Ok, so the day didn't work out quite as we had anticipated yesterday. It started off well after getting a great night's sleep when the hotel finally found our bookings. We woke early and had a couple of hours before we were due to meet Chris and Al to head to Pier 33 for our Alcatraz trip, so we headed out for a walk. We found a cool 50's style diner where you even had your own wee jukebox at your table so we stopped for what turned out to be a great breakfast.
When we met up with Chris and Al, we caught the "F train", which is actually a fleet of vintage trolley-cars and got off at Pier 33. So far so good huh? Well, then we had a bit of a problem. Our bookings were not showing up on the system. Soon, we became aware that an English couple who had booked through the same US agency were having the same problem and we thought 'uh oh'. Turns out that despite us (and the other couple) booking and paying about 3 months ago, the tour company only sent our booking to the Alcatraz office a couple of days ago. Of course, there were no spaces left by then and they couldn't accept the booking. Note to everyone - don't use a company called Keith Prowse and don't allow your travel agent to book through them on your behalf. One mistake is a mistake, but the same mistake for people from different countries indicates a problem don't you reckon?
So, no Alcatraz, but there are plenty of things to do here so we were disappointed but no big deal (although we will need a refund for that one Lisa). We walked down to Pier 39 and found where our Hop On Hop Off started and set off for a tour around the city - including crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a lovely day, although the wind was very cold close to the ocean, especially on the bridge. I am now the not-so-proud owner of a wind burned face with big sunglass white patches, but I guess when I get home there will be plenty of ski-bunnies with the same look lol.
After the tripping around we had a late lunch by Fishermans Wharf (the best crab-cakes ever!) and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around that area. One of the Piers has a museum with working antique arcade games so we stocked up on quarters and about an hour whizzed by before we knew it. It was a lot of fun, although some of them were a little creepy - especially Laughing Sally, a huge female marionette that laughs hysterically when you put your quarter in. I'm sure she would have caused many bad dreams for littlies (and some biggies) over the years.
Before we knew it, it was 5pm so we caught the F train back into town. When Brett and I had been out walking in the morning, I found the designer shoe outlet store, so while Al returned to the hotel to relax the rest of us had a fossick through a huge range of top brand shoes. yet again, there were no Jimmy Choo's in my size, but I got a lovely pair of Nine West ones dead cheap - yay!!
We then did a bit more shopping close to the hotel and have called it a day for a reasonably early night. I can't believe we come home tomorrow, it feels like we are still so far away. We have nearly a full day here tomorrow though. We were going to do a bike ride across the bridge and down to Sausalito, but unfortunately the normal road from the bridge down to the bay is closed and the detour means that it would take too long. Instead, we are going to take a ferry to Sausalito, as we have heard that it is really lovely and quite different to this side of the bay. Hopefully it all goes according to plan...
