What I saw:
I loved the Fishermans Wharf tour. There is so much to see and do on the wharf
that it can be overwhelming, but having a tour guide point out features such as
the way the piers are constructed to unique building features was a fun new way
to see the wharf. The views of the bay
and Alcatraz were impressive and the breeze off the bay was a welcome
sensation.
What I learned:
The guide offered a variety of points unique to the bay that
I would not have noticed without the tour.
She pointed out that areas of the bay are preserved for Sea Lions and
other wildlife to create a safe harbor for the animals in the area. Additionally, she gave information about the
history of the wharf including stories about people attempting to swim the bay
and the history of the fishing in the area.
What I appreciated most:
The one aspect I appreciated the most was the views. Fishermans Wharf runs along the Embarcadero
and spans approximately 2 miles. That
entire span was filled with breathtaking views and fabulous bay breezes. The walking path along this bay also offered
a variety of textural surface changes.
The wharf went from wooden planks to being paved concrete, to embedded
rock. I found myself enjoying the
sensory experience of walking around on the different substrates.
Teachers note for future trip:
Again, catch this as part of the big bus tours. When we got off the BART train station at the
Embarcadero, we had over 45 minutes to make it to the tour. When we went to catch the bus transfer, the
first bus (they run every 15 minutes), was full and didn’t even stop. After realizing that this would be the case,
I realized we had to walk the entire span of the 2 mile wharf to reach to the
tour on-time. We really didn’t enjoy the
wharf as much as I would have liked until we were able to reach our tour
location. Had we taken the bus tours
(which offer hop on/hop off service) we could have gotten on very close to the
BART station, and it would have dropped us off right at Ghirardelli Square.
Images:
Picture #1
This is a view from the wharf to Alcatraz. On my way to the tour, I had just found out that the Alcatraz tours were booked and in my despair I took this photo, as the only shot of Alcatraz I would get.
Picture #2
This is a view of the golden gate bridge from the wharf as well. You can see the massive towers rising out of the waters, and the cable suspension supporting the bridge.
Picture #3
One thing I found very interesting was the Sea Lion refuge along Pier 39. This refuge was created to allow the Sea Lions to maintain their natural habitat, while still allowing humans to use the bay for boating. My son found this extremely interesting (though it smelled very foul).
Picture #4
This is the Maritime museum building located to the East of Ghirardelli Square. This is a great example of Streamline Modern architecture. The porthole windows and large deck at the top are made to help this building feel like a boat, and with the unique location of being right on the bay, it does the trick.
Picture #5
This is a photo of the front of the Ghirardelli Square building. This simple brick building has decorative molding trim accent pieces to help give the building character.
Picture #6
This is a view from the wharf to Alcatraz. On my way to the tour, I had just found out that the Alcatraz tours were booked and in my despair I took this photo, as the only shot of Alcatraz I would get.
Picture #2
This is a view of the golden gate bridge from the wharf as well. You can see the massive towers rising out of the waters, and the cable suspension supporting the bridge.
Picture #3
One thing I found very interesting was the Sea Lion refuge along Pier 39. This refuge was created to allow the Sea Lions to maintain their natural habitat, while still allowing humans to use the bay for boating. My son found this extremely interesting (though it smelled very foul).
Picture #4
This is the Maritime museum building located to the East of Ghirardelli Square. This is a great example of Streamline Modern architecture. The porthole windows and large deck at the top are made to help this building feel like a boat, and with the unique location of being right on the bay, it does the trick.
Picture #5
This is a photo of the front of the Ghirardelli Square building. This simple brick building has decorative molding trim accent pieces to help give the building character.
Picture #6
This is a side view of the Ghirardelli Building. The window cornices create a visual contrast to the brick building. Honestly, overall the Ghirardelli Building was fairly dull, and a bit of a let down architecturally.
Sketches:
Sketch #1
This is a view of the entrance to the "Exploratorium" at the wharf.
Sketch #2
This is a view of the Ghirardelli Square Building
Sketch #3
This is a view of the entrance to Pier 33 (where the Alcatraz Cruises depart from). I sat here and sketched while trying to figure out what to do about the Alcatraz Cruises being booked for the next week.
Sketch #4
This is a super quick sketch I did of the various wooden walkways. What I liked about this view is that you could see Coit Tower and the Trans Am building from where I was at.
Flyers or Handouts:
Since this was a free walking tour provided by the San Francisco City Tours, no handouts were provided.
