Today we conquered "The Rock". It was a short walk from the hotel to Pier 33 where we caught the ferry to Alcatraz Island for a visit - not customers today! The sun was shining and it was a flat cruise out to the island. After a quick chat from Ranger John about the island we wandered around. It has an interesting history starting as a Fort and military base before becoming a prison. After the prison closed it became a freedom stance for American Indians fighting for their rights and now a national park. The prison is now an audio tour which was different from my last visit over 30 years ago when a ranger took the tour. The kids did a junior ranger tour which kept them busy. It was the most comprehensive kids tour we have done on any of our travels. We saw the famous D block cells for the solitary confinement and the 3 cells which the prisoners broke out from, they still have the dummies they made to fool the guards for a bit. There was an exhibition about the American Indian rights movement and how they occupied Alcatraz for 19 months. It was very interesting to hear more than just prison stories.

After catching the ferry back we walked to the Exploritorium for our science fix. I live with a bunch of science nuts so this was time for them to go crazy and let their hair go up! Yep it went up holding the Vandergraph Generator. There was lots of different sections based around light, sound, nature and the body. We spent quite a few hours exploring as it is all hands on. From mirrors that made me fat to completing electric circuits with our bodies - we had lots of fun. Matilda and Emily really get into science and with Dr Penny there it is endless family fun. If you are ever in San Fran go there it is a great adventure.

To finish our day we caught a trolley car (we call them trams) along the foreshore. Ironically the tram we caught was a Melbourne tram. They have a museum for trams. This was cool and saved us a bit of a walk. Only 13500 steps today, so double this for Matilda and her little legs. Dinner was down at FIsherman's Wharf. No seafood today, Penny's not a big fan. Will have to try some and go to Boudin's for sourdough before we leave.