Thursday - We wrapped up our touring yesterday with a stop to check out the accessible restaurants at Fisherman’s Wharf and to take the Alcatraz tour. Loredana and I feel it is extremely important to personally check out every site, accommodation and restaurant on our suggested itineraries. It’s a good thing we do that because we were given a list of “accessible” restaurants and through our inspections learned that some of the restaurants have closed and others are not as accessible as they claim. However we find a great crab shack located at Fisherman’s Wharf called Sabella and La Torre. They have two dining options: Order from the street stand (accessible), or take a seat inside the restaurant. Although the bathroom is not wheelchair accessible, there are accessible public restrooms nearby.

Sabella and La Torre is a terrific place with deliciously fresh seafood dishes and an amazing staff. After discovering that we were eating at the wrong pier to just hop over to the Alcatraz tour, Loredana and I discovered that we only had 15 minutes to eat and run to the appropriate pier!

However, Sabella and La Torre’s friendly and entertaining manager Don McFarland, took personal care of us, making sure our food was out in minutes and packing whatever food was leftover quickly so we could take it on the ferry. Here Loredana is pictured with Don.

The night tour of Alcatraz is just beautiful; it was every bit as fascinating as we had heard. The ferry to Alcatraz is very accessible, and the needs of guests with mobility challenges are considered at every point of the ride. As we exited onto the island, an announcement was made that anyone who needs to take the accessible tram up to the prison should come up to the front of the line. As I am injured and we like to check everything out personally, we stepped forward. Seating on the tram is limited to wheelchair users, slow walkers, etc., so companions walk alongside the tram, ensuring that you are never far from your group. After speaking with the tram operator, I was allowed to sit up front with him! The operator gave me some excellent behind-the-scenes information and went out of his way to ensure that Loredana and I were able to participate in a special tour below Alcatraz, which was limited to only 10 people. We totally lucked out! You’ll see us behind bars, wearing hard hats for the exclusive tour and enjoying the scenery at Alcatraz.

Friday – it was another scorcher today. Luckily, the first part of our mission this morning included a trip to the Ferry Building near the water. At the Ferry Building, we joined up with a tour group for a fantastic chocolate tour. We journeyed through the city tasting a wide variety of delectable chocolates. See Jen’s smile as she chooses which chocolate to taste.

Thanks for checking in with us! Tomorrow we check out Chinatown, North Beach and more!