When my friend Lisa visited, I took Monday off and we headed out with Pat (my husband) to Alcatraz. Pat’s from the Bay area, and we’d been coming back to visit his family for years before we moved here — but somehow we never made it out to that prison island. We were like those New Yorkers who never visit the Statue of Liberty. Sometimes you need a friend to visit in order to get around to the touristy stuff!
The day started pretty miserably — chilly and rainy — but around here, you never know what the weather will bring. So like a good San Franciscan, I dressed in layers: a trenchcoat, sweater (not just any old sweater though – a sparkly one!), and cami underneath, with a scarf that could double as a shawl. And I even wore jeans — a rare occurrence!
En route to Alcatraz. Photo by Pat
Oh yes, and I accessorized with bangles – I really love the red and pink combo. I knew we’d be walking around all day, but I also knew we’d be taking tons of photos. It is possible to be comfortable and still look good!
Bangles and sparkles. Photo by Pat
And guess what? By the time we reached Alcatraz, the sun had come out. That’s San Francisco weather!
Alcatraz - view from the ferry.
Alcatraz has awesome views, both inside and out. I spent a lot of time just taking photos:
Alcatraz - storage door. And boy.
Alcatraz cell.
I briefly ended up behind bars . . .
Behind bars. Photo by Pat.
. . . and even donned prison duds:
Prison chic? Modeling Alcatraz prison wear replicas. Photo by Pat.
. . . but finally managed to escape outside with Lisa!
With Lisa at Alcatraz. Photo by Pat.
By the time we were ready to head home, rain clouds had started to gather again.
View from Alcatraz.
Luckily, we made it to the ferry just as the rain hit!
I highly recommend visiting Alcatraz — especially if you love to take pictures. Just make sure you wear layers, a raincoat, and bring an umbrella. I saw lots of tourists stuck with Alcatraz ponchos!
Sweater: Sparkling Personality Sweater, BB Dakota via ModCloth
Scarf: gifted
Trenchcoat: Burberry
Jeans: Banana Republic
Purse: Longchamp
Shoes: Aquatalia by Marvin K. (Water resistant! Perfect for San Francisco.)
(P.S. More photos available on my Flickr set.)
It looks like you guys had a fun time. I’m totally going to head over there sometime this summer when we go to California! My husband and I went to Switzerland in Oct. and we stayed in a hotel that used to be a jail. They turned all of the cells into rooms and it’s SUPER creepy, but it was also kinda fun to stay there :)
Oh, I have to tell you, that sparkly top is SO cute!
Wow, that sounds really cool – but I can imagine might freak some people out (probably myself included!)! Hope you enjoy your trip out here! San Francisco stays pretty cool all year ’round, so definitely bring layers. Outside the city it can get hot!
And thank you! :)
Sounds like a fun day trip to me! Then again, one of the reasons I went to London was to go to Whitechapel (Jack the Ripper territory).
Great post!
BD
Thanks! Definitely a fun day trip. :)
Have to say, the thought of Jack the Ripper makes my skin crawl! What kind of tours/stuff do they do in Whitechapel?
Hi Kate! There are many different JTR tours in Whitechapel. Some for ‘fun’ some more serious and historical. I enjoyed it! ;0
I really wanted to visit there the last time I was in San Francisco but never made it – great photos (and love the sparkly sweater)!
Courtney ~ http://sartorialsidelines.com
You definitely need to come out again, if only because SF is awesome – and while you’re at it, visit Alcatraz. :) Avoid it on the weekends though – I hear it can get pretty crazy. (And thank you! Sparkles make me happy.)