San Francisco Day Two: First stop Alcatraz, last stop Trattoria Contadina

Thursday, May 8, 2025

From the flight across America to our first afternoon of exploring San Francisco, we were exhausted.

I slept soundly until 4:24 a.m. That’s when I heard the voice of a woman screaming profanity from the street five stories below our room.

We ate breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant. We both had a dish named overnight cold oats. This was basically cold oatmeal with fruit.

After breakfast, we hustled back to the room to get organized for our walk down Fisherman’s Wharf. We were headed to Pier 33 where we would board a ferry for Alcatraz Island.

In its heyday, I imagine every inch of Fisherman’s Wharf held a story. The Pier 43 Arch is one of those places with lots of stories. Constructed in 1914, this pier was a major hub of transportation for the bay area.

At Pier 39, California sea lions have established a colony. They make their presence known with their chit chat and their aroma.

Continuing our stroll to Pier 33, we saw street vendors setting up to sell food and other tourist items. We had a good view of the city on our right and lots water views on our left.

As we approached Pier 33, the waiting area for the ferry ride was nearly full. A large group of school kids would be on this tour. My Commander Supreme was wise in making reservations and purchasing tickets weeks before our arrival. The trips to Alcatraz frequently are sold out.

On this pretty California day, we were on time when we departed for Alcatraz. On the ride over, there were multiple stunning views of the water, the mainland, and the island.

As soon as we left the ferry, Park Service personnel greeted us and explained our options for touring the island.

We opted for a tour with one of the park’s rangers. This gentleman was good. He knew everything about Alcatraz.

Initially, Alcatraz was established by the U. S. Army as a fort for protecting San Francisco. Next, it was converted into a prison for the military. In 1934, the island became a federal prison. As a federal prison, America’s worst offenders were sent to Alcatraz.

Sustaining a presence on Alcatraz was no easy task. There is no source of water on the island. Water had to be shipped over from San Francisco.

The island had no soil. Ship loads of soil was brought over from Angel Island.

At the top of the island was the warden’s home. This was a mere twenty two room mansion.

Guards and their families lived on Alcatraz. Amenities were put in place for their families. Their children traveled by boat to San Francisco for their education. Each child carried with them a special tag. That tag allowed the children to board the boat to return to Alcatraz at the end of the school day.

With the rich soil from Angel Island, Alcatraz has many plantings on its grounds. Prisoners sent out letters around the world requesting plants. Countries responded, and sent all kinds of plantings.

Someone from the park service did good work in figuring out how to transition visitors for the self-guided audio tour inside the prison.

The line moved quickly to pick up our listening device. The audio tour is very realistic. It is a combination of seeing the prison environment up close, but is greatly enhanced by the narration.

The narration is done by former Alcatraz guards and prisoners. The back stories are perfectly matched with each section of the prison. Additionally, the audio is intensified with background sounds from cell doors closing to the sounds of inmates moving.

We saw the famous cell where in 1962 inmate, Frank Morris, initiated the carefully conceived escape from Alcatraz.

After the tour, we walked around the grounds a little more. We admired the vistas, the pretty plantings, and the preservation of this site as a national park.

Alcatraz was closed as a federal prison in 1963. Government and prison officials finally realized that the cost of sustaining Alcatraz wasn’t feasible. Closing the prison was a wise decision. Transitioning the prison into a national park was a smart move. Any attempt to return Alcatraz as a federal prison would be foolishly unwise.

The ferry ride back to Fisherman’s Wharf was just as pretty as our departure. Walking toward our hotel, the cool wind would occasionally send a whiff of something divine—the aroma of sourdough bread baking at the Boudin Bakery.

So, we stopped for lunch at the famous Boudin Bakery. This origin of the bakery in San Francisco dates back to 1849. The bakery’s connection to San Francisco remains strong today.

At its Pier 39 location, if you stop for lunch, you will not be disappointed. The sourdough bread is a winner, but my sourdough bread bowl filled with a corn and crab chowder was yummy.

After lunch, we walked back to the hotel and finalized our plans for the afternoon.

We took a Uber to the Palace of Fine Arts. This is a remaining structure from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. The structures and its grounds are a sight to behold. I can understand why our son-in-law chose this location to propose to our oldest daughter.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon walking and exploring. Our guide points along the way were the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the San Francisco Bay Trail.

Yes, we had some missteps along the way, but the terrain, the bay, and the magnificent views made up for the modest errors. Crissy Field, Fort Point, the San Francisco National Cemetery, and the Presidio were among the areas where our feet took us.

And no matter where we trekked, another famous landmark was within sight—The Golden Gate Bridge. This afternoon, a teasing fog shrouded this striking structure.

On our walk to the Presidio, we passed the humbling San Francisco National Cemetery. These nine acres of land were set aside in 1884. This was the first national cemetery on the west coast.

A very nice visitor’s center awaited us at the Presidio. The Presidio has a long history as a military base in America. In 1962, the facility was designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 1989, the Presidio ceased its operations as a military base, and in 1994, the buildings and grounds became part of the National Park Service.

The friendly park service employees at the visitor’s center helped us get our bearings. From there, we took another Uber to Ghirardelli Square where we had over priced scoops of chocolate ice cream.

On our walk back to the hotel, we passed Joseph Conrad Square, a pretty green space named in honor of the sailor and novelist who apparently never visited San Francisco.

Back in our room, we took a brief rest, and then went down into the lobby for happy hour. This afternoon the place was packed.

I found two empty chairs. I saved those while the Commander picked up a glass of wine. When she returned, I left and grabbed a beer. Two more chairs opened across from us, and a nice couple from Atlanta sat down. We had a good conversation with them.

While we were recouping before happy hour, the Commander made a reservation at an Italian restaurant.

From the hotel, we walked into the North Beach neighborhood to Trattoria Contadina. This is a small, family run restaurant with superb food and service.

Our meals were delicious, and the tiramisu was divine. Located at 1800 Mason, if you are in San Francisco, you must make a reservation. We will never forget our dinner.

The walk back to the hotel helped to work off a few calories.

Collapsing in the room at the end of the day is becoming normal for us. I think we walked ten miles today, but they were ten good miles. Miles that continued to showcase a city that intrigues and charms visitors no matter the hardships the city has experienced during its life.