San Francisco Pier 39
Most
San Francisco natives turn their noses up Pier 39 by the bay, but
it’s a wildly popular area with tourists and people with young children.
In fact it’s a terrific place to take the family for an afternoon of fun.
There a ton of things to do, whether that be Sea Lion watching, shopping
for San Francisco souvenirs and trinkets, riding a merry go round or
feasting on a freshly steamed Dungeness crab dinner.
One of
the most popular activities is the boat ride and tour to Alcatraz. If you
don’t know by now Alcatraz was once a high security federal penitentiary
located on a small island in the San Francisco Bay. From 1934 to 1963 the
Alcatraz Penitentiary was home to some of the most desperate convicts
including Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud, (the
birdman of Alcatraz) and Alvin Karpis, (nickname “Creepy”). If you are a
family traveler you can probably feel comfortable taking your children to
this district even if your children are teenagers because the are is full
of activities for everyone.
If you are driving, you’ll be happy to know that there is
a validated parking opportunity right in the center of things at
Fisherman’s Wharf. You will be entitled to three hours of free parking
here after dining in any one of the Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants and one
hour at a take out stand.
