San Francisco - Alison Bing [40]
But take your headphones off for just a moment, and notice the sound of carefree city life traveling across the water: this is the torment that made perilous escapes into rip tides worth the risk. Though Alcatraz was considered escape-proof, in 1962 the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris floated away on a makeshift raft and were never seen again. Security and upkeep proved prohibitively expensive, and finally the island prison was abandoned to the birds in 1963.
Native Americans claimed sovereignty over the island in the ’60s, noting that Alcatraz had long been used by the Ohlone as a spiritual retreat, yet federal authorities refused their proposal to turn Alcatraz into a Native American study center. Then on the eve of Thanksgiving, 1969, 79 Native American activists broke a Coast Guard blockade to enforce their claim. Over the next 19 months, some 5600 Native Americans would visit the occupied island. Public support eventually pressured President Richard Nixon to restore Native territory and strengthen self-rule for Native nations in 1970. Each Thanksgiving Day since 1975, an ‘Un-Thanksgiving’ ceremony has been held at dawn on Alcatraz, with Native leaders and supporters showing their determination to reverse the course of colonial history.
After the government regained control of the island, it became a national park, and by 1973 had already become a major draw. Today the cell blocks, ‘This Is Indian Land’ water-tower graffiti and rare wildlife are all part of the attraction. Tickets should be booked two weeks or more in advance – especially for the popular night tour – so plan your escape now.
FERRY BUILDING Map
415-983-8000; www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com; Market St & the Embarcadero; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun; 2, 6, 7, 9, 14, 21, 31, 66, 71, F; & Embarcadero
Other towns have their gourmet ghettos, but San Francisco puts its love of food front and center at the Ferry Building. The once-grand port was overshadowed by a 1950s freeway overpass until 1989, when the freeway turned out to be less than earthquake-proof. The overpass was torn down, and the Ferry Building emerged as the symbol of San Francisco’s pride and joy – not the ferries, but the food.
Like a grand salute, the Ferry Building’s trademark 240ft tower greeted dozens of ferries daily after its inauguration in 1898. But once the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge provided more convenient ways to cross the bay in the 1930s, ferry traffic subsided. Then the overhead freeway obscured the building’s grand facade and car fumes turned it ashen. Only after the 1989 earthquake did city planners come to their senses and notice what they’d been missing: with its grand halls and bay views, this was the perfect place to stop for a bite.
Even before building renovations were complete, the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market began operating out front on the sidewalk. While some complain the prices are higher here than at other farmers markets, there’s no denying this one offers seasonal, gourmet treats and local specialty foods not found elsewhere. Artisanal goat cheese, fresh-pressed California olive oil, wild boar and organic vegetables soon captured the imagination of SF’s professional chefs and semiprofessional eaters.
Today the gourmet action continues indoors, where select local shops sell wild-harvested mushrooms, gold-leaved chocolates,