San Francisco, a city that is near and dear to our hearts was our port of call for today. And why is that? Because both of us were born and raised here. So we made it a point to be up early to watch the Zaandam go under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge after 6:30am. There was some high fog this morning, but it did not block the view of this 1.7-mile-long bridge, which is painted orange (lead paint in the old day) and is not "golden". There have been many times we entered the bay when we could not even see a single thing on the bridge due to heavy fog. Even better this morning, was the sun coming up in the eastern skies just as we got closer to Pier 27, the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal.
But first, we needed a whole lot of coffee to warm up from our morning outside enjoying the scenic sailing. Travel guide Kristen gave a commentary from the Crow's Nest for ½ hour as we entered the City by the Bay. This talk was not announced on the outside decks. And a little maintenance had to be completed with ship's facilities…namely the hot water supply in our bathrooms. It would be shut off to the cabins from 10am to noontime, and once it was completed we were advised to run the water for a few minutes to clear up any rust coloration. It is caused by mineral deposits and is not harmful.
There were a couple of tours today, actually the least amount we have seen in a long time. Two of them went to Alcatraz first, then onward to Golden Gate Park for 6 hours and $156. The second one went to the prison island first, then on to Sausalito for 5 ¾ hours and $160. The other out of town excursion took the folks to Muir Woods and Sausalito for 5 ¾ hours for $ 150. And the best way to see all of the sights close to town was taking the Ho-Ho bus or Big Bus for 2 hours (without getting off) for $75.
Things to do on your own were riding the Cable Car for $8 one way or $13 all day. The streetcar was more affordable, but we did not catch the price. Things have changed a lot since we were kids riding the buses around town. Back then, we had student cards that gave us a ride for 10 cents. Ha - now we are dating ourselves. One thing we noticed was that there were no excursions to the wineries in Napa or Sonoma. Perhaps if the ship had stayed later, it would have been included.
We stayed onboard until 10am, then headed off through the new cruise terminal. It is a 100% improvement over Pier 35, but it involves a lot of walking to get out and into the city. The original design of this terminal was to be built in the shape of a ship's bow with shops and cafes as well as a massive boarding area. However, those plans must have fallen through due to lack of money, and the functional, but basically simple terminal was built in its place. One thing for sure was that the Zaandam had an easier dock to pull alongside with the ever-present bay currents.
The weather downtown was fairly decent with scattered fog here and there, and temps in the 60's. A cool breeze was blowing all day, getting stronger by the afternoon. By the way, the Zaandam was the only cruise ship in port, which made debarking simple. Coming out of the terminal, we could smell the aroma of grilled hot dogs and sausages in the breeze. Right outside on the Embarcadero Street, there was a line of independent food stands selling the hot dogs with grilled onions and bell peppers. A few carts were filled with large plastic cups of diced and sliced sweet fruit were for sale – a very healthy choice. We think these stands are set up for the crew members who do not have the time for one of the real restaurant venues. The largest number of hot dog stands had to be right in front of the entrance to the Alcatraz tour ferries. People were lined up as they were getting off of those ferries.
We headed towards Pier 39, famous for sea lions, quirky shops, and lively entertainment. It was about a 1.2 mile walk from the terminal and had one of our favorite restaurants right on the corner….The Hard Rock Café. We would come back here after 12pm.
The whole area was filling up with tourists and locals alike. Since today was Saturday, many families had their kids in tow. The lines were long at the Alcatraz Departure Terminal that had booked tours to the prison today. We have heard that booking online ahead of time is wise, since they can be sold out. Funny, neither of us has ever taken the ferry there, even as kids. But then, back in those days, it was an active prison and no one would want to visit it - it was not allowed. Close by was the entrance to see the USS Jeremiah O'Brien Liberty ship, a rare WWII survivor of the 1944 armada.
Passing Pier 39 (we would return later), we spotted several ferry boats to Angel Island, Sausalito, Tiburon, Vallejo, Oakland and Jack London Square. Fisherman's Wharf was next with the old-time favorite restaurants such as Alioto's, the Franciscan, Sabella's, and Scoma's to mention only a few. This area of elegant restaurants are world renowned for their seafood, and also their Italian cuisine, much favored by one of us.
Normally we would pass by the open-air cooking pots of the Dungeness crab eateries, but one of the biggest one here, Fisherman's Grotto has been closed down. The one directly next to it was still opened for business and offered a variety of seafood cocktails and sandwiches with crab and lobster. One of the favorite lunches offered is the creamy clam chowder soup served in a French bread hollowed-out bowl.
On the way here, we looked for a CVS pharmacy but discovered that the two that were here have since shut down. Never have we seen most every innocent item in a drug store under lock and key like we saw last year. Oh well, maybe in San Diego we shall look again. We continued on to Aquatic Park, Muni Pier, and Ghirardelli Square perched on the hillside. This is the only store where we can find the seasonal chocolate squares of Pumpkin Spice Caramels. So good, they melt in your mouth. Pricey, as all of their chocolate creations, but one-of-a kind treat.
The Powell/Hyde Cable Car Line Terminal had a mile-long line of folks waiting to board. In the old days, when this cable car hit the turnstile, we were allowed to jump on the sides, and board the car for 10 cents or a punch on your student card. For safety reasons, that is not an option anymore.
There are several nice benches up here, and we did stay long enough to watch the swimmers, most in wet suits, in the water near the clubhouse. Had to be cold for sure, but protected from the bay with the round circular pier where some folks were fishing.
Time to head back, we ended up at the Hard Rock Café and had no problem securing a high-top table in the bar area. We ordered different draft beers and shared one of their Legendary cheeseburgers with French fries. They have a good assortment of desserts, but we seem to always go with the apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Checking out the Rock Shop, we did not find a new City T-shirt for either of us. They do not seem to change the design every year.
Hiking back slowly, we passed row after row of souvenir shops, In and Out Burger (the busiest place in town), Applebee's, and candy stores. Some street artists were appearing now with music, acrobatics, and the painted guys that are "freeze frame". The streets were much more crowded on the way back and it felt that we were like salmon going upstream. The food cart vendors were doing a brisk business, and the Ho-Ho and Big Bus tours were full of tourists. We arrived back to the terminal by 3pm and headed right to our room. That's where we stayed until the Captain came on to talk before sail away around 6pm. He stated that the tugboats had been used to keep the ship tight to the pier due to the strong currents. We could see this from our veranda and were surprised at the thousands of birds that were attracted to the churning of the waters caused by the tugboat's engines. Even a few stray sea lions were swimming under these birds, searching for the easy food supply presented to them all.
We had 500 miles to go to San Diego, and we could expect a swell of 8 feet and some good winds blowing as we exited under the Golden Gare Bridge. Once again, we had commentary from Kristen, the new travel guide. She had many facts that we had not heard before such as there are 9 million people live in the extended Bay Area. San Francisco has some of the tallest buildings on the west coast, and the Sky Star Wheel is 100 feet tall and weighs 465,000 tons. Much of the dock area including Fisherman's Wharf was built on the rubble left from the 1906 earthquake. Good place to hide it we guess, and can you imagine the artifacts that must be buried with that rubble. Alcatraz on the starboard side is located 1.2 miles from shore and is surrounded with shark-infested waters with a current that would sweep escapees under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Once under the bridge, it got so cold and windy, we had to go inside. By then the darkness was settling in as was the fog that was returning. It had been a fine day to visit the city we know so well.
Dinner was a Dutch-theme due to the fact it was Orange Night. We sure needed the hot Dutch pea soup to warm up, followed by salad and a shrimp cocktail. Mains were the same for both of us……a surprise veal chop from the Club Orange selection which was not posted on the menu at all. A shared slice of apple pie was all we needed. And the entertainment was from the World Stage Cast with Feeling Groovy and the sounds of the 60's. Always fun.
Bill & Mary Ann
