Christmas in Sacramento - December 2014

It is finally Christmas in Sacramento. While everyone is enjoying their day in their own special way, I thought I would post a few of my favorite pictures from Sacramento during the holiday season. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year wherever you may be. Please enjoy my special holiday photos below.

Christmas Lights and Clear Sky

Folsom & 58th on Christmas Day Morning

Discarded Trader Joe's Liquor Bag

Rare Daytime Shot of Costco Gas Station without a Line

Arden Fair Mall on Christmas Morning

Land Park Streetlight

Old Sacramento Decorations

Old Sacramento Christmas Tree

Christmas Costumes at Evangeline's

Conductor and Hobo at the Polar Express

Polar Express Engineer on Break

State of California Christmas Tree and Menorah

Black & White Holiday Sunset

Christmas Tree Ornament Detail

Sacramento Family Enjoying a Holiday Walk

Midtown Sacramento Christmas Lights

Christmas Light Tree at East Lawn Cemetary

Tree Decoration in East Sacramento

Christmas Light Detail

Reflected Christmas Lights

Christmas Decorations in the Fab 40's Neighborhood

Overhead Christmas Lights in East Sacramento

Star Light Path in East Sacramento

State Christmas Tree with Lights

Alcatraz Island Night Tour - December 2014

Alcatraz Island in Black & White

The last time I visited "the Rock" was back during college with some friends during a summer trip to San Francisco. Over a decade later, I decided it was time to return, but this time I took a special night tour of Alcatraz Island during the winter when there was more darkness. The clouds had returned by the time we arrived, but I felt that seeing the historic prison in black & white seems even better.

Alcatraz Clipper Ferry

This is the only way to visit the island. Fortunately, handcuffs and chains are optional on the trip. The ferry takes passengers on the short trip in relative comfort on a very green ship. The cruise operator worked with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to install exhaust after treatment and electric shore power on the boat. Combined with on-board solar panels and windmills, the system emits 80% less ozone-forming pollution and burns 20% less diesel fuel.

Old Guard Tower and Historic Truck

The ferry disembarks at the main docks where you meet your tour guide and head up the hill to the main prison. The United States government has used Alcatraz Island for many years as a military base, military prison, and federal penitentiary. Early military prisoners enjoyed a cell that was 3 feet wide, 5 feet long, and 5 feet high. Later prisoners would enjoy much nicer accommodations.

Prison Shower

Time for a shower. The line for audio tours snakes around the communal shower that makes most dorm showers look like a five-star spa. Inmates were allowed two showers per week. Most of the tourists could use one too.

During the night tour, there are various special tours and demonstrations. Above is a video of the cell doors opening and closing. They did not use keys to unlock the doors. Remote mechanical releases would allow the guards to access the cells. I also had the opportunity to take a night walking tour around the island which was pretty awesome on a still, clear night. The guide told us about several escape attempts while a buoy bell tolled in the distance. That and the amazingly awesome San Francisco night skyline all lit up for the holidays!

Prison Dining Room

Most of my fellow "inmates" throughly enjoyed their sentence on Alcatraz. After the audio tour, you can move freely around the prison and even buy a few souvenir tin cups. Alcatraz was a prison for prisoners which meant you had to break the rules while in prison to end up here. Inmates had a mixed life playing baseball one minute and under lockdown the next. The facility has a unique history and is a fun trip for anyone living in or visiting Northern California.

The ferry back to San Francisco was quick, but gorgeous. The San Francisco skyline is always impressive, but at night it truly shines. Unfortunately, the camera cannot do this place justice. The above video attempts to capture the essence of the voyage, but you really need to do this in person to catch the true feeling.

Christmas Tree at Pier 39

The night tour returns to Pier 33 around 7:00 PM which is perfect timing for shopping and dinner at nearby Pier 39. This tourist trap is open nightly with a huge sparking tree visible from Alcatraz and made a perfect ending to a long day. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.

Alcatraz Island with San Francisco Skyline

Prison Powerhouse with Graffiti

Main Dock at Alcatraz

"Welcome" Sign with Graffiti from Native American Occupation

Original Prison Building

Main Prison Entrance

Interior Cellblock

Solitary Confinement Cell on D Block

Recreation Yard

Interior of Main Cell with Typical Personal Effects

Entrance to Administration Building

Walkway between C & D Block - Seedy (C-D) Street

Main Prison Building at Night

Interior Cellblock at Night

Prison Cells with Escape Mannequins

Prison Guardhouse with Light

San Francisco - December 2014

San Francisco Panorama

Driving to the California Coast from the Central Valley is always interesting. During the summer, it is common to have clear skies and heat in the valley and hit cold, grey fog on the coast. In the winter, you can often find clear skies on the coast with inland fog. It makes for a very interesting drive, especially when your destination is the great city of San Francisco. I have visited many times and always get a special feeling driving over the Bay Bridge and peeking out of Yerba Buena Island seeing the city skyline.

Golden Gate Park Benches

I began my day at the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. On this trip, I drove my car to and through the City just to remind myself why I hate driving in San Francisco. After paying more for parking than the museum admission, I spent the morning seeing the various exhibits and artwork at the museum. I highly recommend seeing the collection if you are in the City. On a sunny day, the park is green and luscious with families and joggers dotting the landscape. It is almost as pretty as the paintings inside the museum!

Delicious Platha Bread

San Francisco is definitely a foodie town with may excellent restaurants representing many different global cuisines. On this trip, I had lunch at Burma Superstar - a Burmese restaurant in the Richmond District. This place rocked! I had Chili Lamb with an amazing fry bread called Platha. The spicy lamb was hot and tender and complimented the flaky crust of the fry bread. It is a popular restaurant with horrible parking, but worth the effort!

Pacific Ocean Wave

San Francisco is a peninsula with one side directly on the Pacific Ocean. Having a car does make it easier to see the coast, especially the Sutro District of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. This area on the northwestern tip of San Francisco has steep cliffs overlooking the ocean and its beauty. Coastal cypresses and hiking trails allow visitors a convenient escape from the urban jungle. The location used to house the Sutro Baths, a historic bathing area with pools and other facilities.

AT&T Park with Port of Oakland in Background

Right smack dab in the center of the City is Twin Peaks - a small mountain overlooking the entire region. At the top of a long and winding road - often featured in car commercials - there are several overlooks underneath the massive Sutro Tower. On a clear day like I had, you can see all the bridges and San Francisco landmarks. With a zoom lens, you can even see AT&T Park - home of the 2010, 2012, and 2014 world champion San Francisco Giants! The panorama shot at the top of the page was taken from here.

Sunset over Golden Gate

With the day quickly coming to a close, I headed to the pier to catch my cruise to Alcatraz Island for my night tour. That will be the subject of my next blog post, but please enjoy the rest of my San Francisco pictures below.

Hiking Trail near Sutro Baths

Rock with Hole near Sutro Baths

Ruins of Sutro Baths

Bird with Graffiti

Stowaway Bird on Alcatraz Ferry

Chili Lamb Dish