My company holds annual meeting every January. Of course last year's was canceled. This year we spent 4 days (April 4-7) in the Bay Area, at our HQ. Sunny all week, getting warmer and warmer each day. On 4/6 (Wednesday), after the morning work session, we were put on a big bus to Alcatraz's ferry terminal. Some drove. It took awhile for everyone to show up, because we had a group ticket. The boat was very crowded. The view is quite good. Can see both Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge.
I first walked up the cell house on the top of the hill. On the way, I stopped to listen to a lecture by the ranger (at 1:30pm) at the bottom of the building. He said that it was built by the inmates. Only federal offenders were locked here, including those who refused army consript during the war. I was surprised at how "nice" the prison is. Each inmate has his own cell, with a bed, a toilet, a little shelf. There is a little bit natural light shining down from high windows. The food is said to be the best of all US prisons: the warden ate the same food as the inmate. See this list of breakfast items: stewed fruit, scrambled egg! Sounds better than most of my breakfast. There's a recreation yard at the end of the building: outside, but within walls.
The island is very scenic, with a lot of flowers blooming now and tons of birds: I saw an egret nest (in one of the few trees), a large colony of cormorant.
On the way out, I stopped by the bookstore + exhibit room. This is a map of incarceration rate, the size of the black balloon represends the per capita lockup.
Most of us took the 2nd last ferry (3:30). A long queue for the return ferry. Once we are back, I walked with P and R to see the seals at Pier 39. Only a few were here. I don't remember when I was here last time, there were hundreds then.
Still 2.5 hours until the 6:30pm dinner reservation, so I decided to walk across the city to REI to buy an isobutane canister for my stove. It's a hilly city. I happened to walk by Coit Tower, so paid $10 to ride the elevator to its top. Not many people, but a long wait. Only one elevator, may fit ~6 people, with one lady operator riding in the elevator with you. The ground floor is already ~280' above sea level, so not a bad view. Murals cover the walls of the ground floor, all about different works in the area. Not bad.
There's another lady on the top floor, which you have to walk a flight of stairs after the elevator. Too bad, you are still inside. They installed plexi glass all around, so you cannot take a good photo. The lady has a key to open the window so you can take a clear photo. However, it's slow, and you have to wait. She wouldn't let you stick your arm out. This is very annoying. Why not put some metal bars so it's safe to take photos without the glass glare? Save on labor cost too.
I then walked along Kearny street, saw lot of Chinese were playing card games at Portsmouth Square. There, met a small guided walking group. I didn't stay long to listen to the guide, because I still had many miles to walk. The grocery in China Town here is very cheap. Too bad I couldn't buy anything. Walked through Union Square, and then Powell Station. This sign shows all sister cities of SF. Finally, to REI, passing some homeless tents and government buildings. A 1/4 lb canister is now $6! So expensive. I then walked through some industrial buildings to Embarcadero. The Embarcadero is a nice wide promonade.
Finally I reached Pier 1.5 at 7pm. Our company took the entire patio. They were still drinking, and snacking on yuca (? taro?) chips (very tasty). Most of them were standing. I went to the booze table for a beer, because I was parched. It was in the upper 80°Fs today. I ran out of drinking water. I only took 1L. Dinner was served in family style. N. acrossed my table has so many food allergies (no allium, no tree nuts, no corn, ...), that one waiter consulted him after each dish. K. next to me is vegetarian, so she got a sorbet for dessert. I tried both red and white wines (we had both meat and fish), and like both. However, I didn't take a note of what kind. I enjoyed the dinner, the first restaurant meal for a long time.
We had chartered two buses back, at 10pm and 10:30. I went for a short walk before catching the 10pm bus home. I fell asleep on the bus. Once disembarked in front of the office, still half asleep, I walked 1.2 miles back to the hotel. As I reached the hotel, I saw the bus pulling in! Oh, well. The next day, I heard that the 10:30 was a party bus. They kept on chatting even after getting off the bus, until way past midnight.
