reason why they are up. I could not take my own kids 5 years ago. Too many people. Now you can book online.  

Ltnt, my dad got his first job in the middle east through Steve Bechtel. Funny old world I lived in San Rafael, and they lived in Greenbrae, we could drive over the top of the hill to visit. His son Bruce was my enemy in baseball from 12-17 years old,   but we were friends in real life.

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## jingoist

Great pics and thread  :goldcup:

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## terry57

I reckon Alcatraz was one of my best experiences in America. Great day out.

Good pics, any chance of getting the others up to 600 by 800 ?

Cheers

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## SEA Traveler

can't speak SF without mentioning Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory right there on the at the waterfront.

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## Humbert

The pics bring back good memories. I worked for Joseph Magnin back in the day and had an office in a converted warehouse at the end of Harrison at the Embarcadero. One thing about living in San Francisco - you never have a shortage of house guests from the East.

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## Davis Knowlton

> Great pix thank you happy memories of North Beach As a crab lover what is the "Old Bay " seasoning a brand and can you make/get it here


"Old Bay" is a very widely used crab seasoning in the US and, in my opinion, the best. I have no idea if you can get it in LOS, but rather doubt it as they are wedded to their own spice concoctions.

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## aging one

You can get it in Pattaya, as I saw it there at the Friendship store, along with Foodland on Pattaya Klang. So much more imported food than up here in BKK.  I had crabs seasoned with it prepared by SEA traveler, was great.

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## Davis Knowlton

^Well David44, there ya go - quick trip to Pattaya is in order....

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## SEA Traveler

PM sent previously to David44 with details as to where to purchase and specifically how to use the condiment.  Execution is half the fun.

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## Davis Knowlton

^Well done, as usual.

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## ltnt

> middle east through Steve Bechtel.


Yes, good company and in their time world leader in the Middle East.  Got my first assignment in Saudi in 84.  My home was in Los Gatos.  Since I was always on the airplane it didn't matter where I lived in the Bay Area.  Was a terrible commute into the City however when I worked in there.  My father was born in Oakland. I've lived all over the area, My favorite was Montclair area.  In my teens I spent lots of hours at lake Temescal.  Used to go up to UC Berkley and use the underground gym and handball courts a lot.  As well went to all the football games and baseball games at Cal.

San Francisco has a special flavor that is not found in most western cities.  Something for everyone.  Kind of like the difference between L.A. and S,F. when compared to Sydney and Melborne.  I loved Sydney, but fled Melborne.

Its all so different now and the last time I was there was to clean out all remaining remnants of my life in the USA.  I would have to wait till after 10:00 a.m. to get started as the freeways were clogged by commuters until then.  I knew it was bad, but I had not been back in over 5 years then and its was more than enough to convince me that Thailand was the right choice.  Of course that's also a changing picture these days as well.

Thanks again for the great photos and captioning.

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## aging one

Thank you. Now I am quite homesick. It looks like August of next year before we all have the time to get back.

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## hillbilly

SF is one of my wife and daughter's favorite city. I looked into getting a job there which I could have done. But could not afford to live in the city! Decent housing is just plum crazy there.

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## ltnt

^ Its never going to go down, so bite the bullet and bury yourself in an outrageous home loan in the City and pray you keep up enough to hold the house together like the rest of them are doing.

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## misskit

Nice pics of San Fransisco, AO. Makes me miss the place also. 

My favorite place I have ever lived was on a houseboat at Sausalito. My back door opened right on the water with a view of Tiburon. I worked in the city so commuted via the Golden Gate Bridge or on the ferry. What a way to start the day.

I later bought a condominium where my view was of Angel Island. Sitting in the living room, looking out over the bay on a clear afternoon while the fog rolled in was grand.

Very stupid thing I did, selling that condo. I'll never be able to afford a place in Sausalito again!

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## Davis Knowlton

^I have a brother who has lived in Mill Valley for decades. He also started out in the 70's on a houseboat in Sausalito.

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## aging one

A street in the Sausalito houseboat community



A couple of nice houseboats.



Lovely

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## SEA Traveler

Nice time of year when pics were taken.  I'm guessing it can get a little chilly in the winter time.  

The last photo of the houseboat is a charming place.

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## aging one

Sausalito is in a banana belt, rarely gets below about 50 F or 13 C.  But thats damn cold for me now. The rain in the winter is the one bad part.  :Smile:  Pushing your shopping in a cart to your boat can be a pain in the buttocks.

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## Bangyai

Glad you posted bigger pictures. Much more detail and theres a lot more to look at. Nice one.

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## misskit

^Brings back memories of lugging groceries in down the dock in the rain. Living on the water does get cold during the winter, though not unbearably so.

The other not-so-charming thing about the place is the stench at low tide. P-U!

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## Bobcock

I spent a lot of time in SF in the 80s. Wonderful city.

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## bsnub

> Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton
> 
> 
> Nice shots AO. Been to most of those places as I have a brother in Mill Valley. Didn't like that crab as much as Asian crab though.
> 
> 
> I feel the same way.  The "dungeness" crab just seem to be lacking a flavor.  I much prefer the Maryland Hardshelled Crab with Old Bay seasoning and rock salt.  The Thai crabs I get over on Samersan Fish Market a few kilo down the road are similar to the Maryland Blue Crabs and I prepare them similarly as well.   Beer steamed with Old Bay.  I still like using the Thai spicy fish sauce as well.  Washing them down with some cold suds.


I am going to have to disagree with you two here. I have eaten crab all over the world and I always seem to find dungee to be the best tasting crab I have eaten. A lovely sweet flavor and excellent texture. I have been to Maryland a few times on business and always tried to find a place that could do blue crab that tasted as good to me as dungee and was always disappointed. But I will agree that all crab should be washed down with cold beer.

Cheers.

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## barbaro

San Francisco is a great city.  I love the city and the Bay Area.

Definitely could live there.

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## Phuketrichard

Great blog and Pics; Can truly appreciate the area as went to College there in the 70's
in fact in '73 we were allowed to go photograph The "rock" as we attended SF Art Institute. Had a great day.

Will be back often now as my daughter just started uni at Sonoma state.

SF is the ONLY city in the world i would ever choose to live in again.

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## ShilohJim

Bsnub, I have to agree with you. I've tried both and was sorely disappointed in Blue Crab. Way too much work for a nominal return. Go Dungeness or even King! And of course cold beer.

Shiloh Jim

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## draco888

> ^ Its never going to go down, so bite the bullet and bury yourself in an outrageous home loan in the City and pray you keep up enough to hold the house together like the rest of them are doing.

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## terry57

^

Jesus, The housing market is nuts over there. Ain't been that severe in Aus.

Lots of people burned over there in SF.

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## upupandaway

Born there in 41 father in army moved on to other posts in war. Returned for a visit in 68 had to rent a car in Redding a 68 Shelby Cobra. That got a lot of comments.

Drove through there in 2005 stopped at the Golden Gate bridge and swore I would never come back alone to beautiful a place to visit alone must be shared.

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## TizMe

Q: How many heterosexual San Franciscans does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Both of them.

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## Dead Metal

My late wife & i loved SF and enjoyed our casual saunter around Alcatraz.

But for a place to live, i thought San Diego took some beating..IMHO

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## TonyBKK

Good Stuff!

Your kids took those pics? How old were they? Nicely done, but would be great if the pics were a bit bigger. 

San Francisco is a great town!

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## aging one

They were 13 Tony. They had a nice blog of the whole trip 22 days touring the California with no mom and dad. They stayed with some of my closest friends.

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## prawnograph

Sf/Alcatraz 2009 - I did 2 swims island to mainland it's quite a tourist event, 'Escape from Alcatraz' and 'Sharkfest' hundreds do it every year

not at all difficult at all, did a 4k sea swim off San Diego far more difficult, all i can think is the average prison inmate didn't know how to swim

water too dirty now for any self-respecting shark to live there

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## prawnograph

for those swims

Sharkfest

and 

Escape from Alcatraz whichj is a swim/cycle/run triathlon event

Sharkfest is a 1.5 mile event, and most years top finishers do it in about 35 minutes depending on weather conditions, with a cut-off (a boat picks you up) of 75 minutes. Year I did it winner was 30.24, I was over 42min well off the pace. I had a wetsuit and neoprene hood - separate classes, the first non-wetsuit (brave man) finished in 32.34

I got the t-shirt for my efforts. 

The slower you are the harder it is as for every few yards forward you can be moving towards the bridge a yard or more as outgoing tide occurs, they have to fish people out or they'll be out to sea.

I never had time to visit Alcatraz itself - we were dropped off a ferry and swam back, pity as I'd liked to have seen it.

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