San Fran’s A GREAT ESCAPE
Alcatraz tops sights on city break
AS prisons go, I imagine Alcatraz must have been no holiday camp.
But today, without the sound of warders’ batons and tin cups clanking against the bars, a stretch here looks almost enticing.
Built on a small rocky island off San Francisco Bay, the legendary jail is surrounded by sparkling blue ocean with views of the city to the south and the Golden Gate bridge to the west.
I couldn’t help thinking that, if you were going to get banged up, then the sea air and panoramic views might just take the edge off.
But as the ferry pulled up at the island’s docking point I was taken aback. There is a strange atmosphere to the place. The jail is thick with weeds that seem to be dragging the building back into the rocky ground, and graffiti covers the walls.
“Indians welcome” is scrawled in huge, blood-red letters, a leftover from the Native American occupation of the 1970s.
More than 1,500 prisoners were held here from 1934 to 1963, inspiring films such as Escape from Alcatraz and Birdman of Alcatraz.
Despite the blazing sun outdoors, there is a definite chill inside. We wandered the corridors, peeking into the 4ft by 9ft cells that were home to lags such as Al Capone and Robert “Birdman” Stroud.
Stepping inside a cell it’s hard to imagine what life must have been like for prisoners – the tour guide tells us, on a clear night, they would be able to hear the sound of music and laughter drifting across the bay.
Ease
A tour of Alcatraz Island is an essential part of any visit to San Francisco and costs a reasonable £31, which includes the scenic ferry ride over.
But be warned, there’s a very long waiting list – sometimes months long. Make sure you book well in advance to avoid becoming one of the dejected looking tourists who mooch around the pier waiting for a cancellation tour.
One of the perks of San Francisco is the ease with which you can walk around it. Pack trainers and a rucksack and you’ll blend in with the map-touting melange of tourists.
If you do get tired you can hop on one of the city’s vintage trams, or trollies as they are called here.
And by hop on I mean just that. While the rest of America is health and safety mad, in San Francisco you can merrily stand on a tiny wooden ledge of the tram’s edge as the sea breeze tangles your hair.
A single ride on a trolley is £5.30 which is well worth it to watch the driver haul the five-foot long gear levers into place.
We hopped off at Lombard Street, famous for being the most crooked road in the world.
To make the treacherously steep hill safe to drive on, city planners gave it eight hairpin turns and bordered them with a riot of pink flowers. We watched with amusement as cars navigated the sharp turns, many with selfie sticks waving from sunroofs. You can imagine how the residents feel about it all. Think San Fran and you probably think Golden Gate Bridge.
The bridge is, of course, red not gold – the golden in its title refers to the Golden Gate strait, which it crosses. Sadly, it is famous not just for its engineering but for being a popular suicide spot.
Since opening in 1927 more than 1,600 people have jumped – though the death toll has slowed since nets were fitted in 2014.
We took a Bay Boat Tour that sailed underneath, a great way to get a close-up look. The tour cost £24, and also circled Alcatraz Island – ideal if you aren’t lucky enough to get a place on a prison tour.
After a couple of days in the city we headed south. A two-hour drive past pungent garlic farms and vineyards and you are in Monterey, a small town that is as quaint as it gets in the US.
This is Steinbeck country. The town’s main drag, a former fishcanning centre called Cannery Row, inspired his novel of the same name.
We got straight to business – the business being wine tasting. At Bargetto Winery you can taste five wines for £7.60, all great.
We then stumbled across the hidden gem of Monterey. The Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum has waxworks so awful we giggled all the way round. Perhaps the wine helped, but we had no qualms about the ten bucks it cost for such a good laugh. FACTFILE: WOW Air now flies to San Francisco from Gatwick, Edinburgh and Bristol. Prices from £149.99 one way. Book wowair.co.uk or call 0118 321 8384. Rooms at the Axiom Hotel, San Francisco, start at £190 per night. Book at axiomhotel.com. Rooms at Hotel Pacific, Monterey, from £126 per night. Book at hotelpacific.com.