ON LOCATION IN CALIFORNIA A TRAVEL DAILY FEATURE

Alcatraz, Spanish for Pelican was named Isla de los Alcatraces after the birds that were the island’s only inhabitants.

 

During the Spanish-American War, Alcatraz served as an incarceration facility for war prisoners and as a military fortification in the 1850’s.

 

Alcatraz became the infamous maximum security prison for people of organised crime and high-risk convicts back in 1934.

 

Some of the A-list criminals doing time on the island included ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, Al ‘Scarface’ Capone and Robert ‘Birdman’ Stroud.

 

The island prison, also referred to as ‘the Rock’ was abandoned to the birds in 1963 as security and its upkeep was expensive.

 

The 12-acre island situated in the centre of San Francisco Bay is today part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and features historic gardens, tide pools, bird colonies and spectacular views of San Francisco city.

 

Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s top tour attractions with over one million people visiting the island each year.

 

Visitors can see the haunting prison cells and learn about what life was like behind bars on a 35 minute self-guided audio tour available in six different languages. And for those keen to see Alcatraz at night, special evening tours are also available.

 

Most of Alcatraz is steep and hilly and there is a lot of walking involved, so it is advised that visitors wear comfortable walking shoes.

 

The island is only accessible by Alcatraz Cruises, which operate daily from Pier 33 near Fisherman’s Wharf. The first ferry for the island departs at 9am and operates every 30-45 minutes. In summer the island closes at 6.30pm and during the fall, winter and spring months closing time is 4.30pm.

 

Tickets can be purchased online at www.alcatrazcruises.com for US$24.50 and it is highly recommended that these are pre-purchased as the tours often sell out.

That's Gold Travelscene Holidays





Newmans Holidays and Tourism California recently hostied nine Travelscene Holidays agents on a familiarisation trip in San Francisco.

The group explored San Francisco on a 13km bike ride starting from Fisherman’s Wharf and cycled along the waterfront bicycle path and across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito.

The pretty town of Sausalito features a tiny Main Street lined with stunning houses, boutique shops, cafés and restaurants.

After spending some time in Sausalito, the group was pleased they didn’t have to ride another 13kms back to Fisherman’s Wharf.

They simply boarded the Blue & Gold ferry from Sausalito with their bikes and and enjoyed the half hour cruise following their tremendous achievements.

In addition to shopping, some of the attractions the group visited during the five-day trip included the Wax Museum, Aquarium of the Bay, Alcatraz, the Half Moon Bay Brewing Co, Harley Farms Goat Dairy and the Hiller Aviation Museum.

Pictured here back row from left is Sue Burgess, Air New Zealand; Michael Stephenson, Newmans Holidays; Claire Griffin, ETM Group VIC; Nikita Lowe, Lifestyle Travel Ballarat and Ali Steele, Travelscene Baulkham Hills and front row from left is Meryl Sanchez, Travelscene Nowra; Julie Zeman, Trident Travel VIC; Kevin Mason Travelscene Albion Park; Amanda Ferguson, Status Travel VIC; Verity Newton, Travelscene American Express; Nicole Calvert, Coopers Travel Centre and Janice Walklate, Travelscene Ulladulla.

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Introduction to San Francisco
San Francisco, often referred to as ‘Everybody’s Favourite City’ is famous for its steep rolling hills, mix of Victorian and modern architecture and iconic landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

The city is also well-known for its diverse, cosmopolitan population including the long-established hippies of the 1960’s, the Asian American and gay communities.

The diverse cultural influences make it one of America’s greatest dining cities with over 3,000 restaurants providing a range of dishes from tasty meals to exquisite six-course dinners prepared with the freshest local ingredients.

San Francisco has over 32,000 hotel rooms from first-class hotels to well-known budget inns.

The Handlery Hotel is ideally located at Union Square only steps away from world-class shopping, theatres, restaurants, galleries and the cable car that will take you to Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown.

Air New Zealand operates daily flights from Australian ports to San Francisco, via Auckland.

Newmans Holidays offer tailor-made packages to the famous city featuring a variety of accommodation options and must-see attractions - www.newmansholidays.com.au.

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The Golden Gate Bridge
No trip to San Francisco would be complete without a journey across the 1966-metre long Golden Gate Bridge.

Painted in a signature colour called ‘International Orange’, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge provides access to cyclists and pedestrians.

At the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge is Golden Gate Park, among the world’s greatest urban parks featuring a spectacular Golf Course, a Japanese Tea Garden including a conservatory of flowers and boating lakes.

Cycle
For a truly unique experience, be sure to bike ride across the bridge. Starting from Fisherman’s Wharf, follow the waterfront bike path passing through Aquatic Park, Fort Mason and the Marina then cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge and into the quaint town of Sausalito where you will see some fabulous mansions, browse through the shops and stop for lunch before ferrying back to Fisherman’s Wharf. This bike ride is approximately 13kms.

Along the way, stop and enjoy breathtaking views of San Francisco from some of the best vantage points on and around the bridge.

Daily guided tours can be booked with Bay City Bike Tours (located at Fisherman’s Wharf) from as little as $27, including helmets and bike locks.

Walk
For those who prefer to walk the bridge, go prepared with comfortable walking shoes, warm clothes and wind jackets.

It’s a couple of miles to the other side and it’s recommended the walk is done during off-peak hours.

Drive
Did you know almost 100,000 cars cross the Golden Gate Bridge each day?

Crossing the bridge by car is the most convenient, although there is a $5 toll charge on your way into San Francisco.

Alternatively, visitors can cross the bridge by bus on Grayline’s San Francisco Sightseeing Tour.

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