|
|
Muir Woods including Alcatraz
Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and through the coastal mountains
to the Bay Area's most popular national monument - Muir Woods.
Roam through an ancient forest of giant redwood trees and stroll the waterfront of the quaint Mediterranean-style
village of Sausalito (considered the prettiest city in California). Great views of the Bay are
featured with time for shopping and photo-taking.
|
>>> click here for more details
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge, and after you motor through the "Rainbow Tunnels" on Hwy. 101, Marin's unique
topography comes into view. Tidal flats along the bay segue into gentle undulating hills as they rise to meet
Mt. Tamalpais, Marin's 2,600-foot landmark. As your tour ascends Mt. Tam, breathtaking views abound at every turn.
Descending into the valley toward Muir Woods, you will see a landscape that hasn't changed since its original
inhabitants, the Coast Miwok Indians, lived here centuries ago. You will have 1 1/4 hour to spend in
Muir Woods, the most time offered on any sightseeing tour program. There will be ample time to stroll the Nature
Trail along picturesque Redwood Creek, and through Cathedral and Bohemian Groves, filled with 500 to 800-year-old
redwoods. Be sure to stop at the Visitors Center and Gift Shop.
The next stop on your tour is beautiful Sausalito, a Mediterranean-like community with elegant hillside
homes facing the bay and a unique colony of floating homes moored along the waterfront. You will have time
to stroll Downtown Sausalito, a National Historical Landmark District offering many fine shops, galleries
and restaurants. If you want to spend additional time here you can stay and take a ferry back to Fisherman's
Wharf or the San Francisco Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street (ferry fare not included). Your return to
San Francisco by motorcoach will be via the Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco's Marina District.
• 4-hour tour of Muir Woods and Sausalito
• Cross over the Golden Gate Bridge
• 1 1/4 hour in Muir Woods
• 1 hour in Sausalito
• Shopping/Dining/Galleries in historic Downtown Sausalito
MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT
140 million years ago, redwood-like trees covered most of the Northern Hemisphere. Today, this expanse of trees
has been reduced to two areas, the west slope of the Sierra Nevada and a thin 500-mile strip along the Pacific
coast from Oregon to Monterey, California. Most old-growth coast redwoods have been cut down, but the trees in
Muir Woods National Monument have never been logged. Congressman William Kent and his wife Elizabeth Thacher Kent
bought the forest along Redwood Creek in 1905 to protect its old-growth redwoods from logging, and donated the land
to the Federal Government. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed it a national monument in 1908, naming it for
conservationist John Muir.
Today Muir Woods is a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and a part of the National Park System.
The redwood groves within the 560-acre park include trees that measure over 252 feet tall. One is 14 feet wide;
some are at least 1,000 years old. Although most famous for its redwoods, Muir Woods also has a variety of other
trees and plants. Douglas fir, bigleaf maple, tanbark oak and bay laurel grow along with ferns, lichen and mushrooms.
Its abundant wildlife ranges from ladybugs, silverhead trout and silver salmon to Steller's jays, chipmunks and
black-tailed deer.
The color of Muir Woods changes with the seasons; in Fall the big-leaf maples turn yellow; Winter brings the vibrant
red toyon berries; Spring explodes with wildflowers; and Summer is the time for azaleas, aralias and buckeyes.
|
Add a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island and audio walking tour of the "Cell Block".
This former federal penitentiary also known as "The Rock" housed gangsters such as Al Capone (Scarface)
and "Machine Gun" Kelly. Learn about the famous "Escape from Alcatraz", its famous inmates and much more!
| The Alcatraz island tour includes: |
| • Ferry ride from Pier 41 to The Rock |
| • An award-winning Alcatraz island audio tour |
| • A guided tour of the cell blocks and grounds of Alcatraz prison |
| • Visits to the Alcatraz prison museum and gift shop. |
>>> click here for more details about Alcatraz Tour
Alcatraz Island Tour includes:
• award-winning Cell House audio tour,
• ferry ride to Alcatraz from Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf,
• tour of cellblock and grounds,
• orientation video, museum, and gift shop.
Out in the middle of San Francisco Bay, the island of Alcatraz is a world unto itself. Isolation, one of the
constants of island life for any inhabitant - soldier, guard, prisoner, Indian, bird, or plant - is a
recurrent theme in the unfolding history of Alcatraz.
Alcatraz Island is one of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's most popular destinations, offering
a close-up look at a historic and infamous federal prison long off-limits to the public. Visitors to the
island can not only explore the remnants of the prison, but can also learn about the Indian occupation
of 1969-1971, early military fortifications (the first U.S. fort on the West Coast), and the West
Coast's first (and oldest operating) lighthouse. These structures and the island's many natural features -
gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare - are being preserved by the National Park
Service, which is working to make it accessible to visitors, preserve its buildings, protect wildlife,
and interpret its history.
Alcatraz Island was named by Spanish explorers and means "pelican". The Island was first a military
fortress built to protect the gold bullion that flowed through San Francisco after the gold discovery of
1849. Later it became a military prison and then a maximum-security federal penitentiary. Born of
necessity, Alcatraz represents the federal government's response to post-prohibition, post-depression
America. In 1934 the Bureau of Prisons opened Alcatraz, creating a special prison for kidnappers,
racketeers, bank robbers, murderers, and individuals guilty of predatory crimes. Isolated and remote,
Alcatraz made it impossible for those confined within its walls to communicate with the outside world.
Alcatraz housed 1,545 inmates in 378 cells. Ninety officers were required to cover the three 8-hour
shifts guarding the prisoners.
Famous prisoners that called Alcatraz home included: Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Robert
"The Birdman" Stroud, and Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, the driver for notorious bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde.
After serving as a prison for 59 years, Alcatraz was closed in 1963 and prisoners were moved to a new
prison in Marion, Illinois.
Today Alcatraz is San Francisco's most popular attraction. Over 1.5 million visitors tour "The Rock"
each year. On your tour, you will take a short ferry ride from Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf to the island.
The tour starts with an orientation video; you will then have the opportunity to tour the island and
cellblock at your own pace. National Park Service Rangers offer interpretive talks on the history, flora,
and fauna of the island. The self-guided tour of the cellblock features an award-winning audio narration.
At the conclusion of the tour, you will have time to visit the museum and bookstore. On most days there is
a former guard or inmate present signing books they have authored, and they are always happy to tell you
about their time on "The Rock".
|
Credit card authorization required for pre-payment and confirmation of this tour.
Your tour will be confirmed within 3 to 5 business days.
|
| When? |
How Often? |
How Long? |
From Where? |
How Much? |
|
| All Year |
this tour runs on Tue,Thu,Fri,Sat, Sun/ 9:00 AM |
6 hours |
click for pickup schedule |
Adult: $76
Child: $54 |
| Adult is age 12 and older - Child is 3 to 11 |
|
