We traveled to Fisherman’s Wharf yesterday by way of San Francisco’s famous Cable Cars. I like riding the Cable Cars. While not inexpensive, it is fun, you get to meet interesting people (we have run into an unusual number of people from the UK here), and see the sights.
View from Alioto’s Restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf.
Fisherman’s Wharf is pretty much what you would expect – a place where local merchants are intent on separating you from your money. We went to the eastern end of the wharf area and had lunch at a place called Alioto’s. It was recommended to us by a lady from London who said it been recommended to her by someone from San Francisco. They were both right, it was a very nice, upscale and excellent dining experience. Our table looked out over a marina filled with obvious real working fishing boats – why weren’t they out fishing on a Tuesday? – and a sea lion looking for lunch.
Vicky had fish and chips while I had a tasty spaghetti with scallops dish. Our waiter was an older gentlemen who has been working there for nearly 30 years. It had been a long time since I had been waited on by a real, professional waiter. We dawdled over our meals, had a rare desert with coffee and generally enjoyed ourselves. We watched a sea lion swim about in the marina, looking cute. We also watched a fishing boat come in and pirouette nicely to back into its boat slip. It’s always satisfying to watch professionals do their job.
After lunch we strolled about the dock looking at the boats and shooting lots of pictures. The wharf area was bustling with activity – almost all of it tourist related. We saw tubs of fresh fish, crabs, and other sea food. We saw people haggling over the price of T-shirts, coffee mugs and a ton of other souvenirs. And cameras. It looked as if every single person out and about either had a camera around their neck or were taking selfies with their smartphones. We did that too.
We then grabbed a Cable Car to head back. We got off at California Street though and rode a different Cable Car line over to the Ferry Building where we were to meet our friend Judy. She was taking us over to Tiburon for dinner and a visit. The ferry ride was fun as we got to see something of Alcatraz through the haze and the spray but the Golden Gate Bridge was hidden in the distance, obscured by the San Francisco fog.