Road Trip USA 2022

San Francisco on Your Own: Alcatraz Myths, Arcade Games, and Evening Light in Chinatown

Turning the Cable Cars & Breakfast Like the Locals

Today, Alcatraz is on the itinerary! I booked the tickets including time slots online the day before. The ticket cost 42.15 USD (Seniors 62+: 39.80 USD) – this includes the ferry ride and an audio guide. But before heading out, we want to grab a quick bite: On the way from the motel to Pier 33, which is just a 20-minute walk away, we discover the small *Mama’s*. We sit down, have a cozy coffee, and treat ourselves to an avocado sandwich. (If you're in a hurry, you can grab something to-go at the bakery directly across the street.)

We take a small detour to the Taylor St. Cable Car Turntable to watch the spectacle live: Here, the historic cable cars are still turned around by hand on a wooden turntable for the return trip – a wonderful piece of living city history!

History Up Close on Alcatraz

Around 10:00 AM, we arrive at Pier 33, and at 10:30 AM our ferry departs for Alcatraz. I visited the prison island once before back in 2004, so I was somewhat familiar with the grounds. What is new and brilliantly done compared to back then, however, is the award-winning audio guide: It leads you step-by-step across the site and tells gripping stories from the time when Alcatraz was the maximum-security prison for the really hard cases. Especially great: The guide is also available in German, which my parents really appreciated. In total, we spend a solid 3 hours on the island before taking the ferry back to the mainland.

Bustle at the Piers & a Nostalgic Surprise

We spend the afternoon at the famous piers. Of course, it's all very touristic here, but that’s simply part of a San Francisco trip – and we are tourists ourselves, after all. At Pier 39, we treat ourselves to an afternoon snack and watch the sea lions lounging on the wooden docks. From there, we stroll further towards Fisherman’s Wharf (which, by the way, is home to the only In-N-Out Burger in Central San Francisco 😉).

By chance, we discover a real highlight at Pier 45: the Musée Mécanique – a huge vintage arcade museum. Admission is completely free, and it houses a fascinating collection of old mechanical and electronic gaming machines. And the best part? If you drop in a few quarters, you can actually play the vintage machines yourself!

Taking the Cable Car into the Evening Light of Chinatown

Now a cable car ride is definitely on the agenda. We walk to the nearby Powell & Hyde Cable Car Turntable and take the route back towards Chinatown, where our hotel is located. A single ride costs 8 USD (2026: 9 USD). While waiting for the next car, we notice once again how quickly it cools down in San Francisco in the evening – so wearing layers is always a good idea when visiting the Bay Area!

We enjoy the roughly 20-minute ride through the steep streets. When we finally arrive in Chinatown, the densely built canyon-like streets and colorful lanterns are bathed in a warm, glowing evening light.

Authentic Chinatown Dining & Historic Saloon Culture

When you're staying right in the heart of Chinatown, enjoying an authentic Chinese dinner is an absolute must! We decide to head to the legendary House of Nanking, located just a few minutes' walk from our hotel. The entire area is lined with incredible eateries, but the wonderfully authentic, flavorful dishes here hit the spot perfectly. Afterwards, we grab a nightcap at the atmospheric Comstock Saloon – a fantastic wrap-up to an event-filled day.

Conclusion & Travel Tips for San Francisco

San Francisco has an incredible amount to offer and truly deserves a longer stay. Anyone planning a trip here should keep a couple of things in mind: The city is very expensive – starting with hotel rates and parking fees, all the way to dining out. And don't forget: Even if it's sunny, especially in early and late summer, it can get noticeably cooler than it looks due to the coastal breeze.

Preview for the Next Post:
Tomorrow it's already time for us to say goodbye. Before we finally leave San Francisco and kick off the next leg of our road trip, an absolute highlight awaits us first thing in the morning: the Cable Car Museum! Find out why a visit there is an absolute must and how the historic cables actually run deep beneath the city streets in our next post.