Gettin' Locked Up.

Yep, I went to Prison today.

Its actually rather pretty. Lots of flowers everywhere and a whole bunch of birds. Also, lots of artistically charred ruins from where the old warden's house used to sit.

Where else, but Alcatraz. Which was interesting on several accounts. 1) the actual history of the penitentiary is interesting, and 2) when you give people an audio tour with headphones, they fall silent. Absolutely silent. I had taken my headphones off (after pausing my tour... never fear, I still took a wrong turn and got lost for a bit) to scratch my ear, and the only sounds that greeted me where the shuffle of feet.

It was like a bunch of zombies, minus the moans and huger for human flesh.

Other things: it takes 430 steps to get to the top of Coit tower, which still isn't the highest spot in San Fran. But your calf muscles sure as hell feel like it. And, as far as I can tell, they built Coit tower because they felt like it.

San Francisco Arts Committee: "This hill in the middle of a residential district looks like a good spot for a tower that'll attract idiot tourists".

Ghirardelli Square has no less than 3 chocolate shoppes in it. And they all serve the same brand of chocolate.

This town still feels backward. We passed by the Inga Donut. Which serves Chinese food.

The west coast is just weird.