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Pier 39 – |
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Bay Cruises – Take a boat cruise around San Francisco
Bay. In the hour-long cruise, you'll sail past the San Francisco waterfront,
Sausalito, Alcatraz and Angel Islands. The most memorable highlight –
sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. |
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Alcatraz Island – Cruise out to "The Rock,"
site of Alcatraz prison and home of gangsters such as Al Capone and "Machine
Gun" Kelly. It's a short boat ride, but cold water and strong currents
made Alcatraz inaccessible. On the island, start with the short 10 minute
video presentation, an overview of the long history of Alcatraz Island,
from a military fort to the Federal Penitentiary, a prison for the worst
criminals. Climb up the hill to the Cellhouse, the prison itself. |
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A gripping audio tour takes you through the cell
house blocks, vividly narrated by previous inmates and corrections officers.
The "hard-bitten" audio tour may not be appropriate for young
kids. Prison uprisings are described with graphic recollections and sound
effects. (Audio tour is in English, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese and
French.) |
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In summer, there are Kids Tours of the Rock.
For dates and more information about the tours, call (415) 561- 4926. |
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Note: We visited Alcatraz on a bright sunny day, but
Alcatraz is often damp and foggy. Bring jackets – there's no heat in
the joint. Alcatraz is a popular destination, so buy your boat tickets in
advance. |
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Pick up cruises to Alcatraz at Alcatraz Landing, Pier 33. Click here for the cruise schedule. Tip: No parking at Pier 33 (nearest garage is across from Pier 39). |
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USS Pampanito Submarine – Take a tour of this World
War II long-range cruising submarine. The "silent service" wasn't
so silent – it was noisy and hot in a submarine, and it had very
cramped quarters. Inside the submarine, you'll see berths in the torpedo
room, the tiny galley kitchen, radio and engine rooms, and crew's quarters,
with bunks stacked three deep (the crew took turns sleeping). The audio
tour is free, informative, and you can take it at your own pace. |
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Museum of the City of San Francisco and the Musee Mechanique
(Pier 45) – The Musee Mechanique is a collection of mechanical
toys, the "video games" of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
These totally charming mechanical toys feature a miniature carnival and
ferris wheel made out of toothpicks (it moves), gypsy fortunetellers, mechanical
boxing games and player pianos. |
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Boudin Museum and Bakery Tour (Jefferson St.) – Nothing says
San Francisco like sourdough bread, and the Boudin family has been making
sourdough bread in the city since 1849. Step into the museum and demonstration
bakery, a self-guided tour, to find out more about San Francisco history
(the Boudin family rescued the "mother dough" in the 1906 earthquake),
what makes sourdough bread sour, and watch bread being made – mixing
the dough, rounded loaves on conveyors belts, and the finished bread.
At the end of the tour, there's free samples of bread (try the raisin
chocolate) and jam, and don't miss the bread in delightful shapes –
crabs, alligators and turtles. (The self-guided tour is free for kids 12
and under, with a paying adult.) |
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Sidewalk seafood (Jefferson at Taylor) – Stop to watch people
cooking and cracking crabs. There are big steaming vats where the crabs
are boiled, then the crabs are cracked open with mallets.
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Next, stop into sidewalk eating places where you get big chunks of San
Francisco sourdough bread and nice cups of clam chowder. A crab sandwich
on sourdough bread is also delicious. |
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San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park – Ships and the sea
are very much a part of the history of San Francisco. The park along the waterfront has a visitor center, historic ships at Hyde Street Pier, sandy beach and grass at Aquatic Park. |
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 Visitor Center – In the visitor center, check out ships models of schooners, whaling boats, schooners, ferries, tugs and clippers ships, the sparkling Fresnel lens from the Fallalon lighthouse, and wreck of a full-size
fishing boat that washed up on the rocks, plus a map of shipwrecks outside the Golden Gate.
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Hyde Street Pier – At Hyde Street Pier,
run around on historic ships: |
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-Balclutha – A 1886 big square-rigged sailing vessel that sailed around Cape Horn. |
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-C.A.
Thayer – A sailing schooner that carried lumber from Pacific
Northwest, and was later a fishing vessel for salmon and codfish. |
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-Eureka – A passenger and rail car ferry that operated between San Francisco
and Tiburon. By day it carried passengers, at night it transported rail
cars. Don't miss the beautifully restored 1920's cars, and the Ghiradelli
Chocolate Wagon on the Eureka. |
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-Hercules – A 1907 ocean-going tug that towed sailing vessels out through the
Golden Gate to the open sea and hauled log rafts to the lumber mills. |
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-Feluccas – From the pier, you can see replicas of the 1850's brightly painted
Italian fishing boats, the feluccas. |
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On
the pier, there is a steam "donkey" engine, used to load
and unload cargoes, and the stern wheel from the Petaluma riverboat
that chugged up the Delta. Kids can go inside an 1890's houseboat (very
homey, with lace curtains and a small organ) and practice tying knots (double half hitch, rolling hitch, bowline etc.) There is a demonstration
of sea chantey songs on the 1st Saturday every month. |
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Aquatic Park – The Aquatic Park has a sand
beach and calm water. It's the perfect place for kids to dig in the
sand, or wade (but the water's always cold, even in summer). There's a small
green park too, with park benches where parents can sit back and relax,
while the kids run around. Go out to the end of the Municipal Pier for a spot to watch the boats go by. |
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Fire Engine Tours – If you want to
take a tour, this is great fun. Ride over the Golden Gate Bridge in an old-fashioned
fire engine. There are padded seats and seat-belts, so even the smallest
kids can ride. The hour long tour takes you by Fort Point, over the Golden
Gate Bridge, to Sausalito. Pick up the tour at the Cannery, on Beach St.
(on the north side of the Cannery, at Columbus St.). |
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Lombard Street – Lombard Street looks
like a child's drawing – a red brick road, planted with bright flowers,
curving back and forth down the steep hill. Drive down the hill in a car
for the full effect (but it is very crowded in summer.) Or, take the Powell-Hyde
cable car, and hop off at Lombard Street. The view from the top of the hill
is spectacular. |
