Wednesday, February 4, 2009

City by the Bay...

Before departing for Australia, I spent a couple of days getting reacquainted with the city. It had been over a year since I was last in SF. Ben and I had stopped on his cross-country drive to Coos Bay, Oregon, but it had been a quick visit.



To see more images of San Francisco, visit my Picasa Web Album at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jeffreythib/SanFrancisco



On two of the most perfect weather days, featuring unseasonable, 70-degree temperatures and clear blue skies – a friend and I took advantage of the weather and decided to explore the Golden Gate Bridge up close by walking… (yes, on foot…,) the length of the bridge, from city side to Marin County and back. The experience (and exercise) was worth the effort!

Also, upon the recommendation of my charming sister, Lisa, Lynn and I took a walking tour of Alcatraz Island in SF Bay. Before its decommission as a Federal Prison in 1965, Alcatraz was home to many infamous outlaws including Al Capone; Robert Franklin Stroud, the Bird Man of Alcatraz; George “Machine Gun” Kelly and others. The island is now a national park and operated by the US Park Service. Many of the original buildings are still standing although in disrepair. Visitors arrive to the island by ferry, a 15-minute crossing from Pier 33 on the Embarcadero, and are free to explore the grounds of the island at their own pace. A highlight of the tour is the self-guided, audio-tour of the Cell Block Building. The program, narrated by former guards at the prison, describes in detail, daily life for the inmates as poky visitors [pun intended] pace through the halls and rooms of the top-security penitentiary. The tour also outlined several attempted break-outs from the penal complex, include the successful "Great Escape", in June of 1962, of four inmates: brothers Clarence and John Anglin, Frank Lee Morris and Allen West; all of whom were never to be found.

Of the many times I had visited the city during my year working at Woodside Priory, I had never walked the bridge or explored the “Rock.”

It only took thirty years, but I can now check those off my list… :-)!





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jeff, The pictures in your web album of SF are wonderful - and nostalgic. I remember visiting these areas in Feb05 with Hilary and her friend Mallory for their Independent Study project. It looks like you had beautiful weather.
I'm writing this at 7:30pm on Thurs 2/5, so if I'm not mistaken you are already in Australia and it is Friday the 6th there. Hope your flight was good. It must feel like a time warp to cross so many time zones and the date line. Take care, Greg

Anonymous said...

Jeffrey Paul...so happy to have shared some 'firsts' with you. A truly fun and relaxing time~like a soft pearly rain over my memory. (Which, I imagine, beats hard rain over the Traveller's Oasis. lol) Bobinnie
PS Have to run...rehearsal shortly